Ladder of Roses!

Chris's Paul Himalayan Musk is romping away up its ladder towards the oak flowering merrily as it goes. Some years ago,we rescued the oak tree from the Leylandii conifers which had invaded and overtaken it. Back then, many of its branches bore few leaves and it was ad to see an oak struggling.  Now it's a picture of health and vitality.  The old wooden ladders belonged to Chris and are now no longer safe to use.  In time, the idea is to have a waterful of fragrant roses cascading down the old wooden ladder.

 

Eggstraordinary Development - Hens Laying Abroad!

No 2 shelter

Can't think what's got into the girls! They have suddenly decided to lay anywhere and everywhere!! Eggs are being found all over the place - on the floor of No 2 House (their day shelter), in the House for Hens nestbox, on the floor in the Henclosure, in the Hennery House nestbox and also on the Hennery floor!  I found and old drawer, placed some hay inside it and positioned it in their shelter for their and our convenience in the hopes that they might be dissuaded from laying on the floor. I even resorted to placing a couple of pavers in the corner where we found eggs as discouragement! Maybe it was all the attention they had at Open Gardens but, somehow I don't think so.  Given their extensive property portfolio, they are making the best of every inch of their luxurious surroundings!

They are laying really well - note 6 eggs from 5 hens yesterday! The figures for this year are:

• Jan 69
• Feb 86
• Mar 114
• Apr 108
• May 115 

and so far this month - 95!

We are careful to check on and keep their fresh water supply topped up. At this time of year, they drink far more and with the longer hours of sunlight, their drinkers soon become green with algae.  I have a second smaller drinker in the Hennery which I also keep topped up with clean fresh drinking water.  As a treat, they have a box full of fresh grass clippings to scratch around in when I mow the orchard.  They continue to have layers mash for breakfast as well as a hopper full of layers pellets.  Mealworms are a firm favourite as well as vegetable tops and peelings.  We believe that a varied diet is important and output certainly proves it!

See  It's a hen's life at Pear Tree Cottage!

Practical Cherry Protection

Here is a really good idea.  Sleeves from  Cherry Aid to protect your cherries from blackbirds!  No nets for them to become entangled in and fruit is protected from their enthusiastic and voracious appetites!  The ends have adjustable ties and the sides of the sleeves have a velcro closing.  Pop them on before cherries ripen (and are spotted by Mr. & Mrs Blackbird) remove when the fruit is ripe enough for picking and eating!  The fruit is visible through the fabric.  Just how clever is that?






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Wichenford Open Gardens 2015 - SUCCESS!

Head Gardener has been just too busy to do any blog entries as she's been preparing for Wichenford Open Gardens!  Soooooooooo much to do and so very little time!  Anyway; following too many late nights and very early mornings, most things got done and the weekend was a huge success - despite a couple of equatorial showers on the Saturday!  We send both our thanks and our apologies to Roger & Sarah Walker whose field gateway got very muddy as a combination of just 2 heavy showers of rain & vehicles.  It was such a shame it happened despite all good intentions and especially as they were so kind to offer parking.  

A HUGE thank you to Rob who allowed parking the following day in his orchard.  A massive thank you to all helpers: Maureen, Suzanne, Lyn, Eve, Jo, Lindy, Pauline, Di, Dave, Mike & Adrienne.  Lastly  a BIG thank you to all those who made so many really delicious cakes and biscuits of all kinds!  Without these, we would have had nothing to sell.  We should also like to thank the members of the South Worcestershire Bonsai Society for putting on such an amazingly professional exhibition which was both admired and appreciated by all our visitors.

My prize winning (edible)Bonsai entry!!

Well, after 450 pairs of feet, our little garden made the grand sum of £748.66!! More photos can be seen at:  Wichenford Open Gardens 2015

PS A couple of visitors wanted to know the name of the bright pink Gladiolus and I've mislaid an email address.  Just in case that person thinks they've been forgotten: it's

•          Gladiolus communis byzantinus

World Gin Day

Sometimes the Head Gardener feels a bit of a thirst coming on!! Here we have the perfect handy cure - hic!!





Despite these important celebrations, things are really moving in the greenhouse.  The Arabian Jasmine (Jasminum Sambac) is in flower and the power of its fragrance is quite staggering.  No wonder this jasmine is so sought after in the perfume industry.  Checkout:  Greenhouse Progress  The tomatoes have put on a lot of height and the fruit is setting nicely.  Lord Bute is looking his usual immaculate self with his satin finish pink edge flowers.  Meanwhile, it's time to remove the forget-me-nots and cut the hedges .....................in the POURING rain.  Thank goodness we shall have an excuse for celebration later!

Pelargonium Lord Bute

Jasminum Sambac

Creature Feature

Sid

Sid's head

Our home made tree snake has evoked quite a response on G+ so here's a couple of photos of Sid.  He was made out of an old coil from a hot water cistern which was coiled around the bough of an old pear tree.  His head was made from a watering can rose with old brass knobs for eyes and a strip of left over copper cut out for his forked tongue.  Over the years, a clematis has scrambled up through Sid's coils and whilst we have quite a few visitors, I think he largely goes unnoticed. Maybe we should introduce a competition - find the snake in the garden!

Sid's pear tree.

Judgement Day!

Well it was judgement day for 'Britain's Best Gardeners' Garden' at PTC and, thank goodness, the sun decided to shine.  If we'd had Monday's gales it would have been a disaster!  Instead, the cuckoo was singing and the garden was full of baby robins and blackbirds scuttling around in the borders.

Having mowed the day before, I managed to finish the edging and have a really good tidy up everywhere before the judges arrived. 

That meant sweeping out the greenhouse - again, rushing around placing cushions on every seat and trimming the Jasmine (nudiflorum) from around the stone seat. I even remembered to top up the pond levels from the well. The telephone kiosk wasn't forgotten and Janine waged war against spiders.  In fact - it was looking so tidy, I even found time to run around with the camera. Judgement Day Photos 

The three judges arrived at 2pm and stayed until 4pm. Having established that afternoon tea and home made lemon sponge cake wouldn't be considered bribery and after walking round the garden; tea and cakes were duly served on the terrace.  They were very nice and seemed to enjoy the garden - they definitely enjoyed the cake!!  We're still on a knife edge as they have yet to visit another competing garden in Yorkshire.  

In the meantime, our local radio station expressed an interest so I was able to participate in a radio interview on BBC Hereford & Worcester and help promote Wichenford Open Gardens on 20 & 21 June 2015 - in case you've forgotten!!  Hopefully punters will be queueing up at every garden gate!