Emerging purple globe artichoke: symbol of the Spring Garden Fair…
Hello everyone,
The date is fast approaching now for our SPRING GARDEN FAIR on 15 & 16 OCTOBER so as you can imagine, I’m in crazy preparation mode!
I can’t wait to see the croquet lawn set up once again with Joe’s twig furniture, Camden Park’s rare & special plants and Neil & Carmen’s swathes of healthy veg seedlings. New to the croquet lawn this time will be Sibella Court with her tinkered hardware (and Sibella promises to bring that fabulous new book she’s put together of her paint colours for a sneak peak) as well as the beautiful billowing plants The Secret Garden will bring to ensure the lawn resembles a vision of delight. Somewhere in the centre of this activity you will find the re-worked Labyrinth (I’m just hopeful the grass will grow around its path in time!).
Martin Boetz will have his Cooks Co-Op Lunches in the Hayshed (more details coming soon) as well as his fine produce for sale. I’m thrilled that Anthia Koullouros will have her Ovvio Organic Teas for you to enjoy in the Loggia, to accompany the delicious cakes that Jillie Arnott will bake – the ones who’s recipes I’ve included in the book (but where I can manage only one at a time, Jillie is one of those brilliant cooks who can bake in multiples – which if past experience is anything to go by, we’ll certainly need!).
Inside the Dairy will be extra fun, with @afloralfrenzy Phil setting up a flower stall and Georgina Reid of The Planthunter using her distilling apparatus to play with the wonderful world of scent.
I decided not to give talks as I’ve done in previous years as it puts me out of action for much of the day and makes the Dairy itself a rather unappealing space – how much more exciting I thought, to have it as a pop-up flower shop? But I will take tours of the Kitchen Garden at 11am and 2pm each day, to explain just what’s going on there: seasonal crop rotation is underway, so it’s an ‘in-between’ time: while we’re eating our way through the spring harvest, all my focus is on the season ahead. I just hope my haze of romantic companion planting holds up for the fair – it’s been pure heaven for weeks but it’s mother nature on whom I’m relying for what may happen to it between now and then!
Since my last newsletter, the book has been published and is out in the world! I’ll have plenty of copies here in the Barn, along with dresses, aprons and hats, as well as plants from the garden and jars of cumquat marmalade (so you can make that ice cream recipe in the book!). All the other usual bits and pieces I deem to be Mickey’s Essential Kit will be there too of course, and if you’d like to pre-order a book to collect on the day, you can do that here.
So now we just have to hope the weather is kind. A shower or two of rain would be welcome (though I think we’re in for a hot blast or two instead). The malus blossom is about to burst, as well as the philadelphus in the Barn Garden. The prunus in the Borders already has two puff-ball blossoms open and the spires of echium are beginning to colour. I’m so hoping the peony poppies will flower for the weekend as I know how much everyone loves them. Roses are in bud, some opening their first flowers and I have my fingers crossed for Albertine on the Potting Shed roof…..in fact, I have my fingers crossed for many reasons!
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. You’ll find a little story about my reason for the globe artichoke being the symbol for this open garden on the blog. Sorry there haven’t been many posts of late to those who follow regularly. And a list of all the details of the Fair is here.
Just one little word in planning your day: many of you know how poor our mobile coverage is here which may cause dramas for our stall holders and their eftpos machines (while my own in the Barn is connected to a landline). I know it’s a thorough nuisance, but ask please that you be prepared and bring along cash with you just in case. The closest ATM’s are in Camden but it’s a 10 minute drive so would interrupt all the lovely fun you’ll be having!).
We’re so looking forward to seeing you here.
Best wishes as always,
Mickey
