Spring at last!

The Woodland Border

Magnolia

How could I resist posting a few spring shots after such a long and vicious winter?  Never has blossom been quite so welcome!  Pity I can't photograph the fragrance.

Elsie surveying the Rock Culvert

New Hosta emerging

Cherry blossom

The Annual Tree Fern Move

We were very honoured to have 'Young' Ian's help again with the traditional tree fern move this year as he was on weekend leave from The Commando Training Centre at Lympstone where he's training to be a Royal Marine.  (Chris always refers to him as Young Ian and they were the pair who built a near perfect igloo in all the snow!)  He didn't even have time to stay for any refreshments! We did suggest that if his own folks couldn't attend the next family day, we'd stand in for them! (hint!)

I've had the fern for about 14 years now and each year it gets heavier and heavier and HEAVIER!  It spends the winters on a specially designed and built plant stand which is elevated.  That way, we can walk underneath it and it doesn't totally fill the conservatory.

Chris and Ian lift it off its stand..

... and carry it outside..

For now, it remains growing in one of Al's specially built containers which was copied from a Victorian original.  To carry it, they used a couple of broom sticks and we kept our fingers crossed they didn't break under the strain!

..to its home ...

...for the summer

Day & Night in the Herb Garden

For about 5 years, I've had this big old mirror sitting in the studio catching dust and then I came up with an idea.  A day and night symmetry theme in the Herb Garden..... and some help from a certain Chris Genever!  Blog followers will know that the stained glass was an original feature in the Herb Garden - as was the niche.  Anyway, this is what we came up with!  A frame to match the stained glass and, with a bit of fiddling, some matching stick on lead work.  Hey presto - a day and night theme!

'Mirror, mirror on the wall...'

The Androlia window illuminated by night

Night & Day!!

New Flock of Four

On Thursday evening, we took delivery of a new flock of four

Marigold, Persephone, Winifred & Sophia

All are different hybrids and from the left, we have a Marigold, a Partridge Star, a White Star and a Speckledy.  They are 17 weeks old and, as you can see, only have baby combs.  Their names are Marigold (not very original, I know) Persephone (Percy for short) Winifred and Sophia.  All have quite different characters and as wild as a hawk, we have Winifred.  She's very flighty and always chasing bumble bees and sparrows - half running and half flying at top speed!  All girls lay eggs of differing colours: cream, speckled, china white and brown.  This way, we'll know exactly who's doing what!  Already we have collected 3 perfectly formed small brown eggs.  There's been a little  little disorderly behaviour as they're still sorting out the pecking order but nothing too serious.  All have taken to their pole house immediately and found their roosting places on the very first night without the need for any help or guidance.  It just proves that, in nature, their instinct is to roost up and off the ground.

Percy

Sophia

In readiness for their arrival all houses, feeders and troughs were all painted, disinfected, creosoted and cleaned inside and out with new wood chip in the Hennery so it was a busy few days.  Of course, we went back to Sarah of Newland Poultry.  Sarah has a fabulous set up with all types of birds and housing in wonderful surroundings.  Her husband designs and builds the most practical and prettiest hen houses (as well as shepherds' huts!) - it's well worth dropping in to see her Poultry Palaces or even just to buy eggs!  Check out her brilliant website: http://www.newlandpoultry.com/

Frog he would a wooing go.....

...........all the way to PTC from Colchester hitching a lift with Colin and Val.  He has his own stone by the pond and was enjoying some cool sunshine between the even cooler and wilder showers today.

Cuckoo Musings

Alas, photo not taken by me

After planting 5 rows of potatoes, I heard our first cuckoo!  Considering the freezing cold spring we've had, Mr. Cuckoo is not that much later than usual. The earliest ever is 12th April and last year it was 17th; in 2010, it was 22nd April.  Anyway, it's funny how lovely it is to hear the call of such a bad bird!  I suppose it's more out of admiration for their navigational skills and sheer wonder they ever make it here at all after such an amazingly long and arduous journey.  They're hardly pretty.

 On the strength of tasting a friend's home grown potatoes last year and, for the very first time ever, I've strayed from Arran Pilots and planted another first early: Lady Christl.  The name looks like a spelling error but they have an RHS Award of Garden Merit and a claim that harvesting can take place 8 weeks after planting - mmm, I wonder.

Better Late than Never

Early earthing up

As well as all the other stuff going on in this garden, I did manage to plant potatoes and sow seeds.  A kind neighbour very kindly brought his tractor round and delivered a bucket full of rotted cow manure.  This was duly barrowed round and dug in by Chris who did all the donkey work (as I was on construction duties with my head down the well).  Chris also cut some peasticks from his wood so, with some warm weather, there were no excuses!

For the first time ever, I earthed up immediately after planting potatoes which was tricky and I was grateful that the rows were short as it's much easier to earth up something that can actually be seen.  My other first is the fact that, I've strayed from Arran Pilots and planted Lady Christl - which looks like a spelling mistake but isn't.  22nd April is the latest I've ever planted potatoes but I couldn't see the point in allowing them to sit in icy cold ground.  Another record late date was the fact that the 30th April was when I sowed Early Onwards, Aqua Dulce and Early Nantes. I also planted some Greyhounds, some onions and chard.  Nature has a habit of catching up - let's hope spring really has arrived and that this warm spell isn't just a flash in the pan.  Having said that, and remembering last year; dare I say?  We actually really need some rain!