Summer Colour!

Vyvyan Pennell

Graham Thomas

Mrs N. Thompson

Great names and all in flower now!

Ernest Markham

Artisan Anemometer?

I just had to share pictures of Chris's latest creation in solid oak with brass fittings because it's just so lovely!! A rotating and flying duck!! Who wouldn't want one of these? Some people are just too clever!

Peeping Tom at Open Gardens?

Di chatting to visitors

Lindy & Eve serving in their new aprons

Relaxing  between the showers

Flash Gordon is undone!

Just a few more of Dave's photos taken at yesterday's open gardens. Don't be fooled by the sunshine!  It was, in fact, a freezing cold blustery and showery day!

On another note and, as a matter of interest; the Head Gardener would just like to know who was responsible for untying Flash Gordon's red bow!!! Would the culprit please own up?

A Cold & Showery Open Gardens

Paul having a cup of tea & sheltering in the summerhouse

Visitors enjoying a rare glimpse of sunshine

The weather could definitely have been kinder to us! It was cold, dull and showery.  I sat wearing my warmest waterproof jacket with a hood and furry lining in JUNE! However, it didn't deter 57 visitors most of whom came wearing wellies and carrying umbrellas. We made an astonishing £407.00 for the National Garden Scheme. Our total so far this year is £671.00 As the day wore on, the sun came out and it was a pleasant evening but it all happened rather too late. As we know, only too well, outdoor events are at the mercy of the vicissitudes of our English climate! 

A BIG thank you to all our visitors and an even bigger thank you to Lindy, Di, Dave, Eve and Sandra who worked so hard serving teas and cakes and clearing up afterwards. Lastly another BIG thank you to all our cake bakers!! Visitors never fail to comment on the homemade teas!

A couple of visitors relaxing on the terrace

Exploring our shed of the year finalist!

Tree on the Move!

Dicksonia antarctica on the move

Men at work!

Well!!! We managed to get nearly all garden jobs done before our first National Gardens Scheme open day yesterday.  We even found time to plant our tree fern which I've had in various pots for over 20 years. It was of course immensely heavy and required a seriously hole being dug out. We plane to wrap it up in winter and protect it from winter frosts.

Funny thing was: we had an early visitor from New Zealand.  She hadn't realised the garden wasn't actually open until Sunday. We of course welcomed her in and made her tea so she was able to watch one of her own natives being planted!!  We manage to attract some fascinating visitors including a gentleman who'd worked at Kew and had designed and planted a botanic garden in Chile. We've also had a lady who was the former chief propagator at Kew and a Japanese expert on English roses! It's amazing who finds a little cottage garden in the depths of rural Worcestershire!

Summerhouse Painting

On the run up to open gardens, it's all hands on deck! Today, Brian finished giving the summerhouse a new look. As a change from the green and rather anaemic white,we have Farrow and Ball's heritage colours -  French Grey and Dorset Cream.  The cream has far more depth and warmth.

Thanks to Chris, the doors now open freely and the hinges have been well oiled! Head of Maintenance has been spoken to about more frequent and regular oiling of hinges in the future!

...and after.

Brian at work                                                                                     Before...

Much Ado in May!

The Genever seat

New Dahlia border

Much happening in the garden and precious little time to blog about it!  The  Beech hedge around the Henclosure has had a trim and the border beneath cleared of Forget-me-nots.  As it's been 'mini-pleached' the girls can now see out again! We have to keep the top trimmed so as to ensure the electric fence above doesn't short out and Monsieur Le Reynard doesn't pay another visit.

Chris also trimmed the boundary hedges on the inside and also the Lonicera spheres (as I have to call them!) Totally transformed is the Genever seat in the Herb Garden as Brian has given it a fab new paint job! He did the niche above it and the contrast made us realise that the seat deserved a make-over too! Now it's all ready for the first of our open garden events on 4th June!

We finished off the day be planting up our first ever dedicated Dahlia border. It's only temporary as, when Chris can find the time, our plan is to extend the stone terracing and maybe push the border further across to the left. Despite poor soil, we enriched it with chicken manure pellets and bone meal so fingers crossed for a bit of colour and a few cut flowers!

Mini-pleached hedge

New Uniforms

Eve & Di try out their new aprons ready for our 1st NGS opening on 4th June 2017. Wait 'til you try the cakes!!

''If you can't stand the heat...............!''

Carolina reaper - the world's hottest chilli!

Although he always claims the greenhouse is not within his jurisdiction, there's evidence that Chris has been plotting (or should that be potting?) in the greenhouse. Further circumstantial evidence places Chris at a certain chilli festival at Eastnor Castle the weekend before the appearance of these additions - showing opportunity! 

In the past, I've grown Apache chillies (which feature about half way down the scale but they're not in the same league as these monsters. 

Even if we can't eat them, we do love his signs!

Pear Hut - Shed of the Year Competition 2017

The Pear Hut Writing Room

The Pear Hut interior

Despite Head Gardener and Chief Blogger being a little indisposed of late, it hasn't stopped  the Pear Hut being paid a huge amount of attention!  Following its entry into the Shed of the Year Competition in 2014; the Pear Hut was spotted by a most charming Channel 4 TV programme researcher and, as a result, they  a film crew arrived at PTC.  Bearing in mind that we built the Pear Hut in 2012 and the competition is massive as loads of people all over the entire country build the most amazing edifices in their gardens so it's utterly surprising that our humble Pear Hut (More photos here) is even a consideration.  As if an entire film crew wasn't enough, the sponsors of the competition: Cuprinol also sent out their own photographer.  We actually used Cuprinol forest Green to paint the frieze round the top and the matching seat in front.  One thing's for sure, it was HUGE fun building it although hard to believe it was in 2012 that Chris Genever sacrificed quite a few Saturdays to head operations!  A BIG thank you to the entire film crew who, when I lost my wedding ring when one of our new flock escaped from the Henclosure and was loose in the garden.  All of the crew and their presenter were down on their hands and knees searching the garden! Luckily, it had come off my finger inside my jeans pocket and, all the time was safe and sound - phew!  Their concern and help was most appreciated!

How could this be a Pear Hut?

PS This is what it looked like when it arrived on the drive! 

Here's wishing our little Pear Hut lots of luck!