Outgoing Urns

With help, urns and pots have been moved out of the greenhouse and empty ones planted up with the phormiums which spent the winter in the greenhouse. When the weather warms up even more, I'll pop something trailing around them.  The succulents are also now exposed to the May elements. The trouble is with the big plants and urns is that there's no way I can harden them off. They come straight out of the relative heat of the greenhouse into whatever the weather throws at them. It's the same with the tree fern and the lemon tree which over winter in the conservatory. No way can they go into a cold frame first it's make or break!  I even dared to put out a couple of pretty geraniums but they do have the shelter of alcoves in a sunny wall.  Now the pots are out, there's room for tomato plants in the greenhouse - at last!!

'That time of year...................'

Young apple blossom

With all the building and construction going on, the grass kept growing and flower buds opening.  The surrounding orchards are now full of apple blossom and the garden is a haze of blue Forget-me-nots. The big blowsy tree paeonies are looking quite splendid and the few remaining Wisteria blooms which managed to escape the cruel beaks of the sparrows drape elegantly filling the air with perfume.  There is even more fragrance down by the Hennery as the Lilacs are all out in bloom.  It's just that perfect time of year.............sigh!

Tree Paeony

New Gates

Old gates.....

The new (old) stone piers and gates are finished and, rarely have I had such fun designing and helping to make anything.  It must be a freaky creative gene but they are exactly as I pictured they would be and just a bit prettier and more detailed than the old rather more basic/utilitarian style.  The stone used for the piers is a complete mixture of type, size, shape and colour.  Whilst it's easy to draw designs and pictures or choose a particular stone for a place in the pier, the real skill is actually laying the stones and the spirit level was in constant use!  Although difficult to see, the 4 antique hinges were a present from Chris P.  Building the gates around the hinges and hanging them across sloping ground with upright piers was about as tricky as it gets - hence a pair of cosmetic uprights on the piers.  The wood is Elm and I learnt more about planing and chamfering!  Once again, drawing the designs was easy the easy part - making them on the garage floor was both the clever and the fun part! 

 Having hung the gates; fixing a drop bolt and making an Elm draw bolt with (red) keepers from left over bits of metal were the finishing touches before the inevitable coat of creosote in the interests of preservation.  Thanks to Chris for his patience and skills! Hopefully, we will source an enamel sign with PTC's name on it to fit the centre of the old letter box.

...new gates!

Weekend Log Building!

Matt, Chris & Sarah

A very full drive!

This weekend, PTC enjoyed having extra helpers in the shape of Matt and Sarah to build a log wall and shelter from unwanted Cupressus Leylandii logs.  With Chris as well, there were four of us to lug, lift, saw and carry heavy conifer which was oozing resin everywhere.  having just emptied and tidied the drive, we immediately filled it with a massive amount of timber!

This new construction is at the back of the Woodland Border and, as Chris's brainchild, the idea is to hide an old fence and tuck up underneath an old section of conifer hedge  thus providing shelter for insects and humans alike!  The name for this edifice has been much discussed - the original name being Rob's Retreat. Somehow this was mistaken for Rob's Tavern in some circles!  No idea where that came from but it stuck - for the weekend anyway. Talking of things sticking, resin removal each evening was another major task.  In the end, we resorted to a melange of methylated spirit, petrol and Swarfega.  The roof needs a few more logs but it was a brilliant team effort and if, as a result, we have extra ladybirds and bees in the garden, it'll be a bonus!!  A big thank you to all our willing helpers who made it such fun and worked so hard over a sunny bank holiday weekend!!!

More photos can be seen at:

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

Nearly finished

Early stages!

The Pear Hut desperately needs your votes in this year's

  Shed of the Year Competition!

Follow the link and vote NOW!!

http://www.readersheds.co.uk/share.cfm?SHARESHED=4675

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!