The green and rolling countryside of Worcestershire, England, is home to the cider apple orchards which surround the gardens of Pear Tree Cottage. They enjoy a sunny south westerly aspect with sweeping views across to Martley Hillside, Woodbury and Abberley clock tower. The Teme Valley lies just over the hill and, not far away, is the Herefordshire border. Although our climate is temperate, our seasons are often uncertain and always a challenge to a gardener! This began in 2010 & follows the weekly ups and downs of garden work chronicling both successes and failures but, above all, demonstrates the fun enjoyed by three people who regularly garden in all weathers

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19 April 2015

Forest Flames and Flaming Fires!


Pieris Forest Flame is really living up to its name in the Woodland Border especially in the evening sunshine. Nearby, the Under Gardener was enojoying leaping flames of his own contrivance. These bright red new shoots begin life in these vivid colours and then fade through pale lemon and pale green before turning a darker green.. The flowers hand like bunches of mini grapes.

A few yards away, our Under Gardener could just be seen through the smoke stoking his own flames and burning brash from Elderberry and conifer pruning.




17 April 2015

The Song Thrush of Pear Tree Cottage


This indifferent bit of video wouldn't win a single prize but it's really worth listening to.   Mr. Thrush is singing from the top of our 60' conifer at the bottom of the garden.  He took no notice of me at all and when I played back my recording to him, he sang all the louder!  At this time of year, his concerts are held every morning and evening.  As from Monday 13th, he is sometimes joined by a cuckoo down in the valley.


15 April 2015

Spring Fever!






We can REALLY say it's spring now as the cuckoo (not my photo) has arrived!!  Well, he arrived on Monday 13th, to be precise.  Funny how we love the cuckoo when he's not exactly a bird of nice habits!  The other local arrival has been the first asparagus and I can say it's truly delicious.  Other arrivals include bats which have been much in evidence flitting around in the evening twilight.  The magnolia is in full bloom and the only awaited visitors are the swallows.  The grass is growing apace so mowing is back on the twice weekly gardening agenda not to mention edging!

12 April 2015

At the end of the day...........

Sunset over Martley Hillside



...on a rare warm spring evening after a busy day's work in the garden; what better than to enjoy both the sunset and a well earned sundowner whilst listening to our resident thrush high up in the conifer singing his heart out?


11 April 2015

Wisteria Vandalism!


In an effort to discourage our bird population from vandalising our Wisteria again this year, we moved all the feeders to the end of the house and put them on the terrace - away from the Wisteria.  It's been a complete disaster and they have decimated it from one end to the other!  They have eaten all the plump and obviously delicious flower buds and stripped it bare.  The only remaining flower buds on 50' of Wisteria are shown below.  Can anyone out there come up with a practical suggestion for next year?  


Wood Preservation


Elsewhere in the garden it's been preservation and tidying up! Most of the bare wood has had a coat of creosote including the barn and the Herb Garden fence - it's a good job I like the smell of it!!  I think I could have been a professional wood preserver in a previous life! Again, my collection of boards comes in useful for catching drips.  You might notice the Dogwood stems awaiting re-use as plant supports.

Potato Planting

Most importantly, potatoes (Arran Pilots) have now been planted along with a couple of rows of spring onions, a row of Greyhound cabbages and half a row of Pak Choi.  Having been sown 2 weeks ago, the broad beans are up and looking pretty good for now!  There's the odd miss but c'est la vie. A fellow garden opener kindly gave me some pink flowering beans so I have a row of Aquadulce and another of Val Mill's specials!


 It was just too wet for potato planting on the traditional Good Friday so instead, it was good Wednesday!  Following an interesting discussion: this year it was a toss up between planting potatoes individually (Genever style) or planting them in traditional rows.  In the end, tradition got the better of me!  This is the one job when my stocker comes in so useful as it's the perfect tool for the job and also for earthing up.  So, as usual, it was 3 feet between the rows and the potatoes a foot apart - my foot, that is!  I'm lucky enough to have acquired a mottley collection of boards and they are such a boon when it comes to preventing soil compaction.  The few remaining potatoes were planted in grow bags in the greenhouse and hopefully provide an early meal.  The rows will be earthed up as soon as leaves begin to establish above soil level.  In the meantime, best use was made of the rather natty Genever plant labels!