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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23 April 2013

Cuckoo Musings

Alas, photo not taken by me
After planting 5 rows of potatoes, I heard our first cuckoo!  Considering the freezing cold spring we've had, Mr. Cuckoo is not that much later than usual. The earliest ever is 12th April and last year it was 17th; in 2010, it was 22nd April.  Anyway, it's funny how lovely it is to hear the call of such a bad bird!  I suppose it's more out of admiration for their navigational skills and sheer wonder they ever make it here at all after such an amazingly long and arduous journey.  They're hardly pretty.


 On the strength of tasting a friend's home grown potatoes last year and, for the very first time ever, I've strayed from Arran Pilots and planted another first early: Lady Christl.  The name looks like a spelling error but they have an RHS Award of Garden Merit and a claim that harvesting can take place 8 weeks after planting - mmm, I wonder.

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