What to see and do in August
The rewards of the hard work during spring and early summer! The volunteers enjoy each harvest and it’s great to see the produce go on sale to the public on the cart outside the Walled Garden.
First job of the day, harvesting for the cart! 
Trolley laden and ready to take to the cart. 
Plenty of jobs on the list for August:
Walled Garden:
Continue seed collection
Continue cutting back as plants finish flowering
Continue deadheading to prolong flowering
Thin hollyhocks and other plants which self seed prolifically
Cut back lavender after flowering
Complete meadow cutting
Start cutting back lavender flowers
Start lifting and dividing perennials
Remove excess foliage from vines to allow light to ripen fruit
Harvest figs
Plan Autumn work
Jubilee Orchard:
Begin harvesting apples as they ripen
Start processing apple juice
Cullen Garden:
Cut back perennials as they start to die back
Continue watering, feeding, deadheading and staking wooden tub
Weed, cut edges, water and tidy
Community Garden:
Harvest beans, tomatoes, courgettes, cucumber, onions and potatoes
Sow oriental leaves, rocket, coriander, chervil, spinach and chard early in the month
Sow land cress and winter purslane mid month
Visit to Beeleigh Abbey Gardens – 13th July
Staff and volunteers from Cressing Temple had a brilliant tour by the Head Gardener, Chris Cork. He has achieved so much in the 15 years he has worked there including a new herb garden around a posh Alitex greenhouse, wonderful herbaceous borders, a veg plot, fruit trees, a formal fountain area, a Wisteria walk and wild flower meadow, a rose garden and a lovely lily pond (and much more). It’s 3 acres is jam packed with plants, giving loads of ideas to take away for your own garden. Chris has a real flair for colour combinations and is a skilled gardener, ensuring there is a succession of interest from early Spring to the end of the season. He has two or three part time gardeners and some volunteers to help him but it is a massive task with such high maintenance planting. It was very generous of Chris to spare time out of his busy schedule to show us around the garden.
Beeleigh is owned by The Foyle family (of bookshop fame) and the gardens are open under the National Garden Scheme. Well worth a visit for the lovely gardens, the picture perfect Abbey and the view of the River Chelmer on one of the garden boundaries
