The green and rolling countryside of Worcestershire, England, is home to the cider apple orchards which surround the gardens of Pear Tree Cottage. They enjoy a sunny south westerly aspect with sweeping views across to Martley Hillside, Woodbury and Abberley clock tower. The Teme Valley lies just over the hill and, not far away, is the Herefordshire border. Although our climate is temperate, our seasons are often uncertain and always a challenge to a gardener! This began in 2010 & follows the weekly ups and downs of garden work chronicling both successes and failures but, above all, demonstrates the fun enjoyed by three people who regularly garden in all weathers

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28 June 2011

Wichenford Open Gardens 2011

Visitors come to Pear Tree Cottage 
(Photos by Dave Evans!)





PTC's TAKINGS
Gate:        £108.50
Teas:        £279.60
TOTAL     £388.10




OVERALL TOTAL: £9,700.00 
Congratulations to our amazing organiser:  
Alan Green


A "BIG" thank you to all those helpers at PTC
Colin, Val, Paul, Dave, Di, Eve & Iris who served teas and washed up for 2 whole days
and all those who so kindly found time in their very busy lives to make amazingly delicious cakes and goodies for us to sell!
Frankie deserves a separate thank you for providing a really expert waiter in the form of Davy!  We all wished he could have stayed much longer! We missed Lindy & hope she's better SOON!

More photos can be found at:

Setting Up in Strong Winds!

Colin, Val, Dave & Al erect the gazebo.


Cash box & visitors' book
Ian delivers Chris's furniture on his roof!

Luckily, the wind dropped!

Worcester News Excerpt

TEA-TIME: From left, Alan Green,  open garden organiser; Pam Thompson, of Pear Tree Cottage; and Davy Ling, of the Four Seasons restaurant. 25300906.
A WAITER from Hong Kong will be helping serve the masses at a charity open garden event in rural Worcestershire.
Davy Ling – usually the manager at the new Four Seasons restaurant at Powick, near Worcester – is stepping in to help serve up teas and coffees at one of the many venues opening for the Wichenford open gardens event today and tomorrow.
Mr Ling, who moved here from Hong Kong five years ago, was put forward for the job by his boss Frankie Tsang, who owns the restaurant.
Pam Thompson, who owns Pear Tree Cottage, has known Mr Tsang for many years and suggested she might need help with the customers after a busy year in 2010.
“Frankie is generously supplying us with a waiter – a far cry from his work in Hong Kong,” she said. Mr Tsang said he was happy to help: “I always like to support a good cause, and Pam said she might need some help so I stepped in.”

20 June 2011

Open Gardens looms closer!


Chris has brought a few classical and elegant additions for the event.  Elsie has come to stay and she now looks down into the culvert. A further horological surprise awaits in the sofa border!




The weekend was spent tidying edges and hedges as well as dressing Phillipa's old table and chairs - tho' I down we'll be serving teas there!  Fantastic Mr. Fox looks well in the woodland border.








I'm trying not to panic as I can't find all the spare cups and saucers since the kitchen re-fit and I think Al must have taken them to the charity shop.  Whoops!

Must get back to those borders - still 2 to go and some furniture to move!

09 June 2011

Zach's Book makes it over the pond to California

Zach seems to like his story about the chickens who live at Pear Tree Cottage!



I know this is really a garden blog but, after all, this book is a true story of our garden's inhabitants!

Other news .......we didn't win the shed of the year competition but we enjoyed the participation. Many thanks to all who voted for Pear Tree Cottage's garden studio!

We also decided on Chop not Flop! In the nick (ahem) of time it took 2 afternoons to give the perennials their Chelsea Chop. As usual, I hadn't got around to doing all the necessary supporting and, to be fair, the late delivery of pea sticks was a major contributory factor.  Let's hope they lose their somewhat shaven appearance in time for the Open Gardens!

Comments from Coopville:

We're all so settled that we've laid 5 eggs on 2 consecutive days! Of course 2 of the five eggs are quite a bit smaller and, as if to prove a point; Lulu left a small brown feather of identification on hers! I think the new egg sales point on the gate post is going to prove useful.  Let's hope there are enough customers.