RED ARROWS!!

 Seen over the garden!!

A Day of Battles!

 The Wisteria is almost a distant memory - EXCEPT for the Amethyst Falls on the garden tool shed!  This one still has a few flowers remaining and today was the day for exposing it to more sunlight by lifting the crown of the walnut behind the shed.  Not the easist of tasks but skillfully managed by Andrew who also  disentangled the tralling silver birch from the Acer brilliantissimum.

As if not enough, he then moved on to the Prunus kojo-mai that provides dappled shade to the Hostas in the Hostalry.  The worst job of all was tying up a Paul's Himalyayn Musk rambler which had blown down and was partially obstructing a public footpath.  This is a beast of a rose and both of us were bleeding from scratches.  It couldn't have happened at a worse tme - just as it's trying to bloom and absolutely covered in buds.  Success was declared mostly thanks to Andrew's dogged persistence!! 

National Garden Scheme Open Day - 5th May 2025

 Following all manner of publicity - most of which was missed by us, we had a record breaking 312 visitors for our National Garden Scheme Open Day.   

I thought I would, not only remember our own press release this year but, base it on our Wollemi Pine - little realising that it would provoke so much interest!!!

Our tree on the BBC       -       Our tree in the Daily Mail

It was in many other newspapers, in fact, too many to recall.  Anyway, I'm sure it helped swell the number of visitors. The weather was dry & the sun shone (for most of the day) Friends, family & helpers slaved away at the kitchen sink. The clarinestists excelled themselves and by 4pm,  we had sold every crumb of cake.  The garden looked pretty immaculate and all in all it was amazingly successful!

I had a HUGE amount of help from lots of folks and our heartfelt thanks goes out to them all!!  We couldn't possible do it without you!!  Here are some photos: 

NGS Open Day

Thyme Square

 Such perfection & precision in hedge cutting deserved another post!!

Open Gardens Preparations!

 With the veg plot all planted, it was tme to tidy up the surrounding area including Thyme Square. Conditions were damp and drizzly meaning slippery sleepers and leaves sticking to all surfaces!  Andrew was unfazed as he carefully trimmed the niches of Lewd, Rude and Nude: the three statues which line 2 sides of the veg patch. Having left the hedge perfectly manicured, Andrew cleaned out the Potting shed gutter, removing winter leaves from the roof and continuing hedge trimming all the way down to Cato's Corner.  We cleared either side of the stump seat steps and trimmed the Laurel & Berberis.  Needless to say, a major clear up operation ensued!!  Anyone would think Open Gardens are imminent!!

Elsewhere in the garden, the Wisteria on the house is looking pretty spectacular!!

Planting Preparation in the Vegetable Patch.

 

Today was the annual most noteworthy day in our gardening calendar here at PTC!  Vegetable patch preparation! It was also Andrew's first time as Head of Operations!  We cleared it of weeds, lifted the remaining Autumn King carrots and Andrew set to work.

Starting at the studio end and working off a plank to ensure zero compaction, Andrew dug away removing all roots from a nearby wild cherry tree.  He dug in chicken manure pellets, bonemeal and NPK.  

He did a spectacularly thorough job and left it looking immaculate - the best ever!  Now it's all ready for planting up with Arran Pilots (1st early potatoes) and Aquadulce broad bean plants which I've been given.  

Guess what I'll be dong tomorrow!!!

More cold feet!

 

Well, I did say it was a dangerous addiction!!  Despite a return to freezing cold weather and a biting wind, I braved the elements - and the cold water again.  This time it was seriously ambititous as I decided to power wash the creosote yard.  A much larger area than the previously done 3 garden paths.  I started in the middle and went round in circles spiralling outwards.  Unlike garden paths, it was horrendously messy working so closely to exterior walls.  Not just any colour either!!  White painted brick walls.  All the sludge and muddy debris splattered everywhere.  My fingers ached from the constant pressure on the trigger which doesn't lock!  Persistance paid off and no more green, slipper algae to be seen anywhere - not even on the galvanised Hosta planters! Furthermore, it looks much better in reality. than in either photograph.