Witton Hill Bake Off - round V

Joan at work

Two smug bakers!

Two days of rain meant an opportunity to bake without the guilt of postponing garden work!  Joan did crumpets and a caraway seed cake and I made a rye and caraway loaf. Anything involving yeast takes ages so there was plenty of time for a cake while the crumpet batter was standing and the bread dough rising!  Joan's crumpets were a real joy and delight to cook and eat. The results were perfect in every way. We decided that oiled metal crumpet rings were far superior to the flexible silicone ones I had bought. Joan's cake was perfect in texture and flavour and, was also a fab bright yellow colour in contrast with the golden top.

Crumpets cooking on the Aga hob

Pefrect crumpets & even a heart shaped one for Ben!

As for my bead: very artisan in appearance but nevertheless, a great flavour and texture.  Another baking session success! More photos

Nude, Rude & Lewd!

The Misses Pandora!

A day out at the local RHS Spring Festival at Malvern and we came home to find a couple of semi clad squatters near Thyme Square. The owner of this pair of shameless dames is of course Chris and they will be taking a holiday at PTC! They will each have their own niche in front of a cherry tree in the native mixed hedge which surrounds the vegetable plot where they do add a certain touch of elegance to the working part of the garden. Thanks Chris!

Success against the odds!

Chris's gate

Woodland Border path

The 'Queenhouse!'

Despite the rain, biting winds and glacial weather conditions; hardy garden visitors refused to be deterred and rolled up for our weekend garden opening. To our utter amazement, we raised the grand total of £405.60.  I  had definitely not expected to raise even half that. Chris ensured the garden looked magical. He made a gate for our new fruit area and even carved out the name; 'Nutberry Noak' We have fruit (currants and raspberries etc), a hazel nut tree and the surrounding fence is made from reclaimed oak - hence the name! It looks wonderfully rustic. He also came back to light over a hundred night lights and place them around the garden. Isn't he a star? One visitor rang his wife and told her it was too magical to miss. He instructed her to wrap up warm then went back home to collect her and brought her back!!

Di & Pauline

As usual, we were very lucky to have a loyal team of helpers not only generously making and donating cakes but slaving away serving teas, washing up and leaving everything pristine.  A VERY BIG thank you to everyone and that includes Janine who helped with all the preparations!! Thank you also to all our visitors who ignored the weather to support a worthy cause!

More photos: HERE and Dave's Photos

All welcome - wrap up warm!

Real Greenhouse Work

Using  the spandrels to support the cane framework

Less than straight canes!

Of course I've been busy in a new greenhouse!  Who wouldn't? I made countless journeys lugging the plants from the conservatory and placing them in their new home.  Many had put on weak and leggy growth due to reduced lighting conditions and so I have pinched out tips of many. Today was spent sowing courgette and marrow seeds and believe or not some Adenium seeds (from India - another story!) I also put in some canes and made a sturdy framework in readiness for tomato plants - which have been promised by a certain master builder!  Tying in canes was a whole new ball game in this greenhouse.  Firstly I needed 8' canes and was able to make instant use of the rather fetching vintage spandrels which, at the time seemed a bit of an extravagance. Now I feel vindicated! H & S would have outlawed my teetering around on one foot straddling the border whilst tying in the tops of the canes. Hey ho!

Am not sure what Hartley Botanic will think of my makeshift staging but whilst waiting for delivery of their new staging - owt's better than nowt!!

Makeshift staging

Who loves her new greenhouse????

Traditional Victorian style of a Hartley Botanic

In the early morning sun

Well with a Hartley Botanic greenhouse to play in, who's a lucky girl?? The installation chaps did a fab job and their attention to detail was impressive. 

Unwrapping & hanging the vine

The grapevine swathed in horticultural fleece 

We await delivery of staging and additional vine eyes but that didn't stop us moving most of the plants that have been enduring over a month in the conservatory, back into their new home! Because the conservatory only has glass in the atrium, the light levels are far lower than a greenhouse. The consequence of this is weak and leggy growth. Violas, Pelargoniums and others have been pinched pack before being re-homed. We have hung up the poor grape vine with bungy cords whilst waiting for Hartley Botanic to send out more. It now has far more height and and was reluctant to straighten out and take advantage of the extra height. It's spent the past 5 weeks swathed in horticultural fleece whilst exposed to the elements. We really hope it will survive all the frosty night out in the open.

Temporary staging has been made from boarding and carpenters' trestles and most of the day was spent tidying, moving, sweeping and loving this amazing new structure. Considering it stands on the previous footprint, it's so much roomier, lighter and airier and I LOVE it!. There was also time to tidy the veg patch even though there has been no opportunity to actually plant anything yet.

More photos

Well done both Chris's and all at Hartley Botanic!!!

A Greenhouse on HM The Queen's Birthday!

The Hartley Botanic team hard at work.

PTC's Union Jack flew today for the occasion

Bruce, Pete, Darren & Gary from Hartley Botanic

Quite an auspicious occasion today!  HM The Queen's 90th birthday is quite a day to be having a new greenhouse! Hartley Botanic provided a team of 4 two of whom will return to tomorrow to finish off. It's already looking a-m-a-z-i-n-g and I'm totally thrilled - who wouldn't be?

The Arrival of the Replacement Greenhouse

Can this really be a whole greenhouse?

The name fits!

HURRAH!! The replacement greenhouse has arrived!!! Installation takes place tomorrow. In the meantime, our ace electrician: Dave (of DSM Electrical Installations Ltd) came over and did the all important electric cabling in readiness for the interior plug sockets and lighting. He also replaced an underwater light in the culvert.  We can now go ahead with paving at the front of the greenhouse. On seeing the brick built base, the delivery man immediately sang the praises of Chris's artistic eye for detail and loved the wall features. Roll on tomorrow!!!

Dave Melhuish

Unloading

Despite the frosts & snow flurries..

Magnolia Soulangeana

Clematis Armandii Apple Blossom

Meanwhile; in the rest of the garden and, despite the heavy morning frosts and snow, we do have some colour. Although, if this keeps up much longer, all the Magnolia blooms will be a delicate shade of brown. Still, it's a change to see some blue sky after the relentless rain.

Barrows, Bonfires, Bark & Beers!

Matt & Sarah came up for the weekend and.........they brought sunshine and muscles!  With Chris's help too, we all moved about 50 - 55 wheelbarrows full of woodchip down to the Henclosure, the Woodland Border and the service path.  The mountain of wood chip was courtesy of Chris who had been asked to fell a Western Red Cedar. Being Cedar it had a really lovely scent and the chickens love scratching around in their sweet smelling fresh new litter. 

Sarah was our brave cave slave!  She crawled into the low, dark cave, swept it all out and then stacked all the remainder oak rails, which the rest of us trimmed to size and carried down. This all took place following intense discussions and negotiations with one inveterate hoarder of oak. Compromises were reached over that which was stored and discarded!  (Nuff said!) Then it was time to burn unwanted broken pallets last week's brash...............and have a beer!  Checkout the video!