Reshaping Borders.

Taken from the top of the Lion Steps

Taken from a bedroom window

I've been tidying lawn edges and doing some reshaping.  Attaining the perfect kidney shape without eating into grass is pretty impossible. What's the point of increasing a border size and create more weeding?  I know you can use hose pipes to get a line but I've found a better way to view a border is   from a bedroom window.  Even standing on the steps wasn't high enough.The dog leg on the right is intentional because of the little conifer. Narrow strips of dead grass where overhanging plants have obscured the light have been removed and neatened.

Neat Seats!

With Saturday's woodworking, I was reminded that it's time for some spring time wood care. Most of the oak seats and benches have now had a coat of creosote. Those with any build up of algae following prolonged exposure to the winter rains are now returned to their original glory. After all, these were seats we made last year by recycling the metal ends. Four down - three to go!.

Woodworking at opposite ends of the garden!

Awaiting this year's offerings

Last year's compost turned....

Door progress.

....& tucked up under an old carpet.

Recent sunny weather has allowed more progress on both compost bay renovation and Secret Steps door building.  The compost bays are now both finished and up and running once again.  Hopefully, they will last for another 7 years.  The existing compost ie last years has now been turned and moved into the right hand bay - courtesy of Chris and is tucked away in it's bit of old carpet ready for use next year (or maybe earlier - depending on weather!)  In the meantime the left hand bay is now empty and awaits this year's material.  Equally importantly was discovering how rabbits were getting into the garden. There was a gap in defences by the compost heap and was being used as a main thoroughfare by Monsieur Lapin.  Needless to say his avenue of access has now been wired off.  On the lane side of the garden, the grass verges have been ruined by the determined digging of rabbits try to gain access. We're really under attack at present and three were found in the garden and promptly dealt with.

Meanwhile the other Chris sawed, shamfered, sanded, planed, drilled, counter sunk...........I was allowed to put some screws in, hold, fetch and carry!  I bought a Suffolk latch, a pair of door hinges and some (rather fetching) door studs and can't wait to see what they all look like.  The plan is to shape an arch to the top of the door this ensuring the taller amongst us aren't faced with a greenhouse door situation!!

Witton Hill Bake Off - Round III

Foccacia Bread

Joan's  yummy (& thicker) bread was 1st out of the oven & so was half eaten!

PH's Pugliese & fougasse breads

So! (Joan hates sentences beginning with that word!) Another bread baking session.  Two recipes were tried - Joan using a BBC recipe and I used a Paul Hollywood recipe both stating the same amount of flour and both for foccacia dough.  PH using gallons more olive oil - most of which went back into the bottle.  I'm not sure who proof read his book prior to publishing but, we were both convinced of a major error on that one!  Despite these culinary traps, we ploughed on unfazed and were pleased with the results.  Joan used sun dried tomatoes with rosemary, and I used fresh (Yorkshire) sliced tomatoes and sliced Jersey Royals both with rosemary & sea salt. The flavours and textures of all the breads were excellent.  However, we both felt that we would have preferred thicker bread and so resolved to make it in smaller and deeper baking trays next time. We Brits do have a bit of a sandwich mentality and these are more for tearing and dipping. Oh, and just in case you're thinking this has little to do with gardening: I went out to the herb garden and cut the fresh rosemary!  More photos here!

Guess what we ate for lunch?

Stars of Spring!

Aeonium arboreum var. atropurpureum "SCHWARZKOPF"

Aeonium arboreum var. atropurpureum "SCHWARZKOPF"

My Aeonium is flowering in the greenhouse and looks really quite stupendous!  Just what's needed on a grey winter's day - masses of sunshine yellow star-like  flowers and deepest crimson rosettes of leaves.  A big reward from a single plant in the middle of an English winter! 

Aeonium arboreum var. atropurpureum "SCHWARZKOPF"

Secret Steps Project - Mission On!

Restored compost bay

Partially constructed door frame.

Plenty of goings on in the garden this weekend! Work has commenced on the secret steps project following Chris recuperation after his injury. Since we had pruned back a door sized aperture in the Yew hedge last autumn, it was exciting to start work on making a door and door frame. There have been complaints from 'He Who Barbecues' about the howling gale funneling through the gap in the hedge so, it was only right to start on the door before building any steps. The door frame is being constructed using reclaimed oak fencing. Planing and sanding operations took place in the garage - on the grounds it was a few degrees warmer but the piles of wood shavings and sawdust were not exactly a welcome sight to HWB!  He needn't have worried as it was all surfaces were cleaned and it looked better than before we started work.  Whilst Chris and I were doing this, Chris P and HWB were restoring a bay down in the compost heap with the pallets and gravel boards I'd creosoted last week. As usual, it was dark when we finished and the bonfire was left burning.

Chris brings a cherry tree...

A present from Chris - a Stella cherry.  This is what Thompson & Morgan has to say about it:  

Cherry 'Stella'

Prunus avium, Sweet Cherry,

Britain's best known dessert cherry that reliably produces firm, dark red fleshed fruits with the sweetest flavour, that can be harvested from mid July to August. 

A Canadian bred variety, Cherry 'Stella' makes an attractive tree both in flower or when laden with fruit.

Grafted onto a dwarfing rootstock, to produce a compact, productive cherry tree with good sized fruits. This cherry is well suited to growing in small spaces and 60cm (2') diameter containers, or trained against a wall. 'Stella' is self-fertile and therefore does not require a pollination companion. Height and spread: 2.5m (8') Rootstock: Gisella® 6.

We've planted it in the same hedge line as 'Mrs. Carwood's' wild cherry in the vain hopes that any thieving birds will prefer the wild variety - I did say vain hope! Chris expects to actually taste some of these as he missed out on his walnuts!  One aspect we don't have to worry about here is pollination.  It's an advantage being surrounded by an orchard on three sides and this new little cherry makes 3 in our garden.

Down in the Henclosure.

Portrait of Marigold

Cicely inspects the lighting...

...& gives it the thumbs up!

The 1st of March and the days are lengthening. There's a tiny bit more heat in the afternoon sunshine & the girls are making the most of it. They are a picture of health and vitality - with bright red combs and wattles to prove my point.  All continue to lay well but then as The World's Most Spoilt Chickens, it's really no surprise.  In their extensive Bamboo garden, it's an enviable lifestyle and a far cry from that of battery hens.

Our Gang of Four!

Dumped Stump

OK so it's not quite Highgrove but it is the most beautiful oak stump on the bend along the Fernery Path and it weighs a TON! The trailing ivy is already making it look at home but; just wait 'til the ferns around it start unfurling.

Oak stump

Fair & Square!

Bare squares!

Preserving pallets

A dry weekend meant lots of garden work although Saturday was F-R-E-E-Z-I-N-G and standing around creosoting old pallets, posts and planks for compost heap restoration is very definitely not the way to keep warm. Whilst I was doing that, Chris was busy squaring up fruit trees - that is the areas at their bases which are now lined up squares instead of circles.  My theory is that mowing will be a whole lot easier as I'll be able to go straight down the orchard instead of mowing round in circles at the base of each tree.  They all looked so neat compared with lawn edges elsewhere, I was shamed into edging the top lawn, fernery path and the Woodland Border.  Considering it's only February, the garden is looking surprisingly tidy.........well, for now.