One of the most important resources for any garden is it's water supply. At Croome the gardens are blessed with a 14 metre diameter pond which was commissioned by Brown in 1764. Most of the rain water in the garden is captured and transported to the pond through a network of land drains. The water is then redistributed by dipping your bucket in and carrying to the needy plants; hence the name.

Since we began the restoration work we always knew that the pond would require a major overhaul if we were to have any expectations of putting it back to work again. This is probably why we left it for so long but this year, in the grip of the worst drought on record, we seized the opportunity.

The pond leaked badly and the circumference wall was in a very bad state of repair. The best course of action was to start virtually from scratch...

And then a week later...

We decided to install an electric pump which would allow us to send water around the garden without having to carry it. And then followed a burst of inspiration. Why not use the old well next to the pond as a filtration tank and a distribution zone for our precious resource.

Wondering through the Fig House on this fine afternoon (as you do), we are suddenly distracted by a strange growth eminating from the centre of our 3 year old banana plant. Closer inspection revealed the following :-

 A week later...

 And then a month on..

The hot dry Summer has kept us busy opening and closing windows to try and keep the temperature in the Glass Houses under some control. In spite of our efforts the Fig House often exceeds 30 degrees in the mid afternoon.

You may be forgiven for wondering "whatever happened to that promised Rose Garden". Well, here you go...

It's hard to believe that we're half way through the Summer already, though it has been pretty busy inside the Walled Gardens.