Dead Pretty!

The papery petals of a dead Hydrangea (which should have been pruned) still look really pretty with the sun behind them.  Quite surprising when you think that they are surrounded by fresh spring fruit blossom and proves that dead flowers can be as just as pretty as the freshest flower.  Now I really must get around to doing some dead heading!

"Oh to be in England now that spring has come............"

Birch catkins

Aspen buds

More plants are waking up in the warm April sunshine and Al has claimed to have heard our first cuckoo.  In The Fernery, new fern fronds are unfurling in their own uniquely primeval way,  Alchemilla Mollis are emerging sparkling with droplets of dew and Aspen buds are swelling beneath their tiny brown carapaces.  Birch catkins have replaced their Hazel counterparts and everything has that look of spring freshness in the early morning April dew.

Fern fronds

 More photos can be seen at:

Alchemilla Mollis

                   

      

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/reorder?uname=100788191989823327785&aid=6004807244297070929

Easter Planting & Grave(l) Miscalculations!

Well, I might have missed the traditional Good Friday potato planting day but Easter Monday was hardly too far behind!  PTC's Lady Christl (weirdest spelling in the world) are now planted and hopefully, we shall have 4 rows to munch our way through.  A new planting regime was adopted this year.  Instead of digging out a trench, the potatoes were planted individually - the soil is so light and our rows so short, it was easier.  I then earthed up the rows.  In previous years, I have always dug trenches and only earthed up when the potato tops had surfaced. Last year I earthed up at planting for the first time and found they cropped well. The disadvantage is that the soil gets no further disturbance and so weeds form and but then are inevitably shaded out by the potato haulms - so it's no big deal.

Thyme Square

Ball Mill gravel pit

Also planted are some fine looking Genever lettuce plants and they have a fabric tunnel for protection as we have been having a continuation of desert weather - warm days and freezing night temperatures.  

Despite a large miscalculation on gravel quantities (and ordering 10 bags over requirements) the path and Thyme Square is finished and looking much tidier.  How was I to know that picking up loose gravel from the quarry would look such a miniscule amount.  Especially as it was scooped up by some monster sized earth moving machinery and tipped into Chris's truck. Worse still, I nearly doubled up on the purchased quantity!!!  I have to show a piccie of the gravel pit if only to demonstrate just how small a couple of wheelbarrows would appear!

Small Thyme plants have been replanted around the edges which should mean easier weeding!  It's nice to see all the old tiles and bricks again as they were almost all hidden from view by a combination of perennial weeds and rampant Thyme.  It will be interesting to see if any Thyme germinates from seeds left behind.

Salmon pink in spring!

In front of the tool shed is Chris's Acer brilliantissimum - probably at its prettiest right now and showing us that not all spring colours are vibrant yellows and day-glo lime greens!

April Frost Damage

Just lately, we've been having desert weather!  Warm sunny days with clear frosty nights.  Sadly, the Camelias have suffered and it's not a pretty sight.  An even worse sight is the Wisteria on the main house.  The sparrows have stripped it bare of every single flower bud.  It's not as if they don't steal all the food put out for song birds!  Where are all the people who say their sparrow numbers are dropping?  They can everyone of ours - gladly!

PTC gets its very own letterbox!

The letterbox arrived and we installed it on the right hand pier. It will (hopefully) be used as an honesty box for the egg money.  Chris built a wooden box to fit and then built up around it with more stone.  When his mortar was dry, I raked it out.  Now -here's a funny thing.  Raking out mortar is such a nice job!  Framing each stone is therapeutic as well as transforming!  For the left pier, we made a slate lined alcove.  Both piers now await their respective crowning glories which are stone pier caps but they will need extra muscle to lift them into place!

Gate Piers

A couple of days work and - hey presto!  A pair of gate piers are springing up at the end of the drive!  A melange of stone from various sources was assembled on the drive.  Some left over from a certain memorable trip to Barnsley and some more recently acquired!  Chris dig out 2 2'x2'x2' holes and set RSJ's in concrete in their centres.  These are to carry the weight of the gates yet to be made!  It was on with sorting and building the different types and shapes of stone with their different colours, leaving the mortar to dry a little then sculpting out and around each individual stone.  Due to a very minor miscalculation, there was a little cutting and welding involved to ensure both hinge pins were at the right height but both activities make interesting photography!