Witch Hazel Spiders.

Despite constant battles with Red Spider Mites indoors, we now have an epidemic of yellow spiders all over the Witch Hazel and, very pleased we are to see them.  I have no idea how such tiny spidery flowers emit such a sweet perfume but they certainly do and on miserably cloudy February days they are even more welcome.  This particular Witch Hazel (Hammamellis Mollis) was a prezzy from Chris a few years back.  We planted at the base and in the corner of the trellis so that, when walking past the old brick chimney, it's at nose level!!

Our Little Flock

Winifred far left

Winifred centre

Our little White Star (known to her friends as Winifred) has been looking quite poorly and had lost nearly all her neck feathers. Of all our 5 girls, Winifred is the smallest, the bossiest and the most prolific layer by miles so, if anyone deserved a break from laying, it's her!  However, her comb was pale and anaemic (which can be seen in the photos) in appearance instead of being its usual healthy bright red and, somehow she just wasn't thriving.  As well as her physical symptoms, it looked as if some had emptied a whole pillow down in the Hennery!    Having spoken to Sarah at Newland Poultry she suggested that maybe a mini moult was the reason.  A week later, it appears that Sarah's diagnosis is correct as, neck feathers are quickly regrowing and she is becoming her (not so) old self!  With a couple of weeks of cold and frosty weather, this is not the time be losing feathers - anywhere!

Henny Penny drinking!

How long is a piece of string?

Despite having balls of string strategically placed around the workshop/garden/greenhouse/potting bench, one can never have too many!  You'd think that string in the tool shed would have been a must from the outset but somehow, it got on the permanent 'to do' list!  This is my idea for a redundant kitchen utensil container.  It just hangs on a nail and so can be unhooked if needed.  Woe betide anyone who doesn't replace it!  Now all I need is to steal a pair of scissors from somewhere and keep them handy for the string!  My tidy tool shed is the result of having access to an industrial hoover for the weekend, a dry sunny day and an early spring clean.  Time and daylight disappeared before I got around to cleaning and oiling tools.

Signs of Life!

First Snowdrops

Garrya Elliptica

Garden Blogger's been a bit quiet lately owing to a fairly major indoor project!  That hasn't stopped her from gardening and keeping up with seasonal work, it's meant that she hasn't had time to write about them.

Hellebore

Despite the many frosty mornings we've had recently, things are very definitely on the move.  Plants are awakening from the winter coma and the first Snowdrops are appearing - HURRAH! The Hellebores are coming into flower and even the odd Primrose.  How interesting that the differing plant cell structures can survive these icy temperatures.  The Hellebores are all bent down and, as the temperature rises, they too rise up - with the sun!  The Agarves (which over-winter in the greenhouse) are as tough as old boots to handle with their deadly spikes but in frosty temperatures just dissolve to mush.  Something as innocent and gentle as a Snowdrop is by far the tougher!  I couldn't resist buying 3 pots of Aconites and popping them in by the telephone kiosk.  We have never had many of them in this garden so I'm hoping they'll multiply.  The winter Jasmine is flowering and the tassles on the Garrya Elliptica are quite stupendous (considering all the horrors it suffered in its earlier life!)  It's all very heartening spotting these these winter breakthroughs and reminds us that we have much much more to which we can look forward!

Avocados - in England?

Avocado shoots

2 year old Avocado

Now I know that Monty Don was talking about the fact that he had found an Avocado stone which had germinated on his compost heap over winter BUT, I have to point out that we were way ahead of him! Two years ago, we potted one up that had germinated in the compost heap the previous winter and this is the result.  A couple of weeks ago, Christ found two more and the shoots in the black flower pot bear evidence to the fact.  Any finds like this of course, are very fortunate to survive being sliced by a shovel or spade but it was a lucky day for this particular one!  These finds also say something about our compost heap and the warmth it generates.  Compost is another of Monty's buzz words.  He maintains they need constant attention in the way of turning and mixing in.  We never do that.  We have 2 bays and when one is emptied, the compost from the full bay is then moved into the empty bay and left for a whole year.  This means it is turned just that once in its life and...how was this year's compost?  Perfect of course!

In a previous post, I was banging on about we gardeners having constant battles against vermin, pestilence and disease well, in the case of Avocados it has been Red Spider Mite!  I did say we're always waging war against something!  It seems that there is little that can be used in this battle - little that is, for us amateur gardeners.  I don't suppose for a second that there isn't a whole variety of weaponry available to professional growers as they just couldn't afford to have plants (and livelihoods) decimated by killer insects.  This year I have made a special effort to spray the lemon tree (and adjacent Avocado) with water in an effort to increase the humidity which, we know, Mr Red Spider just hates!  But water!  I ask you!  It's not much of a weapon is it?

Battles in the Greenhouse.

Despite constant battles with mildew and whitefly in the greenhouse, we do have some colour and fragrance.  Mildew decimated the Cyclamens and whitefly attacked the Pansies.  Whilst the Pansies have made a recovery, alas, the Cyclamen still look rather ragged.  The little Tete-a-tetes are showing colour as are the Hyacinths and the Primulas which have also been affected by mildew seem to be winning their battle rather better than the Cyclamens!  All in all, this winter seems to have been one long battle against vermin, pestilence and disease.  I know this has always been the fate of gardeners but, this winter has been worse than most!

Apple Pruning

It's that time of year when the real experts have been busy in the surrounding cider apple orchards pruning the apple trees.  Whilst we only have two (as opposed to 24000!) it was time to sharpen the secateurs, loppers and pruning saw. Now; this is exactly the sort of job where height is a very distinct advantage!  With Chris being 6'5" plus he definitely had the advantage over my meagre 5'5"!  What's interesting here is the fact that Bulmer's trees are pruned purely to maximise yield and they don't need to worry about shape.  We of course want the best of both worlds and prefer to keep a traditional shape to the tree as well as having plenty of fruit.  Our expert neighbour: Rob grafted a desert apple by the name of Falstaff on to our Bramley and this has to be born in mind especially when pruning!  Our other apple is a Katie - also a present from Rob.  Well, we done our best (as they say) with both trees' and time and season alone will tell.  We pruned the fruiting spurs back by a third to a bud and cut out all the misshapen and rubbing branches in both trees and then, in much need of a warm job, we cleared up all the prunings and went off to have a monster bonfire!