The Great Awakening has Begun!

 

It's late January and, already, Snowdrops,

Aconites and Hellebores are popping up. With the long dark winter days beginnning to shorten, it's a real joy to see the garden waking up. Each day, another flower has appeared and daily garden inspections are filled with anticipation!

January Jobs

 Despite the world's wettest winter, things dried up enough for grass topping last week and border preparation yesterday.  The Dragon Borders had they're annual tidy up - weeds and dead stalks removed.  

I've yet to see a bird eating from remaining seed heads or admire pretty hoar frosts on seed heads and dead stalks!  In fact, I fail to see beauty in soggy dead foliage and our birds prefer dining at gourmet feed station!  

Chris even managed to wheel up a few barrows od compost and mulch.  Plant supports were replaced, roses pruned and borders edged.  Result: smugness!!

The World's RAREST Tree Thriving in Pear Tree Cottage Garden!

 

Critically endangered: Wollemia Nobilis - our little Wollemi Pine continues to thrive.  This specimen was bought from Chris who we know, does love his trees.  It came with its own documents of authenticity - a bit like buying a car! 

What is certain: we have a most ancient tree that predates dinasaurs & is a distant relative of the Monkey Puzzle Tree (Araucaria araucana) another ancient tree.

Recently there have been various press articles describing how David Noble found it in a deep canyon in the Blue Mountains of SW Australia in 1994 long after it was thought to be extinct.  It carries both male and female cones which reach reproductive maturity after 12 years - which our specimen must be as the oldest photo (right) was taken in 2012. The photo on the left was taken this month - January 2024

Chris made a detailed sign in English oak which gets a re-furbish every few years to keep the text legible. This year Father Christmas bought it an official label which awaits installation.  Not too many trees have Christmas presents! If you're interested check out: www.wollemipine for more fascinating facts.

Water, Water Everywhere...............!

Probably the wettest winter in our garden for a very long time!!! Christmas has come and gone - along with gales and storms & we await ever lengthening days & drier weather!

Garden work has been kept to a minimum as it's been too wet to barrow across the lawn and too wet for weeding.  Pruning has gone ahead as usual and where possible work has been done from hard landscaping - not to mention power washing York paving stone.  Having said that, both spring borders - the Woodland Border & the Aspen Grove have been cleared and tidied with Hellebore leaves, deciduous ferns, Epimediums and Euphorbias all cut down ready for Hellebore flowers and Snowdrops. which are peeping through as I type. The potted Hellebores are already putting on a good show.

The garden is filled with the heady scent of Sarcocca so, on the last day of 2023, let's wish everyone a prosperous New Year!

IT'S A DESERT!!

Cactus galore!

 As well as major garden projects happening recently, I can now boast that PTC Garden is the holder of an entire cactus collection - courtesy of Chris Genever.  We are officially the proud owners of about 20 cacti.  Having no knowledge, experience - or even suitable gloves, I need to learn lots. 

Already, I have re-potted around half a dozen with a mix of really free draining potting medium - mostly sand and gravel & very little peat.  What goes completely against the grain is keeping them so very dry.  Given that we're moving into winter, I figure I mustn't be tempted to water them.  My plan is to identify and label them all so that I can get to know how to deal with them - as individuals.

Meanwhile, the top shelf in the greenhouse is looking rather desert-like.  Oh and I did treat myself to a special pair of extra thick gloves which cope much better with the spines!

NEW GARDEN RESIDENTS

 

On the 28th September, we picked up a new flock of 4 chickens. Once again we chose 4 different hybrids as we know they lay different coloured eggs and we like to know who's laying (and who isn't)!  It took 4 or 5 nights for them to learn to roost up in their House for Hens (which had been thoroughly spring cleaned, disinfected and repainted)  during which time, we were going down each evening and gently lifting them out of the trees and placing them in their new home.  

At the time of writing, they are all totally at home and definitely the friendliest we've ever had.  Henny Penny is always crouching down expecting to be picked up! 

Meanwhile, egg sales are booming and profits are up!!

Henny Penny

Spontaneous & Radical - Conifer Corner is Born!

 Without doubt, this as the single most radical change ever made in the garden in 20 years!!  Utterly spontaneously we decided the raise the crown of the conifer and remove huge branches which filled this entire border and totally obscured our general stores.  These huge branches (some of which had rooted) grew down from the trunk, along the soil surface and then up to heights well above the apex of shed roof. It was a dense wall of green.  Having disposed of a HUGE amount of conifer brash on the bonfire, we stood back in shock at such a change!

After barrowing away about 15 loads of soil, Chris then levelled and graded the soil.  This avoided the need to retain a higher level of soil close to the far path leading around the shed.  Having done that we divided the London Pride - a red Saxifrage which does well in this dry shade and replanted them.  We even managed to find a few stray Cyclamen and fill the gaps on the inside path curve.

Our vintage root cutter, hoe and mangle have all found new spots and this new area is now known as Conifer Corner!