2 Chris's Lift on the Pier Caps

Chris's Genever & Pugh

Work continued on the gates and piers.  The sun was shining and the cuckoo calling from the oak tree overhead - pretty perfect working conditions!  Hanging the gates on sloping ground and ensuring their levels matched in every way was not easy work so, in order to maximise flexibility, the hinges were put on in situ.  Having done that, it was time to get out the creosote - despite much stick from a certain builder!  Half way through, Chris P. arrived and helped to lift on the massively heavy stone pier caps.  These were bedded on a layer of mortar (which I shall be brushing off first thing tomorrow!)  We also hope to finish the 2 centre uprights and make a catch tomorrow - weather permitting.  In the meantime, my gate design has been given the thumbs up and helping to make them has been great fun!

 

Maureen's Manger

Down in the Lamium sits a beautiful Victorian cast iron manger and hay rack.  It may look lost and forgotten but that's the idea. Once a precious part of Draycott and another garden present from Maureen (in the absence of Victorian stables at PTC) I wasn't sure quite where to place it in the garden.  We tried it in various places before uprighting it and placing it behind the Hut at the side of the service path. We really enjoy it's forgotten appearance - so atmospheric just lying surrounded by greenery and  naturally filled with algae coloured green rainwater beneath the shade of a couple of Acers.  A perfect secret place for frogspawn if only the frogs would spawn there and not in the pond where the fish have eaten it all - sigh!

Introducing Moby Dick!

This blog has been going a few years now and poor Moby Dick has never had a mention so, overdue it may be; allow me introduce you!  He lives under the shade of a big old Witch Hazel and a Prunus Serrula and right now, he's in full bloom.  His flowers look just like barnacles and so are particularly apt.   His eye is made from some old drain pipe and a budgie's mirror to catch the light!  He is of course a Chris creation and if you look closely, he even has fins and a plume of water.  His tail is still growing.  I've always assumed he is a variety of Laurel probably Portuguese but maybe you know better!

Stepping up in the world

An Ajuga has crept across the stone steps which lead to the garden tool shed.  The little blue flower spikes stand up proud and appear to be thriving on dire poverty as there is no soil on the stone.  It softens the hard edges of the stone so, for now, we'll leave it to keep on creeping!

Ajuga reptans

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

                   

      

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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.