Wisteria Moments.

One word. 

WISTERIA!!  For the first time in 9 years, we stopped the birds from stripping the flower buds.  It turns out that birds don't like Mozart or Beethoven.  That is, they don't like all their CD's hanging on the Wisteria.  They weren't overly keen on the plastic owls or the agricultural bird scarer either.  However, they didn't mind having their food station moved to the other side of the house!

The result of discouraging our thieving gannets is unrivalled SUCCESS!  After years of Wisteria annihilation, we have waterfalls of purple perfume flooding down the walls running for 36 yards around the house. When the windows are opened, the perfume floods in.   We even have purple curtains! Never have I taken more photos of one single plant!!  If I could, I'd share the perfume!

No Smoke but lots of Mirrors!

1 pot becomes 4!

Great progress has been made on the plant theatre. All the mirror glass is now fitted and also the surrounding beading. Chris carefully replicated all the angles and hide the tiny chip I managed to inflict!  He also cut some leftover oak to hide the edges of the ply backing.  I just need to carefully stain these additions and burn its name on the already made blank sign!  Alas it's far to cold to put out any Pelargoniums but I couldn't resist popping a couple of pots of pansies on until the weather eventually warms up.....whenever that will be!

Chris has very cleverly ensured that, should we have any avian residents, the front panel can just be lifted off in order to clean the interior.

Maybe I should say a word about the mirrors. Not only is the raised border in front of the plant theatre reflected but the mirrors at either end of the shelves give that effect of infinity. By angling these mirrors, the length of each shelf is vastly increased. The last advantage is of course, the number of plants resting on the shelves are increased!  The only BIG disadvantage is that I can't photograph it from centre front without seeing my own image!

I've placed a recycled seat in front of it - well, it is a theatre!!

Elsewhere

Gale damamge'

He didn't quite get the photographer!

Meanwhile, our regular Saturday Chris battled with the gales while wielding a pole cutter and and a pressure washer!  By the end of the day the boundaries were looking very smart and the granite path gleaming.  The rest of the garden was strewn with leaves and branches all ripped off in the high winds. Having managed to prevent avian predation in the buds for the first time, Wisteria racaemes were littering the terrace path. Such a sorry sight.  That's gardening for you!

Gleaming granite!

Getting More Theatrical!

My scaled blue print!

Checking for perfection!

A 2 Chris Saturday and freezing damaging gales in April!  Absolutely appalling weather conditions!

Wrapped up in 2 fleeces and a scarf in I could hardly believe the change from last week when it was too hot in a short sleeved shirt.  Anyway, we set to work on Phase II of the plant theatre/dovecote.  To keep out of trouble with our master builder, I'd drawn a plan and using an 'S' hook worked out how we could draw perpendular hanging shapes.  Scallops don't lend themselves so well to slopes and the expert had advised a more vertical take on my curves!

Ensuring symmetry in lead.

Chris's eye for detail and precision means an perfect upstand against the wall - not shown on my scribbled picture as I hadn't thought of such a clever addition! With a lead roof, it now weighs a TON.  Hopefully phase III will see a front panel in the top triangle with apertures cut out and landing platforms for potential residents!

April Successes!

So much perfume.

Am feeling VERY smug!  Firstly, I managed to sow and plant ALL vegetables before the weather turned -perfect timing!  Secondly, I've managed to keep the birds off the Wisteria and we have MASSES of flowers opening!!  HURRAH!  In the past, the birds have stripped off all the flower buds leaving nothing but bare branches.  Guess what.  Now we have storms and wild weather forecast - SIGH!

Hoping the storms won't be too damaging.

Well timed shower!

Back to Work and a New Project!

Mowing finished

Having sneaked off down to Cornwall on a 4 day anniversary break, it was out of the car, change, and mow the lawns!!  Unpacking had to wait its turn and wasn't the priority! Lawns edged and mowed, time to sort the vegetable plot out.  Sowing and planting is later than I had hoped but after a few days of hard graft it's all done before the rain.  We came back to a lovely surprise - a mountain of oak wood chip on the drive.  That all had to be barrowed down to the Henclosure for the chickens to enjoy. Chris did the lion's share of lugging.

Both Chri's at work.

Trying it for position.

As well as all this, a new project was commenced!  On a 2 Chris Saturday, a plant theatre began to take shape. As usual, I was in trouble for not drawing the plans that were all in my head!  With 2 shelves for plants and the upper triangle doubling up as a dovecote - it's a dual purpose construction and will  hang on the conservatory wall where one an old Pyracantha grew,   We had some wonderful quarter sawn English oak left over so what nice material in the world to use?  We plan to make a little lead roof and place mirrors at each end of the shelves.  Meanwhile this is how it looks!

A coat of the 'good stuff!'

Chicken Chat

Tosca

It's been a while since we looked at output so I've just checked our winter statistics.  Bear in mind that Wilhelmina wasn't laying before she died on 31st March so these stats are from 4 chickens.  As the number of daylight hours increase so does egg production.

Month October November December January February March TOTAL

Number of Eggs 75 51 44 60 57 73 360

Sales £ 8 9.25 6 4 6 10 £43.25

All sales profits go to buying mixed corn, layers pellets and layers mash.  To date no one has worked out exact feed figures but I reckon that in 6 months they've consumed approx 3 bags @ c. £7.50 each.  It's a definite profit which, for short and dark winter days is excellent!  Being such spoilt girls, as well as their usual grit and oyster shell, they are given LOTS of other treats on the side in the way of  fresh fruit, green vegetables, lawn clippings through which they love to scratch.  At intervals, they are also allowed out of their own Bamboo garden to go on slug patrol around the garden.  

We miss Wilhelmina's whiter than white eggs! R.I.P!