FIRST Cuckoo of spring heard on our 7th wedding anniversary. Wish I could say I took this photo but, alas, I didn't.
17 April 2011
Anniversary 1st Cuckoo
FIRST Cuckoo of spring heard on our 7th wedding anniversary. Wish I could say I took this photo but, alas, I didn't.
12 April 2011
The Rain Garden Idea Hits Home
 |
| Site of proposed rain garden |
 |
| Border left of left path to be levelle |
So I had this idea! Another idea!! YET another idea!! It started off as a sunken garden in front of the studio - all rocks and ferns and then it happened. A rain garden!! All the rain from the garage/office block flows into the septic tank which shouldn't ever happen. As we plan to level the Creosote Yard (using the Ebay bargain slabs) what's wrong with building a rill around the outside, redirecting the down pipes and all the run off being directed into the sunken rock garden. Hey presto! A rain garden. We could install a pump/natural water feature in order that any collected water
 |
| Site of proposed bridge |
is kept moving and so doesn't stagnate or attract mosquitoes. Planting might need to cope with/without water so care needed on that one. We could also build in an overflow channel in case of any great floods.
We had already planned to terrace the border left of the greenhouse path and have a retaining wall thus making a little bit more level garden. Whenever one looks in garden magazines or watches any gardening programmes; no one ever talks about gardening on a sloping site and nearly all of this garden slopes! Now, I'm on the lookout for about a 1000 reclaimed bricks - any suggestions anyone?
 |
| Imagine a bridge over a fern filled sunken garden to the studio |
Spring sowing and planting
After all these breaking pictures, it's time to speak of spring planting and whilst we had the unseasonal hot weather and exactly 366 days since I last did it; potatoes, onions, broad beans, artichokes and cabbage plants have all been planted out. I think I've got my spacing wrong - as usual. Chris always says I plant my potatoes too far apart but I like to leave room for earthing up. His approach is a little more agricultural than mine and he earths up at the time of planting. Needless to say, as the apple trees are coming into bloom, so the weather has turned cold and blustery again.
The raspberry patch has new canes this year and it looks as if a couple have failed so I'm glad there are a few spares in the corner. Saturday saw the top lawn border weeded and top dressed with compost. It was a pain digging out all the Bryony but - better out than in!
11 April 2011
Aga simmering device available!
Looks what's new!
A break from the garden to show you a simple device which ensures even simmering on an Aga. No more saucepans with half the contents boiling rapidly and half not boiling at all. This is an Eclipse solid stainless steel simmering device and has been made by a Nottingham university student: Chris Lewis. They are available from him at the_eclipse@live.co.uk for £15:00. The advantage of this over using coins is that it can be picked up with no burnt fingers! Congratulations to Chris for his device. It deserves success.Of course, it goes without saying that Aga won't allow their name to be connected as they are far too busy ensuring that their new Aga's are sold with inferior components. This ensures their franchised distributors have to pick up all costs involved in the travelling, call out and parts involved when a brand new and expertly installed Aga (in this case ours!) by 'Aga trained' experienced, dedicated and concientious engineers keeps going into meltdown! Thank goodness for brilliant sales support from the distributors, salesman and engineers alike! Thumbs up to Hill's of Ledbury for their prompt and attentive service on every occasion. Thumbs very definitely down to Aga! They deserve to pay all the costs incurred! What a shame that such a legendary cooker is bespoiled with modern dumbed down components. Sorry but I felt I deserved a rant after all the inconvenience that has been caused to all involved!
Well done to an innovative student, I hope he makes some money out of such a worthwhile and much needed invention. I thoroughly recommend his invention.
And now back to gardening....................
08 April 2011
07 April 2011
Not so free roaming anymore.....
 |
| Black Betty For more Comments from (within) the Coop check out: |
...and, given her expression - we are not amused! 1
The Hen Pen
More work on the Henclosure! Today was spent digging out a trench for the new beech hedge which follows the curve of the mesh. The beech trees were VERY kindly donated by Chris and dug up from his wood. Hopefully it will soften and eventually hide most of the weldmesh panels. Yes! I KNOW it's a tad late in the season to be planting a hedge. It's just that none of this work was anticipated prior to Monsieur Le Reynard's murderous visit! I do need to paint the fence post finials without dripping paint on the new hedging plants.
 |
| The Henclosure |
 |
| David's Gate |
David Lane (of J.W. Lanes Ltd - Agricultural Engineers of Stanford bridge) made a really lovely gate in a Victorian style and delivered it in person just in time to hang it this morning. Lanes can always be relied upon for all things sensible and useful and -at all times. Chris now wants to lay some pretty bricks from the gate and around the House for Hens.
Other jobs involved lowering the hedge in front of the Banana Bench allowing views across to Woodbury and Abberley Clock Tower whilst seated. It takes MUCH courage to cut a great chuck out of a mature hedge and this was very radical move (gulp)! It just needs to green over now!
 |
| The Banana Bench |
 |
| Original hedge height seen on right |
 |
| Original hedge height seen on left |
Hopefully, it will even thicken out. From a seated position, half the vistas would have been obscured and we would have been left with a close-up view of a less than perfect and very old hedge.
It would be nice to find some pretty Victorian railings of a suitable height to disguise/obscure the rabbit netting.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)