Pear Hut Upgrades!!

 

Our little Shed of the Year runner up - the Pear Hut, has been enjoying an expert makeover by Simon.  He has repainted all 3 windows inside and out.  The inside has also had a repaint and a change of colour.  Even the woodwork has been treated so it really is looking super smart - so much so, I was moved to repainting the seat which stands outside  under the front windows.

Hard to believe that 5 years have elapsed since Channel 4 sent a film crew of 6 to film our humble little shed which is actually a writing room.

Before replacing the contents, I waged war against all the spiders and cobwebs which had accumulated in alarming numbers! It won't be long before the overwintering money plants (Convolutas) can go back outside again. Oh - and in case you're wondering: the interior is now painted in Elephant's Breath and Mouses Back!  No prizes for guessing who makes those colours but a BIG thank you to Simon for applying them so expertly!!

Vegetable Patch Preparations.

 

As if moving entrances wasn't enough, we also cleared and Chris rotavated the vegetable patch all ready for manuring next week and hopefully planting up at the end of the month.  It's always busy in this garden but now we're approaching the really busy time of the year!  All that remains in the Veg Patch are a couple of rows of leeks, a row of parsley and a row of chrysanthemums and, as always, after raking and sweeping, Chris left it looking immaculate!

Last week I topped the lawns and orchard grass - ie. cut it on a very high cut.  The Wisteria is all pruned as are all the roses and the Golden Marjoram has all been cut back and tidied up.  Yes, it's a bit of a smug feeling to feel up to date with most of the garden jobs!  Let's hope it lasts!!

MAJOR MOVES

Way back during the last lockdown spring, we realised what a good idea it would be to move the dragon entrance to the lawn from the terrace by 1 metre.  'Why', I hear you ask!  Well, it would enable us to turn the table through 45 degrees and give more diners more space to enjoy the view across to Woodbury and still have enough room to pass by with a wheelbarrow.  Up until now, only one person had the view - the one sitting at the end or head of the table! The idea was an instant hit.

Before...

Yesterday was THE day! It probably doesn't sound much of a job.  However, the reality entailed lifting and relaying turf, digging out and moving a prunus tree, digging out 5 rose bushes, removing the dragons and their posts, breaking out some granite setts not to mention digging and raking the ground!  We had roses all over the place - in barrows and buckets of water (I had bought 3 more!) tools, hosepipes rolls of turf and tackle all over the place!  As readers of this blog will know, Chris doesn't do things by half and the biggest job was moving a hugely heavy flowering cherry trying to keep as much root and soil as possible.  This was moved to the Top Lawn Border where we reckon it has a 50-50 survival chance.  The new entrance has stolen its spot!

Now we have to wait for the turf to settle and hopefully Chris Genever will return and relay the granite setts and tidy up the edges of the flag stones!

..and afterwards!

Pinch Punch 1st of the Month!

Both garden and gardeners have been enjoying the recent bout of spring-like weather.  The Woodland Border is filling with colour as more and more Hellebores are popping up.  The snowdrops are just past their best but the Pulmonarias are following on.

Simon has been busy and, as well as transforming the Herb Garden by painting all woodwork with preservative, he also repainted the Genever Seat!  This seat is cast iron and I just adore its intricate design and scrolls.  What is so surprising, is its E-N-O-R-M-O-U-S weight.  It is incredibly heavy.  Having said that, he and Al managed to transport if from the cart shed back to the Herb Garden with the aid of wheels somehow.  Whilst baking muffins, Head Gardener was blissfully unaware of these unauthorised manoeuvres!  Anyway well done to them both!  Chocolate muffins were well deserved - it's all looking very smart!!

Flowers in February!

 

Elsewhere in the garden, all the snowdrops (Galanthus Flore pleno) have recovered from the heavy snow falls and ferocious frosts as have the Hellebores although I notice that a few have succumbed to blight. The Ribes is fast budding up and the Camelia donation is just coming into flower.  The later flowering Snowdrops in the Aspen Grove are all popping up but, as yet, still in bud.  We rather like this as it extends Snowdrop flowering period in the garden.  The Cyclamen coum are in full flower as are the few Aconites.  All this reminds us that spring really is just around the corner!

In pots the Iris reticulata are all in bloom and Tulips, Crocus and Narcissus are pushing up shoots.  Little wonder we gardeners are such an optimistic bunch!!

More Winter Jobs!

After a Saturday of frozen ground which allowed us to finish emptying the 2018 compost bay and finish mulching garden borders without leaving muddy ruts, it was back to more rain!!  We did however manage to plant our Yew avenue and also prune an Eleagnus.  The plan for the Yews is to prune them into 6 cones - 3 either side of the path.  Being evergreen they will add both structure and year round interest as well as some added formality to the Top Lawn Border. 

However yesterday, it was sawing and splitting logs and a return to power washing slippery paths and stepping stones - thanks to Chris.  It rained all day and was far too wet for anything else.  Chris finished off by washing a couple of garden seats which are due for repainting tomorrow. 

Meanwhile, I toiled in the potting shed dividing and propagating Streptocarpus plants and potting on some Pelargoniums.  The greenhouse plants are showing signs of appreciating the lengthening hours of daylight and are putting on growth.  A smaller Brugmansia propagated 18 months ago is flowering as are some forced Paper White Narcissus and of course a Jasminum Officinale  so the greenhouse is filled with perfume.  Janine's nectarine is just covered in flower buds, some of which are just showing some colour.

Our mini Yew avenue!

All Move!!

 Despite the unbelievably wet ground, we were able to move a Magnolia grandiflora, a Pinus strobus minima and even some Bergenias - not to mention 2 very heavy statues known as Ten Ton Thumbelina and Hefty Hetty!! Instead of standing shyly underneath the trees by the laurel hedge, these two members of Chris's extensive harem now stand centre stage!  They've moved just a few yards to either side of Kay's arbour.  

I've had another idea of planting a short but formal avenue of bare root Yews either side of the path.  They can be clipped to shape small tear drops and would mean we had some winter structure. Now is the perfect time for bareroot planting also, pot grown trees are much more expensive!

From July to February - how different these 2 photos look