Making use of Windfall Apples

I never did get around to thinning quite a heavy crop of apples and as a result, we've had quite a lot of windfalls.   These are Bramleys and Katies. Rather than give them all to the chickens - even though they really love them, I made a batch of mint jelly today.  Having cooked the apples, I made an improvised strainer from an upturned stool and a suspended colander lined with muslin with a bowl in the base to catch the juice (much to the intrigue of our friend Brian who's painting the windows!).  Using desert and cooking apples meant that some cooked much quicker than others but it was none the worse for that.  I added lemon juice to take away some of the sweetness and added the chopped mint at setting point.  I recycled some washed jam jars and warmed them in the bottom oven. When all is cooled, I'll do some labels but I reckon these should see us through the winter.  Talking of winter: Chris and Kyle have filled half the drive with sycamore logs for winter burning.  That means logging and lugging on Saturday!!

PS The chickens enjoyed the apple pulp after the juice had been extracted and I dry citrus peel to make firelighters for lighting those winter fires.  The oils in them burn well and smell fab!

Yet more summer pruning!

Mountains of brash on the ground...

...and all compressed on to Clarence!

A single post can hardly do justice to all the pruning that's been going on at PTC so heres' a snatch of video and more photographic evidence. Luckily for us; Chris took most of the brash away as it would have taken forever to lug it all down to our bonfire area cut it all down and burn it all in an old oil drum - not to mention clearing up the mess left from dragging the brash from one end of the garden to the other.

Miles & Piles of Prunings

Before...

...and after!

Yet again, Chief Blogger has been too busy to write posts but at least we're keeping up with seasonal gardening jobs. It's summer pruning time and not just the Yew. The Bay tree and ornamental cherry have had major haircuts. Well - the Bay had a hair cut!  The ornamental Prunus had rather more!  It had become so big it was obscuring too much light from the Herb Garden and, if there's one thing that herbs need it's light - preferably some sunshine.  The fact that we did the easier and lighter pruning first - like the Wisteria and the Bay and left the removal of big boughs from a mature Prunus until late in the day meant that there was massive amounts of clearing up to do and we didn't finish until after 7:30pm .....yawn!  Still, we did the worst and will finish the shaping up next week.  As usual there's never anyone to photograph the photographer but she did a LOT of clearing up as well as manning ladder security whilst Chris leapt from rung to bough and back again wielding a pruning saw.  She also managed to catch falling branches thus saving breakages.

As much as I like Wisteria shading out the bright sunlight, the window frames are being painted on Monday so it was a case of having to prune our green curtains!  The dining room is certainly startlingly lighter inside now.  Chris decided to compress the miles of tangled Wisteria into the wheel barrow by sleeping on it!!

Raindrops and Roses

WOT a good job our hay is drying under cover. The rain has varied between light, heavy, persistent and equatorial with only a 20 minute break all day!  I don't mind much needed soaking rain but it's so unseasonably cold for July. 14 degrees C is hardly usual for a summer's day! Whilst the garden and the new fruit trees needed a good soaking, the geraniums and roses all hate it! This year, we have a massive crop of apples which I haven't got around to thinning out yet.  Last year, we had hardly any so a bumper crop is very welcome indeed!  We hope to juice and bottle the results again as well as freeze enough for culinary purposes. Hopefully there will be enough to keep the Under Gardener in apple sauce throughout the winter months!

Doing Away with Damaged Dogwoods

Having mown the hay, we took a long hard look at the Aspen Grove and the damaged Dogwoods which had suffered so much wind damage and just didn't look right any more.  Their big leaves mean much wind resistance and so many had just broken off.  Also,they seemed to be overtaking the Aspens themselves and just didn't look 'woodlandy'.  Initially, neither of us said anything  but both Chris and I were thinking exactly the same thing, they had served a purpose but were now redundant.   We won't be short of winter colour as we have many more around the pond.  Having mulled over all these thoughts: it was out with the axe and spade!  Half an hour later they had disappeared and the Aspen grove looks better for it.  We hope to get some more wood chip and mulch next week.  As for now, it looks altogether 'cleaner' without untidy leggy Dogwoods.  Who needs 'em???!!

Invisible Pruning?

Pruned or not?

Pruned or not?

It's a tricky situation when a perfect specimen of a Prunus Serrula grows so big it begins to obscure a fabulous view.  It has the most fabulous bark.  It looks strikingly elegant in winter with the sun reflecting on the polished nut brown bark and shining brightly through the papery whisps.  BUT from where we sit on the terrace, beyond it is a wonderful view of Woodbury Hill. We couldn't even contemplate losing the tree so; how best to prune it with out seeing any evidence? Because of the prevailing wind, its a little one sided so we decided to tread very carefully, try to even it up and carefully thin its canopy - thus reducing  its spread. Our idea was: put simply to have the best of both worlds! To be able to enjoy the view by looking though its boughs and beneath its canopy.  Well - can you spot the difference? (Apologies for the fact that none of the photos are taken from the best angle.)

A lighter & airier tree?

Making Hay.

After all the excitement of our silver medal status, it was time to get back to work and make hay while the sun shines - literally. Time to mow our meadow grass on a rare sunny Saturday!  It's the same old gripe in so much as, all we read about is to have a trendy meadow area with NEVER a suggestion how to make use of it when its cut!   Even finding a power scythe to hire is a tricky business but, we turned to HSS Hire and, for the grand sum of £68.75 plus £10 each way for delivery & pick up, we found one!  I should mention the deposit of £300.00 returned when the equipment is returned.  Also, this year, I had to go into the depot and provide ID - a complete pain!  These are so rarely required not many hire companies stock them and I'm hoping that HSS won't decide to phase them out.  We've been down the strimming road and it just chops up the grass, strews it everywhere and renders it useless for anything but composting.  We like to make hay!  We use it for the chickens' nest boxes and we make garden kneelers by stuffing old compost bags with it and tying the tops.  We also have had previous successes and even won 3rd prize for our meadow hay at our local show!

All safely gathered in!

Anyway, having mowed the grass and turned it once, at the end of the day we lugged it into the garage and spread it out to dry knowing that heavy rain followed by more heavy rain would be its fate.  Yes!  I know I wasn't brought up to make hay by this method but: needs must!!  The garage doors can all be opened where drafts blow through freely and any morning sun shines in.  

Oh.  Just one more gripe to all you garden writers!  Now is NOT a good time of year to visit wild meadow gardens!!  Why?  Because all the rain has flattened the long grass and it looks horrendous!