Stoke Bliss & District Agricultural Improvement Society Annual Competitions 2013 - Burton Court Farm

Some of the lucky entries

Another year - another show and a few more family successes this year!  See link to photos of other family members, their triumphs and attempts! 

https://picasaweb.google.com/100788191989823327785/StokeBliss2013

Home produce, bar & lunch venue

It was a surprise to win anything vaguely horticultural as having just been away, it was luck and no preparation whatsoever.  The Dahlias were just picked at random that morning and then I broke the head of the very best specimen!  The rose had been in the fridge for 4 days and the Begonia was one I propagated last year and snatched from the conservatory. As for beans, they were what was left after 2 weeks absence and lack or water. Lots of luck and no skill - unlike cake and bread making! The photo categories were very difficult and 'sunsets' was the only class for which I had lots and then I couldn't 

A 2 year old shire

make up my mind!  Anyway it was another lovely day dry with the smell of freshly turned earth in the air and the very special treat of a Spitfire demonstrating barrel rolls and loops over Shelsley - not to mention a most excellent roast pork lunch! The only disappointment was the fact that, despite the presence of a well turned out pair of Shires, there wasn't a single horse actually ploughing this year - sniff!  Everyone I spoke to were all of the same opinion and all felt that it was a real shame.  Anyway, it was back to work and mowing when we got home and dark when we called it a day and went indoors - with a 6.30am start: another long but successful day!

DANS LE JARDIN!

We could hardly go to France without admiring their bedding styles.  After all - they invented it!!  I did like the softer and blowsier styles of planting in Calais.  Even on a dull and blustery evening, the borders were alight with colour and positively zinging!

Back Home!

Chief Blogger and Head Gardener is back home from gallivanting around France and Switzerland for a couple of weeks.  The girls are also back from their holiday at Newland Grange (http://www.newlandpoultry.com/) with Sarah where they stayed in a 5***** luxury Egglu.  Newland Grange is a fabulous place to visit!  It is so clean and well ordered with many and various breeds of poultry all kept with a high degree of professional expertise (no, not eggspertise!)  I know I always say this but, it really is worth calling in.  They also make fabulous shepherds' huts and really pretty poultry houses as well as having a shop which supplies all poultry requisits.  The girls came home (with all their eggs) in a pet carrier and rushed up to perch on their chair after first snacking on apples.  Percy's tail feathers always droop making her appear rather more melancholy unlike the others.  It's all a ruse as, she was first at the apple rack!

The girls come home!

Thunbergia on the arch

Al's (Costco) Dahlias

Despite the dull and overcast day, the garden seemed alight with Dahlias and Michaelmas Daisies all covered in insect life - wanted and unwanted!  The former were full of earwigs and slugs and the latter was swarming with bees, hoverflies and butterflies.  The Black Eyed Susan (Thunbergia) is also a mass of bloom and completely clothing the sides of the new arch.  The Cosmos had put on more growth and the roses were enjoying a second flush of flowers.  In our absence, Chris had kept everything as neat as a new pin and the lawns were all mowed and edged and hedges all trimmed.  What a star and... definitely worth an H.P.A.!!

Insects on the Michaelmas Daisies

Acer Pollarding.........a little late!

A sorry looking Acer

We have this dear old Acer.  It's a variegated variety, name unknown but a much loved resident along the Fernery path.  The trouble is, it was originally planted much too close to other trees (one of which has since died) and as a direct result it was very one sided with weighty crossing branches which had been striving to reach light.  A good 80% had reverted but it is an otherwise healthy but misshapen and very unbalanced with most of the weight overhanging and touching the hedge.  We didn't want to pollard it prior to open gardens in June so, we took a very deep breath and did it on Saturday.  To add to our problems: as well as adding shade for the Fernery, it hides (or rather hid) an electricity pole and transformer.  Luckily another mature tree stands behind the pole, but for which would now be highlighted or rather silhouetted against the skyline along with the myriad of other overhead wires which blight our lanes and countryside.  Well, the deed is now done and we can only hope that it throws out new growth quickly.  We have left younger growth to help draw up the sap (and to partially disguise overhead wires!) I know that pruning Acers in the spring is not advised as they can bleed and that, if it has to be done at all, it should be in summer.  We are advised that autumn is not a good time either due to the possibilities of fungal spores entering through the cuts so, let's hope we are not too late and that we have the predicted Indian summer!

What's missing?

It meant, what seemed like 85000 journeys dragging big old heavy branches down the road to the bonfire in order to burn the brash and log up the larger branches. We certainly kept our very own resident pyromaniac busy and I may just be exaggerating the number of journeys!  Other weekend jobs included the removal of 2 conifers which had outgrown their spaces in front of the conservatory and, funnily enough, they have not been missed in the slightest. The Hebes and remaining Lavenders were also sculpted into cushion shapes and the Marjoram, which had all finished flowering was cut back.  I do find that this helps them keep a nice dense and compact shape.

I had also had a good sort out in the greenhouse before Chris arrived.  Old tomato plants which had finished fruiting were disposed of as were the dreaded and useless specimens of Geraniums from Vernon Specialist Geraniums.  They were without doubt the worst specimens I've ever seen or attempted to grow. There is at least room for less hardy's if we have any early frosts (shudder!)

Al at work

Woodbury rising above the drifting smoke

All in all, things were looking surprisingly tidy by the end of the day - as the smoke from Al's bonfire drifted low and hung in the valley beneath a pretty biblical cloud formation.

More photos at:

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

We won't mention what happened to Chris when pouring his beer in the kitchen but I did send him the photos!!

Mists and Cobwebs

It was one of those mornings when as soon as I looked outside, I reached for the camera and rushed out into the garden.  Mist, cobwebs, dew dripping off leaf tips and hazy sunshine.  As if that wasn't enough; robins were singing in the trees and jays screaming across the orchards down in the valley.  Within an hour, the sun was shining, the mist melted away and the cobwebs regained their cloaks of invisibility.  The trouble is, as soon as they do that, it's impossible not to walk into them and then they stick to your face!  They're just everywhere!!  More cobwebs can be seen at:

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

Winter Protection for Wood

Herb Garden fence

Genever/Thompson Gate

King Genever's Throne

It's that time of year when it helps to protect wood that's exposed to the elements and with winter not too far away, the paint brush has been on overtime! None of the wood in any of these constructions has ever had any other kind of treatment. It's all looking very smart for winter and there's a comforting smell of creosote in the air!  Having done that lot in an afternoon, it's now my turn for some personal preservation treatment - hic!

The Barn

Kay's seat

More Autumnal Mornings

It was one of those perfect mist laden autumn mornings.  The sun broke through the mist which lingered in the valley just that little bit longer and it remained a sunny but perfectly still autumnal day. 

The apples in the surrounding orchards mirroring the sunlight like jewels in the trees but not a single leaf moving in the still air.  The top lawn border a full on rebellion of colour as all the Dahlias are strutting their stuff along with the Rudbekias and the Golden Rod (not much of a name for a plant!)  In fact this border is now Chris's favourite!  Al's Costco Dahlia bargains have grown into giants with blooms as big as dinner plates.  The late flowering Clematis are in full bloom over Kay's arbour drenching it in a shower of pink.  The Glauca rose reflecting the bright sunshine with their glossy red hips.  The girls either lazily preening or sunbathing in freshly dug mini craters with outstretched wings on the warm earth just stirring for a handful of corn. Much of the locally grown corn has been already been combined and the robins are already heralding the end of summer with their doleful songs.  More pictures can be seen at:

https://picasaweb.google.com/100788191989823327785/AMorningInAugust#5916938920238837282

.....Ok. That's enough sentimentality - there's still watering to be done!