One Woman Wants to Mow a Meadow!

I've posted this conundrum on an RHS Forum but if any one out there had any ideas, I'd be only too delighted to hear them!

'With all the hype and encouragement to grow meadows: does anyone have any sensible suggestions regarding mowing a small area of meadow grass in order to make hay?  

In past years I have tried the the following methods: scything (back breaking slow and hazardous - despite having received expert tuition!)  Strimming - useless as the minced grass is thrown everywhere.  Strimming with a brush cutting blade - equally useless!  Inverting a pole hedge-cutter - right action but the cutter bar is dragged into the ground and it proved too difficult to control.  Lastly (and not to be out-done) hiring a power scythe (a modern version of an Allen Scythe)  - it works well but means that I have the world's most expensive hay!  Our ride on mower is, of course, a non- starter for such a job as indeed are the other 2 lawn mowers! 

I did think about buying an old Allen scythe but storing it and maintaining it for 30 minutes use once a year doesn't make sense either! Making hay is SO worth doing just to awake to the smell of it!

You'd think that some one would come up with a garden mower with this capability or am I asking too much???  Are perfect swathes of cut grass too much to ask for in a garden?

PS In case you're wondering why I want the hay at all - it makes perfect garden kneelers when stuffed in an an old potting medium bag tied at the end and it lines the hens' nest boxes!'

Oak Ferns & Old Gates

The Draycott Gate

Having been given a lovely old estate gate (a bit of Draycott House!), means I've now found a use for an old oak gate post!  Both have been placed down  in  'Orchard View' - just in front of the Banana Bench. Chris has promised another old gate post for the latch end of the gate.  Some of his grandfather's old chain adds even more authenticity!  We're looking forward to using the other Draycott treasures so, watch this space!

Oak ferns

We couldn't resist these oak ferns being sold on the side of a tiny narrow lane under the shadow of Hay Bluff.  We didn't get to meet the maker but he lived in the a beautifully painted wonderful old bow top caravan which he towed with a Fordson dexter.  The ferns have been anchored into an old stump with already trailing ivy

The fern maker's home

Summer Evenings at PTC

'Fantastic Mr. Fox'

Japanese Acer

Not quite gardening in the dark but a few shots on a rare warm summer evening! Garden lighting - courtesy of the one and only Dave Melhuish of DSM naturally!  His talents can be viewed at

 http://sparkydsm.blogspot.com/

Elsie comes to live at PTC

Beaks Breakouts & Broody Behaviour!

Lulu & Priscilla

I was going to start by saying that things are getting back to normal in the garden following our super successful Open Gardens Weekend.  However, things have been anything but normal for these two!  First off all, Priscilla became extremely broody and spending all her time in the nest box refusing to eat properly. Her days were spent continuously 'growling' at everything with feathers all fluffed up.  A possible diagnosis of being egg bound had been mooted but we won't make mention of that.  Suffice to say; a very careful medical examination revealed no presence of eggs - bound or otherwise!  After a couple of days in Ollie's dog crate (with no nesting facilities), she's now back to her usual happy self.  

Lulu had other ideas about her absent friend and decided that things weren't right.  A search party was needed and an escape plan was hatched (ahem!) .  First of all she flew between the upper bars on the gate.  After this escape route was obstructed with a panel of weld mesh and with much determination, she then flew right over the top and was found happily scratching around in the raspberry patch completely oblivious to all dangers that lurk nearby.  That left only one course of action.  Out came the kitchen scissors. We reluctantly but very carefully clipped her flight feathers.  The risk of her flying out and straight into the jaws of Monsieur Le Reynard is far too great - especially as he was seen again yesterday afternoon in the orchard - in broad daylight!

So far - so good.  No further escapes.  Of course, now she is reunited with her friend and access to the Hennery is restored, it could be that she no longer has reason to escape.  We'll probably never know why she did it having shown no previous inclinations whatsoever (sigh!)

Wichenford Open Gardens 2011

Visitors come to Pear Tree Cottage 

(Photos by Dave Evans!)

PTC's TAKINGS

Gate:        £108.50

Teas:        £279.60

TOTAL     £388.10




OVERALL TOTAL: £9,700.00 
Congratulations to our amazing organiser:  
Alan Green


A "BIG" thank you to all those helpers at PTC
Colin, Val, Paul, Dave, Di, Eve & Iris who served teas and washed up for 2 whole days
and all those who so kindly found time in their very busy lives to make amazingly delicious cakes and goodies for us to sell!
Frankie deserves a separate thank you for providing a really expert waiter in the form of Davy!  We all wished he could have stayed much longer! We missed Lindy & hope she's better SOON!

More photos can be found at:

 https://picasaweb.google.com/peartree.pam/WOGWeekendJune2011

Setting Up in Strong Winds!

Colin, Val, Dave & Al erect the gazebo.

Cash box & visitors' book

Ian delivers Chris's furniture on his roof!

Luckily, the wind dropped!

Worcester News Excerpt

A WAITER from Hong Kong will be helping serve the masses at a charity open garden event in rural Worcestershire.

Davy Ling – usually the manager at the new Four Seasons restaurant at Powick, near Worcester – is stepping in to help serve up teas and coffees at one of the many venues opening for the Wichenford open gardens event today and tomorrow.

Mr Ling, who moved here from Hong Kong five years ago, was put forward for the job by his boss Frankie Tsang, who owns the restaurant.

Pam Thompson, who owns Pear Tree Cottage, has known Mr Tsang for many years and suggested she might need help with the customers after a busy year in 2010.

“Frankie is generously supplying us with a waiter – a far cry from his work in Hong Kong,” she said. Mr Tsang said he was happy to help: “I always like to support a good cause, and Pam said she might need some help so I stepped in.”

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• By Richard Vernalls »@rvernallsWN #worcsnewsBuy this photo »