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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25 November 2011

The Aspen Project

Chris secures a rope to the Damson sucker

Pulling hard!
Stone wall building continued today by Chris Genever and it's looking FAB!  He even planted odd Violet, Thyme and Alchemilla Mollis seedlings between the stones as he went.  Simultaneously; serious work on the 'Aspen grove' commenced by the other Chris.  An earlier decision had been made to remove the relics from the orchard border ie. a big old damson sucker (more light for the 3 silver birches), a Lonicera and a Mahonia etc to make room for a grove of Aspens (Populus Tremuloides).

But it actually took both Chris's to pull it down
Having seen so many quivering Aspens on our travels, we thought we could have some of our very.  Hopes Grove Nurseries in Kent came up trumps and delivered 8 x 6 foot trees today (one for Chris builder) and seven for us.
This is the look we're aiming for but with only 7 trees!  

All this going on AND stone wall building!  Felling the damson meant logging, lugging  and stacking as well as sorting and moving rubble, soil and stone.





When it was too dark to see any more, we all called it a day.  Luckily, with the oil tank now filled again, the boilers relieved of their air locks (MAJOR oversight by Total Butler - ahem!) and the Aga re-lit it was nice to come in to a warm kitchen at the end of a very busy and cold day - yawn.



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