Summer evenings at Pear Tree Cottage

The old pump

Wisteria tendril

Broad beans

These long hot and humid summer days have been ending with some pretty spectacular sunsets. Because of all the rain and recent thunderstorms, the lawns are all still lush and green and not the usual parched summer brown.  

We picked picked all the remains of the broad beans and whilst sitting podding them all with a glass of wine, I just had to photograph the evidence.  This is the first year we haven't been able to keep up with our bean crop and eat them as fast as they've ripened.  I grew a heavier cropping variety from our usual Aqua Dulce and have frozen the excess beans for future treats!  Having finished podding, it was nice - just for once, to sit and watch the swallows dipping and diving for insects and then, as the sun set and the light faded, watching the bats flitting around after moths and listening to the owls with the occasional distant hum of a combine harvester.  My literary skills can't really do justice to the scent of Jasmine which hung heavy in the still night air but hopefully, you get the picture! Summer Evenings at PTC

Genever Genius

How to prevent a door slamming.

The perfect answer for a door restraint.  This garage door doesn't lend itself to either a wedge at its base or being hooked open as it needs to be restrained at 90 degrees.   Designed and hand crafted by one esteemed builder, the door slides beneath the simple wooden drop hook which then drops down securing the door firmly.  To close, simply lift the hook - PERFICK!

Door to nowhere!

The Nowhere Door!

Today, Chris managed to pick up and deliver our new mirror in one piece - despite obvious worries! In a north facing dark yew hedge, it's very effective.  We shall probably grow the hedge out further so that the door will be set back deeper.  It's our very own version of a little trompe l'oeil - all made some left over stone, a couple of square fence posts, a decking board, some ply plus a little time, imagination and Chris's help!

Greenhouse Make-Over

During....

...and after!

We've had the greenhouse since 2005 and the brick path I laid back then had started to topple into the trench I dug (and filled with potting medium) for the tomatoes.  My private jungle of Spider Plants and Tradescaniums beneath the staging was a little out of hand and the entire wooden structure was in need of more preservative.  Enter Chris Genever!  Having already moved out the plants; in no time at all, the staging was removed, the jungle dug out, the bricks all lifted.  We did a little shopping at Lanes returning with sand, cement and a few concrete slabs and then it was cleaning the old mortar off the bricks and relaying them against slabs on edge.  No way will this path subside!  Slabs were laid where once had grown my mini jungle and the interior was treated with preservative and the glass cleaned.  Even the staging was treated prior to re-erection. Actually, I should mention a little rill which Chris sculpted in the mortar beneath the staging.  This was a brilliant idea as any excess water is now channeled into the soil around the base of grapevine whose roots grow outside the greenhouse.All in all a very pleasing result and a refurbished and preserved greenhouse that should last for years to come!

Send for Farrow & Ball!

Cerinthe major purpurescens

Not too many plants exhibit leaves which are nearly as blue as its flowers.  I bet Farrow and Ball would come up with great names for these shades of blue for their paints! Even their common name of Honeywort is attractive - common that is for Cerinthe, not Farrow & Ball!.  It's quite intriguing and I have a couple of groups both in sunny positions. Hopefully they will choose to seed everywhere! Talking of seeds, I also have some Smyrnium perfoliatum seeds which, by all accounts, are tricky to germinate.  I know that they are triennials (which is unusual) and need to be sown in situ and with eternal patience!!  Since I have never had any luck getting any of these seeds to germinate yet, I shall try once more 'cos I do love their acid green foliage.

Could only be a spitfire!

The sound of a Merlin engine can only mean one thing round here!! Yes another spitfire display from the terrace at PTC!  How lucky were we??  After a 10 minute display of loops, barrel rolls, stall turns, it was off home again over the Wisteria!

More Artists in the Garden

The finished result!

Judy Foulsham's Art Group at work

Today, we had more lady artists painting and sketching in the garden.  These were some of Judy Foulsham's Art Group and although it was a tad breezier than ideal, the sun shone and the weather was warm.  They all seemed to enjoy themselves - and the teas and cake!  Judy will be bringing more artists in the next few weeks and is happy for more enthusiasts to join her happy band!  It means more money for St Richard's Hospice.  Judy kindly gave us the colourful example of her work which depicts many garden features and one of the other artists.  More photos

Judy painting the phone box