Sunday 27th August 2017 - The Next Date for your Diary

Pear Tree Cottage Garden Participates in "THE GARDENS OF WICHENFORD" Weekend 2017

Relaxing in the sunshine....

Visitors admiring the bonsai exhibits

....& slaving in the kitchen!

After the world's busiest week, I can reveal that our 'Gardens of Wichenford' weekend event was a resounding success. It was always going to be different without dear old Alan Green but, thanks to Sandra stepping into his organising shoes and the tremendous help from open garden stalwarts AND of course the weather, we all pulled it off!

In a couple of afternoons, Pear Tree Cottage had 473 visitors, many of whom were 'shuttled' up the hill from the orchard car park by Dave and Malcolm.  The bonsai exhibition had everyone enthralled with their precision in miniature. We couldn't have participated without our own helpers who made cakes, served teas and washed up for 2 whole days! So a BIG thanks to Pauline, Lyn, Pat and Di for both bringing cakes AND slaving away here. A special thank you to Ann Newton for making so many fabulous cakes - every crumb of which was sold. We made a total of £689.90 90% of which was made on teas - the rest being gate money & raffle tickets.  (Most people bought their entrance wristbands & tickets in other gardens.)  We had a total of 473 visitors - again, most of whom arrived in the afternoon for tea!

We also send our thanks to the members of South Worcestershire Bonsai Society who spent time and effort staging a really popular and professional exhibition. Without exception, our visitors loved their magical little trees. Incidentally, they would welcome anyone interested in becoming a member of their (very friendly!) society

A special mention to Di and Dave Evans who, having already booked their holiday cottage gave up an entire weekend of their holiday to help serve teas and wash up when they should have been walking along an empty beach hand in hand with the waves gently lapping their toes! Weren't they stars!

 We await news of the grand total and will keep you informed.

Fairy Tale Forest in a Garage!

These amazing exhibits are examples of perfection in miniature. These truly prized and highly valuable specimens are grown and tended by a few members of the South Worcestershire Bonsai Society. Malcolm Styles, Carl & their fellow team mates staged this exhibition in our garage a part of Wichenford Open Gardens.  Our many visitors really appreciated the skills involved and expressed a genuine  admiration. Any new members would be warmly welcomed & the team are happy to share their wealth of expertise with other interested parties. 

Trees versus cars? Trees win!

Check out more photos: Fairy Tale Forest and view full screen. Thank you 
South Worcestershire Bonsai Society for sharing your fabulous trees! 

It's Today!!

The Day Before.

Last minute jobs included repairs to both garden & well lighting. Roy was here bright and early and we had bright lights again when he left! Although it doesn't look it, the well is nearly 50' deep and well worth some lighting.

After mowing and edging the entire garden, cleaning  and arranging 2 sets of garden furniture, the bonsai  blokes arrived in the shape of Chris, Carl & Malcolm. In no time at all, the garage was transformed.  Elegantly covered benches were in place surrounded by back drops all ready to receive their fabulous bonsai specimens.

Just in time to finish dead heading - another 3 trips to the compost heap and in the house at 8.15pm ...Zzzzzzzz!

One day left before open gardens.

"This week, I 'ave bin mostly.....!!"

                                                       .....tidying and cleaning in the tool and potting sheds! Well, to be fair, not all week but today. One good thing about open gardens is the fact that it makes sure that ordinary maintenance jobs get done! Even the windows have been cleaned! Fences, seats, water butts even the barn have all been creosoted. Plastic pots have been sorted, stacked and tidied away. Terracotta pots have been cleaned, their cast iron guttering cleaned and treated and the pots sorted and stacked.

Tomorrow means mowing and edging everywhere, cleaning tables and chairs...........& a zillion other things!

A Real Yewlogy!

The mirror door.

Not a surprise in sight!

One hedge hiding 3 surprises! We have a mirror door, a window aperture and some secret steps all hidden in a yew hedge. No three features can be seen from one aspect but they're all there - hiding and waiting to surprise the unwary! The mirror door is just a garden feature. However, the aperture ensure that the utility room has access to light and the secret steps provide a shortcut from the barbecue terrace to the pond and Henclosure.

The shaping of the Yew hedge itself was started 2 years ago. In time we hope to mimic the random cushioned shapes achieved at Powys Castle and Bramton Bryan. By comparison, ours will be in miniature and, given the huge age of their hedges; we still have a very long way to go to achieve a compact and dense appearance. 

One day.........sigh!!

Looking through 2 windows!

The secret steps.

Our Hartley Botanic

A few professional photos of our much loved greenhouse taken by Hugh Palmer http://www.hughpalmer.com who has been commissioned by Hartley Botanic themselves.  Chris Genever's beautifully precise brickwork was the main attraction!

Shed of the Year Finals

Popped down to Bow, East London for Channel 4's filming of The Shed of the Year finals at the weekend. Obviously, I'm not at liberty to tell you the outcome of the Pear Hut entry prior to the programme's transmission dates. However, well done to the team at Plum Pictures for making us feel so welcome and looking after us so well - even if they did work us very hard............yawns!!

The Pear Hut

Shed of the Year 2017

Lighting by DSM Electrical and his team!

Gales in June!

Damage & debris

The Top Lawn

The Top Lawn

Yet another flattened foxglove

High winds in June do so much more damage than they can possibly do in winter and this week has just proved it.  With all the trees in full leaf, there's SO much more wind resistance. Leaves and branches were torn from trees, foxgloves flattened and the lawn covered in debris - SIGH!

Still at least it the gales didn't arrive for open gardens.  Today was an exercise in damage limitation, mowing and generally clearing, and tying up.  Even the Wisteria around the conservatory had been ripped off.  After a mow round, things looked a little better although I did feel sorry for the roses!

It seems that a rose garden has evolved quite by accident. It's too pretentious to call it that and so it's known simply as the Top lawn!  

The Lower Border

Cedar Wood Dutch Light Greenhouse for sale on Ebay

Our dear old greenhouse could be yours!

Click this link for full details.

Interior

Exterior

Summer Colour!

Vyvyan Pennell

Graham Thomas

Mrs N. Thompson

Great names and all in flower now!

Ernest Markham

Artisan Anemometer?

I just had to share pictures of Chris's latest creation in solid oak with brass fittings because it's just so lovely!! A rotating and flying duck!! Who wouldn't want one of these? Some people are just too clever!

Peeping Tom at Open Gardens?

Di chatting to visitors

Lindy & Eve serving in their new aprons

Relaxing  between the showers

Flash Gordon is undone!

Just a few more of Dave's photos taken at yesterday's open gardens. Don't be fooled by the sunshine!  It was, in fact, a freezing cold blustery and showery day!

On another note and, as a matter of interest; the Head Gardener would just like to know who was responsible for untying Flash Gordon's red bow!!! Would the culprit please own up?

A Cold & Showery Open Gardens

Paul having a cup of tea & sheltering in the summerhouse

Visitors enjoying a rare glimpse of sunshine

The weather could definitely have been kinder to us! It was cold, dull and showery.  I sat wearing my warmest waterproof jacket with a hood and furry lining in JUNE! However, it didn't deter 57 visitors most of whom came wearing wellies and carrying umbrellas. We made an astonishing £407.00 for the National Garden Scheme. Our total so far this year is £671.00 As the day wore on, the sun came out and it was a pleasant evening but it all happened rather too late. As we know, only too well, outdoor events are at the mercy of the vicissitudes of our English climate! 

A BIG thank you to all our visitors and an even bigger thank you to Lindy, Di, Dave, Eve and Sandra who worked so hard serving teas and cakes and clearing up afterwards. Lastly another BIG thank you to all our cake bakers!! Visitors never fail to comment on the homemade teas!

A couple of visitors relaxing on the terrace

Exploring our shed of the year finalist!

Tree on the Move!

Dicksonia antarctica on the move

Men at work!

Well!!! We managed to get nearly all garden jobs done before our first National Gardens Scheme open day yesterday.  We even found time to plant our tree fern which I've had in various pots for over 20 years. It was of course immensely heavy and required a seriously hole being dug out. We plane to wrap it up in winter and protect it from winter frosts.

Funny thing was: we had an early visitor from New Zealand.  She hadn't realised the garden wasn't actually open until Sunday. We of course welcomed her in and made her tea so she was able to watch one of her own natives being planted!!  We manage to attract some fascinating visitors including a gentleman who'd worked at Kew and had designed and planted a botanic garden in Chile. We've also had a lady who was the former chief propagator at Kew and a Japanese expert on English roses! It's amazing who finds a little cottage garden in the depths of rural Worcestershire!