Chicken Wars

AND ALL ROUND BIRD CHANGES

Lulu (and Al)

Priscilla

After collecting our 3 hens from their  luxury hotel at Sarah's (http://www.newlandgrange.com ) following our short trip, it seemed a very good time to introduce a couple of newcomers to our mini flock.  

Well, that's what I thought.  However, the resident three thugs thought otherwise.  Despite having stayed away from their own territory for nearly a week, they are just too territorial for the continued safety of the new girls.  Poor Lulu (a Sussex cross) and Priscilla (a Blacktail) have had their lives made total misery and so they are now separated and have the Hennery to themselves whilst the other 3 have the Hen Pen. The girls also have a new pin-up on their gate.  We moved Chanticleer to a more fitting position.  Maybe he will distract the older girls from their persistent aggression?

Wol also has a new home - up in the pear tree.  It's been a while since we cut these out of an old oil tank and they have rusted perfectly.  There is an owl box in the same tree but no residents - until now!  Hopefully, Wol will discourage any more buzzard attacks on our hens!  Amelia was too heavy for the last buzzard to carry off.

Wol (looking quite thuggish!)

Chanticlere

The weather has been atrocious. Gale force winds have meant that the lawns are covered in leaves and, with the absence of rain, the ground is drier than ever.  With everything in full leaf; the wind is immensely damaging.  Not quite as damaging as dropping a can of water on one of the Genever tomatoes - GRRR!  The new Beech hedge around the Hen Pen requires constant watering as does the veg plot but, the young lavender hedge around the summerhouse is doing really well and putting on lots of growth.  If I'd known that the weather was going to be this cold, I'd never have planted Runner beans.  They are coming up looking pinched and cold! 

I've saved loads with the success rate of my Pink cuttings - much smugness!  I planted out just over 30 really healthy plants around the terrace wall and, if we ever have any seasonal weather, we might enjoy their perfume later.

FLOP OR CHOP?

The next question is to (Chelsea) chop or not to chop?  With the Open Gardens Weekend creeping ever closer, exactly how brave am I?  Last year, I had few doubts and, to Chris's utter disbelief, was proved right - even more smugness!  Plants were sturdier and bloomed later but just as floriferously. Certainly, far less need for staking. Maybe just the hardy Geraniums and the Lysimachia's this year?  After all, it's better than 'flop'.  Somehow, I never seem to get around to staking when it should be done.

Or, shall I chop more........................................?  

Back from Latvia

Latvian Relic

Not much evidence of any gardening happening in or around Riga and this forgotten and overgrown temple right on the Baltic coast was the nearest I found!  The corporation bedding in the city was impressive but I didn't count that as real gardening.

On returning to PTC, following Sir's successful lecture debut in Riga, the peas, beetroot, and carrots are all up but - what a pity about these cold winds!  I know we need the rain but the wind is so damaging when everything is in full leaf.

Yes!  I know all my Hazel spars look funny in the veg patch BUT, with the addition of some trusty binder twine, they will prevent the haulms and the broad beans from flopping everywhere.  The runner beans are just emerging but it's much too cold for them.

   

Hazel Spars

Papaver Orientale Patty's Plum

I just had to post this poppy photo - not because I like the colour (which is a complete washout!) but, because it's JUST exactly like tissue paper.

Why exactly did the watering can have to fall on to the first tomato plant and break the top out of it???  !

Genever Tomato Plants

Anyway - after all the late/last minute/11th hour/rush/stress/changes/amendments on Powerpoint with The Lecture, I can now return to some serious horticulture - phew!  Oh dear - I just remembered: Open Garden preparations!

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Late delivery of pea sticks!

Chris arrives in Mabel

heavily camouflaged as an entire forest

with a very overdue delivery of pea sticks!!

Shed of the Year Entry

"The Studio"

our

2011 Entry

for

Shed of the Year Competition 

http://www.readersheds.co.uk/share.cfm

More winter losses

Slatehenge

Another 2 dead trees removed this weekend!  This now makes the winter losses for 2009-2011 for trees and shrubs total a shocking 13 with another Eucalyptus in the top lawn border looking extremely uncertain.  One dead Pittisporum and a dead Eucalyptus Gunnii were duly removed and in the place of the former, we erected 'slate-henge', out of some rescued slate shelves from a dairy.  These were presents from Chris and had been sitting under the hedge until we found a place for them or had an idea!  Which I did!  Hopefully, they don't look too much like gravestones.  We had thought of making a bench but they are too long and much too precious to cut!  As they are doubtless Welsh slate, it seemed appropriate to plant the 3 Welsh ferns (rescued self sets) - one at the foot of each each slab.   The Cotoneaster behind is looking decidedly untidy because that's exactly where the Pittisporum stood (tall and proud prior the arrival of our glacial winter).  Now there is less shade, the Cotoneaster will fill in and with the benefit of some more planting, hopefully all will look more settled.  Perfectly Pagan!

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.

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