NEW ADDITIONS

Androlia gate

A couple of new additions to the garden include another Androlia gate!!  We have yet to acquire either a couple of old gate posts or some old cast iron down pipe so, for now, it's sensitively chained to a tree at the top of the Fernery path.

Sun dial on Terrace Path

Octavius in the Sofa Border

Another acquisition has arrived at PTC following more successful bidding on a certain internet auction site which, in turn, required a trip to Bath, lunch with Ned and a few unforeseen adventures involving the AA!!!

Since we moved the sun dial into the sun (!), the gap reappeared - originally caused by losses due to the severe winter.  We were going to name him Oliver after the former owner but then settled for Octavius!  He certainly fills the gap and will improve (ie tone down!) with weathering.  I intend to paint him with a yummy mixture of yoghurt and chicken manure!  Now we can check on the time without having to climb into a border!

Octavius

Despite his girlie locks, he does have very well toned pecs!  More 'Summer in Autumn' shots can be seen at

https://picasaweb.google.com/100788191989823327785/PTCGardenOctober2011

The Great Indian Summer of 2011

Mr. Robin

It's the 15th October and still the height of summer here at PTC. That means the grass is still growing and that means it's still being mowed twice a week (Sigh!) and THAT means no time to remove all the Geraniums from their pots!  Not are we not usually mowing grass but, if we are, we don't usually find it hot work in October!

We're still picking raspberries and a Choysia is in full bloom as are some Polyanthus.  Not only are we having summer temperatures but it's sooooo dry - STILL!  So much for autumn planting!  Shrubs planted last week are requiring so much watering as are the pots around the house. 

Aptly named Autumn Bliss

All lawns were mowed and edged today and the stone path to the compost heap was reshaped.  It was a difficult job because the path narrows, has a camber and the conifer means that much of the grass on one side is dead!  I had a very musical companion for company! He was perched on the wheelbarrow inches away from where I was working and hopped into the Gleditsia for a photo shoot after being fed a worm.  

Stone path to compost heap

APPLE HARVEST

This was the last tree - Al already having picked and stored the apples from the other trees.  2011 has been an incredibly good year for apples nationwide and this tree was no exception. It was laden with both Bramley's and also a variety called Falstaff which was grafted on by our local expert: Rob Holloway about 3 years ago.  Very useful to have  2 apple varieties a desert and a cooker - both on one tree!

Yes, I did catch it!

Chris climbing out of the tree!

A little unorthodox practice as Chris picked the apples at the top of the tree and threw them down to us.  We caught most of them and they were all duly taken off to Clive's Fruit Farm near Upton on Severn for juicing, pasteurising and bottling.  How many bottles do you think we'll fill with this amount of apples?  Any guesses anyone?

Laden containers including a former toy basket!

I should mention that Rob was recently presented with a highly prestigious award - see link:

http://cideruk.com/cider_news/view/top_award_for_worcester_farm_manager/

Midsummer in October!

Summer morning in October!

As usual, it was practically dark when we finished!  BUT, we did get a lot of jobs done!  Not least planting the shrubs bought at Stone House Cottage garden:

• Ledum groenlandicum
• Heptacodium jasminoides
• Vibernum plicatum Mariessii

Fernery Path

Oh and for good measure; a Rhododendrum Princess Alice.  I defy you to spot the first 2 in this photo!  The smallest PTC Prunus died and so that was duly removed and its very healthy clematis moved to the tool shed balcony.  Patching the remaining square of turf was the challenge as we stole minute bits by edging elsewhere.  The summerhouse was painted with wood preserve as were all the finials around the Hen Pen.  (We won't mention Chris on the summerhouse roof and a borrowed and brand new shiny steps when he spilled the paint!!! However, it involved hot soapy water, much scrubbing and a pressure washer!!)  We have the greenhouse to do next week.  Wallflowers were also planted and Chris went round with his blower leaving everything looking pretty tidy. 

Paul, Ian & Al (after their roast pork!)

Unbelievably, we had lunch al fresco today - 

difficult to realise it's actually October!

WINNING EGGS

Lulu - teacher's pet!

 We thought the girls deserved some recognition for laying their winning eggs so, they now have new egg box labels and, their prize card is pinned inside the egg sales box at the end of the drive.  Today's eggs sold out within 10 minutes of being put out!

New label

Comments from the Coop

Egg sales point!

All five hens are laying.  Poppy laid her first china white egg the day after arriving and Tosca laid her first egg yesterday.   Tosca and Poppy appear to be settling well and behaviour continues to improve amongst older hens. At present, the older 3 are roosting in the Hennery House leaving the other house for the new ones.  The atmosphere in the Hen Pen is quite tranquil - unlike the days of Bluebelle's dictatorship.  I figure that if all 5 are laying, there can't be too much wrong.  There is some queueing for the 2 nest boxes and occasionally eggs are found on the floor of the House for Hens.  Do 5 hens need more than 2 nest boxes???  We feel a price increase will be due when all the half dozen boxes have sold.  Next time, we'll order the size containing  4 eggs - avoiding hassle with change.

SUCCESSES at STOKE BLISS!

Competing at Stoke Bliss Agricultural Improvement Society Annual Competitions this year turned out to be surprisingly successful!  Successes included -

Prize Cards

• Best Foliage Plant                                          1ST
• Saucer of 4 hens eggs                                   2nd
• Picture in any medium                                    2nd
• Agricultural Photography                                3rd
• Meadow Hay                                                   3rd
• Jar of Wild Crab Apple & Scilly Mint Jelly       Highly commended
• Sporting Photography (GRB)                        Highly Commended

Our very own prize winning hay!

Of course the very best prize was a 3rd in Meadow Hay!!!  I bet no one ever guessed that I didn't have a rick full of baled hay and that the truth is I don't even have enough to bale at all!  What a buzz!  It was noticed that the 2nd prize winner failed to exhibit the correct and stipulated weight of 5 kgs of hay and some of us wondered why this failure to follow competition rules hadn't meant disqualification but hey! (pun intended) I was too thrilled to win a prize at all!  Thanks to Maureen who supplied the perfectly sized bag!

The next (and almost as exciting) was a 2nd for the eggs!  That really was a nice surprise after all the work put in on chickens!  The Begonia which had spent a year under the greenhouse staging scooped a first and although is quite a good specimen it had received no attention whatsoever - unlike the chickens!!  Greg has to take credit for the Highly Commended sporting photography shot as I was struggling for any material at all for this category.  I was pleased with 2nd in the Picture in any medium as I loved the shot so much.  It was a frosty/misty naked oak tree printed on canvas

Oak tree printed on canvas

Greg's 3 Legged Race!

Winning Eggs Before..

...Winning Eggs after!

Watching the skill of the older competing ploughmen in the vintage classes is always a joy and we met Keith Willimas who farms in Kings Caple all around the Hehirs boathouse!!! As always after watching the ploughing competitions, it was into the barn for an excellent and hearty roast pork lunch.  

Begonia grown from a cutting

Ploughing a straight furrow!

More ploughing photos can be seen at:

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/reorder?uname=peartree.pam&aid=5655994357752422177

Tosca & Poppy Move In

Tosca and Poppy

A trip to Newland Poultry yesterday meant that Tosca and Poppy have now come to live at PTC.  They are replacements for Bluebelle and Priscilla R.I.P..  Tosca is a Black Rock hybrid and Poppy a Coral hybrid As soon as it was dark, we put them in to roost with Black Betty, Lulu and Amelia and hoped for the best.  This morning the House for Hens look like a cell in the Maze Prison!  However when the door was opened, the 3 older residents came rushing out with the new girls refusing to budge.  Obviously, it all looked too scary for words and after 20 minutes they had to be tempted to the bottom of the ladder with corn.  After a few minor skirmishes where the referee had to wave a red card at Lulu of all least likely culprits, they seemed to settle down.  Poppy flew up to the House for Hens several times and was seen pecking and scratching up all the newspaper.  As soon as the nest box was pointed out, she laid her very first china white egg - on her very first day!  She can't have been too traumatised by events.  More photos can be found at:

https://picasaweb.google.com/100788191989823327785/NewArrivals2292011