Preserving a bit of Canada!!

Compost Guardian

 A big thank you to Simon who creosoted our Compost Guardian last week!  He's not easy to reach and I love the way he's highlighted his eyes! He was made by Chris Pugh in 2017 and is carved from a fallen  20 foot English oak tree very much along the lines of a traditional Canadian totem pole.  These traditional  poles are carved from a much softer native pine.  This was immensely time consuming and much harder work!  Sadly having finished his totem pole, a huge beech tree fell on it breaking it in two.  This is the reason that the two remaining unbroken sections came to live in Pear Tree Cottage Garden with the winged section standing over the compost bays!!  Nice to think he'll be preserved for a little longer!!

Compost Upgrade!

Whilst mowing the verges, I happened to notice that our neighbours had some sheets of corrugated iron in their skip.  They kindly agreed to let me have it and Chris Genever and I lined a compost bay with it.  The thing about 2nd hand corrugated iron is that his had a lovely weathered appearance.  I loathe the shiny new stuff! 

Our compost bays were made using old wooden pallets (more recycling!) We just have 2 bays and when the right hand one is emptied, the left hand one is turned into it.  We have better things to do that turning compost every 5 minutes! This new upgrade should help prevent the wood and ply rotting and preserve the structure for a little longer! Monty - eat yer 'eart out!!

YET MORE RECYCLING!!

The old plant  stand had become unsafe.

It had always been very wobbly with loose and detached slats but, over time, had become worringly unsafe!   A long time ago Chris had rescued some fabulous and unusually long slate shelving which had been carefully stored for ages without being able to find an ideal spot for such long pieces.  It seemed such a shame to cut them.    After MUCH soul searching and deliberation, I decided it was better to shorten them but at least 'use' them.  Chris Genever made a metal brace and glued the now shortened slate shelves to a sealed piece of fibre board. The sealed board supports the slate and is protected from rain and weather by the slate.  I now have a very smart recycled plant table which is actually wider than the original and could also be used as a bench om which to sit.  It's now very solid and weighs an absolute ton.

  Yet another thank you to both Chris's!!

A STYLISH OUTDOOR KITCHEN UPGRADE!

Never let it be said that the gardeners at PTC let any grass at all grow under their feet!!  A couple of projects have been finished and my favourite just has to be in the Herb Garden.

 

The beautiful cast iron range that Chris Genever gave me has had a really lovely upgrade.  We moved it forward and have extended and corbled the brickwork on both sides.  This gave us a far greater surface area which we tiled with left over tiles from a previous greenhouse project.  

There were however complaints about the architect!!  Having asked Chris if could do some corbelling, I then promptly forgot and he carried on building upwards. The following morning, the architect still hadn't noticed her mistake and  2 courses had be knocked off and rebuilt!!  In trouble again!! 

Chris's brickwork looks so lovely and all carefully measured to accommodate too many constraints and variables in heights, surfaces, curves, materials, thicknesses etc. etc. to even mention! Yet another example of a real craftsman making his amazing skills look so very easy.

Whilst I'll probably use the work surfaces for plants and kitchenalia kindly donated by friends, there's absolutely nothing to prevent us from using it for its original and intended purpose and lighting a fire in it!  You see - it really is an outdoor kitchen and not far to go for herbs!!!

Wonderful Wistful Wisterias

 

2022 is most definitely the year of the Wisteria here in Pear Tree Cottage Garden!! 

 

The Sinensis which grows against the house has been utterly spectacular and no photo or video comes close to doing the slightest justice!  The perfume is divine and floods the house when the windows are open.

My historical and 5th generation Witley Court Wisteria which I propagated from one that grew in my previous garden has now been in the ground for 16 years and is flowering all around the Herb Garden, across the barn, over the Studio and across, up, over and along the pergola!  A younger Wisteria is flowering over the Tool Shed. Lastly a very new Japanese Wisteria is 'getting going' up the garage wall!!

Every garden needs a Wisteria!!

MAY DAY MAGIC!

 

On freeeezing cold and rainy May Day visitors began arriving even before the garden gates opened!! An astonishing £732.75 was raised for the National Garden Scheme. A HUGE thank you to Lyn Wilkes

& her team who slaved in a positively glacial garage & to all 83 visitors who weren't put off by the weather & who eventually found their way to our very rural cottage garden from far & wide!

As always, a special thank you to Chris Pugh for all his hard work & our neighbours who carted & lugged tables & chairs & made delicious cakes & supplied parking.

The weather may have let us down but the Wisteria put on real show!

NOT LONG NOW!!!