EXPERT APPLE GRAFTING

 

Today, we were very lucky indeed to have Rob Holloway come and graft 3 different apple varieties on to a Lord Hindlip desert apple.  The new grafts are Bramley, Falstaff and an unidentified desert - either a Herefordshire Russet or a Cox's Orange Pippin.  It was totally fascinating watching an expert make it look so effortless.  Rob is our neighbour and the manager for Bulmer's cider apple orchards some of which surround our garden.  In fact it was Rob who grafted the Falstaff on to the Bramley some years ago. As for the unidentified graft - Rob didn't hold out much hope as it was rather too advanced and its buds had begun to open.  He gave it a 30% chance.

If all goes well with the grafts, we shall remove the original Bramley which is really ill placed.  For this year, we have removed one of its larger boughs allowing us to harvest  fruit for which we hope will be its last year.

A BIG thank you to Rob!  I reckon it's a glass of cider we should be raising this evening not gin!!

BEFORE & AFTER APPLE GRAFTING PHOTOS.

Smug Sunday!

 

Well!  After an "efficient Saturday", it was Smug Sunday!

 

A little bistro set that sits on the jetty had a makeover.  It was a skip rescue few years ago and despite several coats of preservative, it always looked bleached and neglected.  A coat of paint was called for and having given it 3 coats of Old English Green it looked so smart, I wish I'd taken a 'before' shot.  I could hardly place them back on the jetty without smartening that up too! 

 

Time to get the mowers out while the weather is so mild and dry. With the temperatures increasing and the extra hours of daylight, the grass is growing and greening up. Still on a high cut, the lawns and orchard were all trimmed and as we'd weeded the pond margins yesterday, I sharpened my favourite long handled edging tool and with edging shears went round neatening all the edges.  Lastly I hoed several more borders.

                Feeling Sunday smugness!

"Efficient Saturday!"

 A cool dull but dry Saturday meant that the Aspen Grove was edged, hoed and weeded before Chris arrived!  In fact, freshly baked raspberry & wild blackberry muffins appeared in the kitchen even before breakfast!! Greenhouse path borders and toolshed steps were also edged and the marjoram and sage borders in the Herb Garden were all tidied, weeded and forked over.  The birds were singing and the scent of blossom hung in the air - just the sort of encouragement needed!

Chris arrived with a load of black gold in the form of well rotted horse manure!!  This was duly barrowed to the vegetable patch and the dahlia border and then dug in.  Thyme Square borders were all weeded before moving down to the pond where all the margins were weeded and forked over.

Lastly, we attacked the pond side of the Sofa Border - a tad more of a gargantuan task to commence so late in the day.  We removed ivy from shrubs, Chris took out 2 dying shrubs and moved Prudence to a  central and more befitting place for such a modest but elegant statue!  No weeds were strewn on the grass and raked up afterwards.  Chris decreed they be placed directly in wheelbarrows announcing that this was an 'efficient Saturday!"

And so it really was!  

                                        Another big thank you to Chris - now time for a very well earned gin!!!!!

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!!