THE FRUSTRATED GARDENER!

Head Gardener is recuperating following some major shoulder surgery so, frustratingly, garden work is presently out of bounds - sigh!  So... here's a what's happening.  Not a lot.  There's tons to do and  I'm trying not to think about all the leaf clearing that needs doing!!

Autumn Golds.

This year, I'm wondering if the autumn colours have been more spectacular than usual or: have I had a whole year to forget last year's colours? Even looking out of the windows, the garden has been ablaze with colour and the surrounding cider apple orchards are just pure gold!

With the mild weather, I certainly haven't needed a single excuse to find a garden job but then, that's true anyway!  If it's a toss up between indoor and outdoor jobs; outdoor always wins hands down! Leaves are falling fast now so the leaf mould pile is getting bigger!

Thinking of Spring

I thought I'd finished planting bulbs until some Pheasants Eye Narcissus bulbs arrived late from Parkers and then guess what!  Tammy popped over from Stockton Bury Gardens to pick up some calligraphy and gave me some tulip bulbs.  They were the fattest, plumpest most lucious looking bulbs I've seen this season.  I must ask more about their origins!  I'fe always loved the Pheasant Eye variety for their wonderful perfume and their bright eye.  They're also much later than most Narcissus

Pheasants Eye Narcissus

There was nothing for it but to enlist some help (new bionic shoulder now on order!) lugging heavy pots and compost.  I'm pleased to say that they're now all planted in some gritty well draining potting medium and top dressed with some horticultural grit. Very smart. 

Roll on spring!

The arrival of the PREDATOR!

Heading down towards the Aspen stumps.

Yet another wet Saturday!  It was on with the waterproof over trousers and wet weather gear in readiness for 'stump grinding'!! 

Grinding out an apple tree stump in just a couple of minutes!

Chris arrived with .....................THE PREDATOR!!  Great name for a stump grinder!  It saved hours and hours of hard work axing and digging out 8 tree stumps.  Despite the incessant rain, all the stumps were ground out in less than half an hour.  The remaining wood chip was raked level and as neat as a new pin - all ready to plant the new birch trees.  I have a feeling that it might still be known as the 'Aspen Grove' despite the fact there's now no trace of them.  This beast of a machine meant that there was time left for tidying overhanging branches in The Woodland Border, more power washing and even making 2 big 'Tulip Trifles'!!

YES! It was raining the whole time!

Autumn in Pear Tree Cottage Garden

           Have a virtual stroll in the garden!

Hawthorn Battles!

PTC bathed in November sunshine.

Woodbury Hill beyond the golden cider apple orchards.

Saturday turned into Sunday as Chris swapped his day and cleverly avoided all the rain.  In fact Sunday was glorious sunshine with mild temperatures.  Time for a MAJOR sort out down in Cato's Corner.  Chris gallantly scaled a ladder in the middle of the first and worst Hawthorn braving all the thorns of both it and the rose to which it played host.  Quite the hero!!  He even found time to take a couple of photos from the top of his ladder - not views we usually see. 

As if the tangle of rose and hawthorns wasn't bad enough, work in this corner of the garden is never easy due the difficult ladder access across ditches not to mention a hedge and barbed wire fence. As usual, Chris did a brilliant job and they'll be left to their own devices for another year!

Saturday's Sudden Succulent City!

Greenhouse.

It's as if Christmas arrived early as both the house and greenhouse has suddenly bcome home to all these beauties!: Genever succulent collection.

Kitchen window sill.

Who's a lucky girl???  Over 30 succulent plants of all different shapes, sizes and varieties has arrived at PTC all thanks to Chris Genever. How exciting is that?  Some have been potted, up, potted on and just repotted. Some are very young plants and others more mature. Those which need potting on will wait until spring. I hope I can ensure they all thrive - nervous shiver!


Many are Echeverias some are Crassulas and others are Aloes.  I think one is a Cotyledon but more research is needed. I've been busy finding pot covers for as many as I could and bringing them in the house where they can be enjoyed more readily over winter.  Some remain in the greenhouse which we keep just above freezing.  So far, the dining room, bathroom, kitchen window sills and of course, the conservatory have all benefited.

Now I need to do some reading up!!

The conservatory.

Sorting out in the kitchen.

A Life on the Tiles!

A year in the life of a vine - Vitis coignetiae 

(Crimson Glory Vine)

WATER WARS!

Out gunned!

Cleaned flag stones.

Despite the incessant rain and consequent flooding we hardy gardeners donned on serious wet weather gear and ventured forth.  NO way could we do any garden work. Chris brought his trusty power washer and we took turns in cleaning flagstones and pruning the Vitis coignetiae over the garage canopy. It had dropped all of its leaves and already I'm missing its outstanding autumn colours!

There was time for a pretty one sided water battle as I was completely outgunned! A tiny water pistol was no match for a Stihl power washer!! However, despite the antics, much very slippery algae was removed and walking in the wet is at least safer now.

Bare but tidy

No Chris Saturday!

This is what we're preparing for!

Planning for more of these!

Our Chris has been doing a spot of travelling so garden work has continued but in a more sedate manner! The greenhouse is filling up with over-wintering tender plants and the glass is being cleaned in stages.  When its glass cleaning time, the greenhouse is FAR too big.  When finding space for overwintering plants, it's FAR too small!! Meanwhile, the Under Gardener cut the lawns & manfully carried in the heavier pots!

Meanwhile, Tulips (9 varieties), Chinodoxa, Iris reticulata and also some Paper Whites and Tete-a-tetes with Hyacinths have all been planted and top dressed with horticultural grit.  I even remembered to label them all this year!  Sounds a lot of bulbs but the reality is, they only filled 5 pots and I was forced to go shopping for more. So, more planting to do! Nevertheless, the sun was shining and my friendly robin sat a couple of feet away watching!