Birthday Surprise

Chris with his birthday cake and firework!

This Saturday little garden work was done owing to the fact that a certain 'Chief Gardener' had a surprise birthday lunch.  Conspirators got their heads together and, despite the odd crisis, a number of Chris's other garden clients appeared for Pimms and a cold salmon lunch on the terrace.  A certain builder nearly missed lunch altogether as one of his own clients had managed to drive his car into his own newly built garage wall causing major structural damage.  He not only missed pudding(s) but also birthday cake!  Super delicious cakes and deserts were kindly made by Judith and Yvonne so it was indeed, a BIG miss! 

We were a little short on garden furniture owing to the fact that Chris had taken his own (matching!) table and chairs home and I could hardly ask to hang on to it an extra week!  They had been sitting in our garden for a month during which time poor Chris called round to find us dining at his table! How very embarrassing!! Luckily, Judith came to the rescue with another set and a much needed big umbrella.  I made the usual oversight. This time it was the soda bread AND I was up at 6:30am to ensure there was enough time  to make it!  GRR!  Serving lunch couldn't have been easier. With 2 expert waiters on hand in the form of Frankie and Alwyn; it was a breeze! Hopefully, home grown new potatoes - this year's are Lady Christl (I know it looks like a spelling mistake but it isn't!) compensated for the absence of home baking.

More photos can be seen at:

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

(I also omitted to appoint an official photographer for the occasion. Sadly, not all guests appear in the album.)  After the guests departed, the hay was gathered in and then it was time to sit down and watch another beautiful sunset with a few more beers (see next post!)  Quite an easy Saturday by PTC standards!  

Making hay in the sunshine

A spell of hot sunny weather could only mean one thing: time to cut the meadow grass and make hay.  This means hiring a power scythe to cut it into swathes and the massive expense of £92.00 for  a day's hire which took all of 15 minutes - GULP!  I'm still grumbling about the lack of equipment available to the average gardener when growing meadows in gardens has never been more popular!  Ordinary mowers can't cope and strimmers chew up the grass and throw it everywhere rendering it unusable.  Anyway, it's now cut and the scent is quite delicious as it's drys in the sun.  I still use the hay for the hens' nest boxes and also for making garden kneelers.  I stuff old compost bags with it and just tie the end.

No smoke without....................

.........a bonfire!!  The shafts of sunlight in the smoke looked worth a photo so I went to see what/who was making all the smoke and, there was the culprit!!

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Summer at PTC means...........

Taking 5 minutes!

...........that it's almost too hot to work and so I took a few minutes off and sat in the shade in a wheelbarrow.   Well, an upturned wheelbarrow makes a perfect seat!  Now it was my turn to be on the receiving end of much flack as Chris sculpted the box hedge around the well.  He had a rather clever idea of making it into a giant sundial with the pump as the centre and cutting Roman numerals into the box hedge.  Pretty good idea I thought!  Having measured out and placed canes to guide the sculptor, I sat down to watch the master at work!  The hedge was trimmed all over except for areas on the top which will be allowed to grow up into numerals.  All it needs now is time (sorry!!)

Slaving in the relentless heat!

New Garden Toy Arrives

Today, I took delivery of my replacement mower so once the long meadow grass has been cut, this is what will keep it looking respectable!!  It's not everyday one has such a shiny new toy.  I bet Zach & Elissa would love this so; this photo is just for them!!

Garden Club Visit

PTC's resident thrush in full voice

Last night, PTC garden was the venue for a visit by members of The Shelsley Garden club.  After a dull and unpromising start to the day - when it was inclined to spit with rain as I was mowing and edging; the sun came out for their arrival (and for Murray's win!!!)  Lindy so kindly came over and helped serve them with teas, coffees and cake and another £80.00 went into the weekend's kitty which pushed our total to £645.59.  They appeared to enjoy their visit and although it was a touch too bright for the full effects DSM's lighting, they were able to get the idea.  The depths of the illuminated well however were 'well' (sorry!) appreciated!  By the time Alan and Martin arrived, it was much darker and Dave's new lights looked really pretty. We have one more garden club visit on the 25th and then I might feel as if the pressure's off!

Another fab sunset from PTC garden

Meanwhile, down in the Henclosure............over the past couple of weeks, the new girls, have contended with several hundred admiring strangers interrupting their usual tranquil lifestyle - not to mention the silly lady who touched their electric fence!  Despite these distractions, egg production has been eggsellent (sorry!) and output for June reached 72!

Wichenford Open Gardens 2013

Day 2

Visitors queuing at the gate

After a 5am start to finish watering, dead heading, general garden tidying and most importantly the critical: cushion placement (on every seat and bench in the garden including the Yew sofa!) The helpers arrived before I had even changed out of garden scruffs!  Today's Tea Team consisted of Colin, Val, Lindy, Maureen, Lyn, Eve, Di, Dave and Paul.  Chris was our photographer and general eye in the garden whilst Dave was the shuttle bus operator.  Paul helped on the gate and Al was in charge of dinner preparations and garden tours.  Denise was OIC Garage Gallery.  We were SO lucky with the weather as it was fine and sunny with a cool breeze (which did get a bit too cool by evening!)  We had about 457 visitors over the 2 days and our takings were:

• Gate: £113.10
• Teas: £420.64
• Donations: £86.20
• Gallery sales @ 5%: £25.65
• Total : £645.59!

Visitors in the garden

That is an increase of 25% from the last event in 2011. We won't know what the final total will be until Tuesday when Denise works out the 5% from garage sales. A big pat on the back and an enormous vote of thanks is needed for the entire team who baked wonderful cakes, served teas, washed up and left everything perfectly spick and span after 2 hectic days!  11 stayed for Al's BBQ supper and we moved the outside table into the conservatory as we would have just been too cold to dine al fresco.

Visitors queuing for teas

Now here's a funny thing.  Usually, it's me working alone in the garden with just the birds for company and a Chris on a Saturday.  Suddenly when it's filled with throngs of enthusiastic strangers, I found that I didn't feel at all comfortable about walking around and so talked to most people on the gate.  Weird!

We had a coach party from Staffordshire and visitors from as far away as South Africa and Japan.  The Japanese lady was truly amazing as she was something of an international expert on old English roses and was naming individual varieties and even discussing their history.  Furthermore, she was travelling alone and even driving to Stratford afterwards!  I should have enjoyed talking to her for much longer.

The visitors were really friendly and enthusiastic. However, there's always one exception!  She was the lady who claimed not to have seen our large warning about the electric fence which surrounds the Hen Pen and who even queried the  need to leave it switched on during the day!  This is the actual laminated A4 sign which was pinned on the gate post less than inch away from the electrified wire!!!

Her knowledge of vulpine habits was obviously a big fat ZERO and we all agreed that it was a shame Chris hadn't been on hand with the camera when she discovered the error of her ways!  

Chris by Chris!

However, he was on hand when needed later. Following an incident the previous day when 2 certain visitors were caught trying to blag their way in for £4 instead of £5. One in particular was so terribly convincing when claiming that the advertised admission price was actually £1 less.  We felt the score had been levelled!!  

Following a degree of flack, Chris also managed to capture shots of actual visitors in the garden this time and more of his (excellent) photos can be seen at:

https://picasaweb.google.com/100788191989823327785/WOGWEDay2