Getting Edgy!

Elsewhere in the garden the lawn edges have been lovingly manicured all round the garden ..... at l-o-n-g LONG last!! Going round with a half moon edging tool and long handled edging shears is a very time consuming job especially as it's impossible not to find and deal with weeds and we have miles and MILES of edges - not to mention all the tree squares and circles.  It really is never ending.  Having been round with the half moon, at least I can get away with just edging shears and, sometimes, Chris brings his Stihl edging tool and whizzes round the entire garden in about 10 minutes!

Better Late than Never!

 

Work has continued a pace at PTC but the weather has not been cooperative and persistently heavy and late frosts have meant that potato planting and vegetable seed sowing is much later than usual. Good Friday was the day when I managed to get in 4 rows of potatoes, a row of peas and another of broad beans - a whole 15 days later than last year when I did it all on 1st April.  Having said that, we had a two week spell of very cold and wet weather last year and not much likes sitting in cold and wet soil!  

I really have to ration our vegetable selection as the plot isn't very big so I go for the ones we eat and enjoy the most!  I'm also keeping room for a row of Helichrysum flowers which I plan to sneak in somewhere!!

FIRST CUCKOO

  Was standing here listening to our first cuckoo on 9th April!!  Early indeed for us and considering all the hard frosts we've been having, it was an extra surprise!  I don't think this was him but it's such a lovely photo and a lovely few moments!

April Progress.

 Still lots and lots happening in the garden!!  It's that really busy time of year - is there a time when it's not busy in this garden???  Thanks to Chris, the vegetable plot is ready for planting and it looks as if we've seen the last of these vicious frosts a while - thank goodness! Who knows?  I might actually get the vegetables sown and planted? The Dahlias are all  potted up and the fern pit, otherwise known as the underfloor fernery, in the greenhouse has been all cleaned out, de-cobwebbed and new ferns planted.   The greenhouse is looking pretty immaculate as now the outside has been cleaned thoroughly to match the interior!  Am feeling smug as it's such an epic task!

The wallflowers planted up in the Dahlia border for the first time are all in full flower and I can't think why I left it bare last spring!  It's not just their bright colours but also their perfume!  I'm such a glutton for perfume in the garden!! 
Hopefully, by the time they are over, the Dahlias will be ready to plant out.  That's my theory anyway!

The Aspen Grove has really come on with the Euphorbias in their spring glory, the Primulas flowering and the columns all now all upright!  Doesn't sound much but it's very difficult to get them all exactly upright.  Because they taper, it's no good putting a spirit level against their sides and the tops aren't particularly level or square either!  Despite the absence of any Aspens, I think the name will always stick!!  Having said that; the young birch trees (Betula Jaquemontii) are now colouring up and showing their true silver colours.  Funny how the young silver birch trees are all brown.

10 Year Surprise!

 With all that's been happening around here and a massive spike in C19 infections, I withdrew form our annual NGS County Meeting held last week. A bit of a shame really as it was to be in person - the last two being zoom meetings thanks to a certain virus. This should have been the first return to normality! Cest la vie!

Having prepared my slideshow presentation, Dave Morgan our County Organiser stood in for me. I had no idea that we had been opening for 10 years until he explained that I would also miss being presented with an engraved trowel for services rendered.   Anyway here it is! Now, the $64,000 question is, will I dare to use it?

Simon to the Rescue!

 It just gets busier and BUSIER in the garden!  Luckily with both Chris's down with Covid, Simon timed his visits to perfection and was kind enough to help me tackle the biggest cleaning job in the garden - the acres of glass in the greenhouse!  This is where height is SUCH an advantage as he was able to easily reach all the glass in the roof and the gables and all before the grapevine obstructed too much!  It's already put on lots of growth in the sunny warm weather we've been enjoying.  

Moving every pot out and then back in again is a time consuming and very muddling job but there just isn't any alternative.  After a lot of lifting and shifting with even more elbow grease, the greenhouse is now postively sparkling with no hint of green algae running down the glass!

Simon also painted the silver/rusty arch and having repaired the pear and undercoated it, I found some spray and 'tarted' it up to try to make it look more realistic!  The old Pear Arch has never looked so good!

Busy, Busy, Busy!!

It's spring already and we've been so busy in the garden and making the most of some warm spring sunshine!  Hedges both sides of the drive have been trimmed.  The beech has been reduced in height abd the Laurel has had a mini pleach! Lawns are all cut and edges.  Pots are filling with colour and perfume as they are filled with Hyacinths and Primulas.  The Tulips are budding up nicely and, in the borders, the wallflowers won't be long before they're in flower.

Better late than never, I pruned the roses over our circular arch.  SUCH a difficult job as there is a climbing rose and a clematis either side!  Two are super thorny and two are supper brittle!!  Anyway, 'tis done at last!  On the move are the scented violas - from the owl planters to the raised border by the old cast iron roller.

 

Meanwhile the flag stones have all been swept and tidied, the greenhouse floor has been cleaned and even Easter Island Man has had a haircut and blow dry!  Borders have been hoed and weeded.  Camelias and Magnolias are blooming and the Woodland Border which is always at its best in spring has really excelled itself this year.  Talking of borders: the Aspen Grove is also a picture!  It has really filled out and even thought the snowdrops are going over now, the Euphorbias and Primulas are following one!  Even though the Aspens were replaced with some Betula Jaquemontiis, the name remains!!