More spring weather

With our Under Gardener having been on the other end of a scalpel and a sore knee to prove it, Senior Head Gardener and Chief Gardener have been on overtime in this recent spell of warm and sunny weather.  So many autumn/winter jobs couldn't be completed as it was just too wet and now we have a backlog!  We had hoped that most of the moving of perennials and shrubs would have been done ages ago and now it's a rush to do everything.  A good start was made yesterday and the geraniums which spent a year as underplanting for the roses have all been moved to either side of the Lion Steps.  They were nothing but a nuisance and either flopped on to the lawn or competed with the roses.  It was a mistake to put them there and, in their new home, they can do their own thing without being a pain! Chris cut the Beech hedge behind the roses and, after forking the border we underplanted with Golden Marjoram as Chris did in the rose border by the trellis.  A new border was also prepared and a shrub rose moved into it.  The top lawn was mowed and edged and is looking pretty tidy - and a lot less soggy than of late!  Other bits and pieces were replanted in new places including a couple of shrubs which were too close to the Wedding Cake tree (Cornus Contraversa variegata) which has really put on some growth and has to take priority!

Bees in the trees!

Considering it's still pretty early in the year, I'm really surprised by all the insect activity. Butterflies and bumble bees have all been out in the sunshine. Most surprisingly and, despite all one hears about the falling numbers in bees, was to look up and see almost swarm proportions in this Prunus.  Their sound could be heard yards away and working underneath has been quite amazing.  I'm pretty sure they are all wild bees as it's too early for hives in the apple orchards.  I only wish I could have photographed some of them - alas they didn't oblige as they were far too busy!  

 

Tedious!

Probably the world's most tedious job, but after all the rain and with the ground so compacted, Head Gardener has been aerating the lawn with a garden fork in the worst affected areas.  I know I should be brushing in some sharp sand next but at least I've made a start.  It takes so long to do a relatively small area, I was glad to have a break and cut back all the dead Scented Nemesia in the blue pots beneath the dining room windows.  It's not only very much alive but has a wealth of healthy green shoots.  This is a particularly highly fragrant variety and on a summer's day, the scent of lilac (it smells exactly the same!) wafts around the garden, into the house and across the terrace. 

The advantage of a mild winter is that so much has survived including some standard Fuchsias which I didn't bother to drag into the greenhouse.  I did get Chris to lift out a Strelitzia which has a couple of flower buds and also a tatty looking Jasmine but covered in flowers so both are now in the conservatory as opposed to being left in the greenhouse where they would have been too far away to enjoy.

STOP PRESS:  I got the sharp sand and finished the job...................now I definitely need a drink!

DSM Strikes Again!

This time he put his talents to work illuminating the kiosk and another brilliant job done!! He certainly picked a lovely spring day to do it!  Now we need to sort out the other bits and pieces!

Yew'll be surprised how useful..............

This Saturday, Chris appeared with presents of beautiful Yew and Cedar.  He is spoiling us lately!! So, rather than do any jobs on the garden list we decided to get to work - wood work!  He squared off and trimmed the Yew into lengths and stood them all on the terrace where they will be used for lanterns, candles, plant pots, drinks(!) or even seats!  1001 uses! Chris reckons it's well over 100 years old.  One thing is certain, it will never blow over as it's incredibly dense and heavy.

He also made what is probably; the only 2 legged table in the world!  It'll will be (and is already) so very useful as when we go down to the chickens, there's always so much to carry and no where to out anything down........that is, until now!!

Even the dragon posts were replaced with Cedar.  The old ones had rotted and were being held up by ivy.

New dragon posts

Kiosk Addition

Thanks to Tony at Unicorn Kiosks; look what we have in the kiosk now!! His original frame is far too nice for a collage of restoration photos so, I have another (less authentic) frame for that and, having found and printed out some old GWR railway travel posters, have put those in his AMAZING frame!! Due to the reflections, the photo doesn't do it justice but, very many thanks again Tony!

Stihl Life!

Chris called in with 2 mighty oak planks!  They are tremendously heavy and I couldn't lift one. Amazing! Now that is a present and a half!  He took this photos with his largest (Stihl!) chainsaw for scale - having just used it to plank them up.  

I'm sure we can use them somewhere in the garden - maybe in Rob's Retreat when we start building it. In the meantime, they have been stored in the barn until we come up with an idea.  before you think 'bench or seat', the one thing this garden is not short of is garden seating!  (Oh, and credit for the witty title of his shot has to go to Al!)