Gardening
Orchard day
Saturday 10 February, 2007
Despite, the cold, wet and windy weather, Dan and I decided to do some work in the orchard today. We weeded round the trees, limed where required (an opportunity to use my pH meter), fertilized and mulched. Dan pruned the apple and pear trees. Once we were working, it wasn't so bad and we had a great feeling of satisfaction when we'd finished. The hedge needs trimmed, but that's for another day.
We also forked over the comfrey bed, limed and added some compost from our bins. The bed was pretty panned, mostly because the hens use it as a rest and relaxation area. The comfrey is important to us, so we need to look after it.
Busy day
Saturday 27 January, 2007
It has been the loveliest day here - dry, sunny, blue sky, a bit of a breeze. Out of the wind and in the sun, it was quite warm. So we've taken advantage of it and worked all day in the garden - thank goodness the days are still short! Don't know about Dan, but I can feel a few muscles aching already.
We finished cleaning the glass in the greenhouse. We did about half a few weeks ago - one of the panes "exploded" and it's taken us until today to get a replacement. Dan went off to Stirling to get it, and the lawnmower, which has been in for a service, and some bark, lime and bone meal. Anyway, he must have been almost at our road end coming home when...another one shattered! So we still need a pane of glass. The inside of the greenhouse needs cleaned out now - maybe tomorrow.
New gadget
Sunday 14 January, 2007
Now, I would always claim to be impervious to gadgets, but it's not really true. So, I have to confess to having a new gadget - a pH meter. Now, those of you who are experienced gardeners might be shocked, nay, horrified, that we haven't invested in this piece of equipment before, but there you go.
I've always suspected that our soil is too acid for some of out crops to grow as well as they could and now I have the technology (costing about a fiver) to confirm this (or not).
So I expect to be liming this season and, in response, getting bumper crops.
Spring clean
Saturday 30 December, 2006
Spring is maybe a bit optimistic, but I tidied up the shed a bit today and Dan and I started cleaning the greenhouse. We've never done it before but it was looking distinctly green at the end of the summer, so this has been on the "To Do" list for some time.
It was wet and windy first thing but about 10am, the wind dropped and the sun came out. I swept up the courtyard garden and pulled a few weeds, then we started on the greenhouse. To be honest, it wasn't as bad a job as I imagined and it's always easier with two. We've done just over half and might have done more, but as we finished the door, the wind got up again and the rain came on so that seemed like a good time to stop. Also, one of the glazed panels shattered - just like that! So Dan's gone off to try to get a new one.
The Courtyard Garden
Sunday 7 May, 2006
When we first moved here, there was a pretty scruffy area on the west side of the cottage. It had been a vehicle entrance for one of the cottages and it ran betwen a hawthorn hedge and the house. In due course, we had a wooden ranch fence built at the north end and the area slabbed in grey York stone. A couple of years ago, I decided to do something with it and make it into a courtyard garden.
We put a trellis fence at the south end and lifted some slabs to create a small bed with a pebble pond. We planted climbers on the trellis and the ranch fence, planted up the small bed and lots of pots. All the planting was green and white. I never got round to buying any furniture for it. We decided to do a bit of work on it over the last couple of weekends.
Effortless gardening
Friday 17 February, 2006
This week I've achieved so much - sown loads of salad, herb and tomato seeds, lifted piles of parsnips and leeks, moved compost bins, planted out strawberries, weeded beds, bought straw for our incoming pigs, and plenty more I don't even know about. And worked a 40 hour week. And never had my wellies on once.
The secret? Write a list on a Sunday night, give it to your wife (who now happens to take school holidays due to childcare arrangements) and by the following Friday, with a bit of luck, it's all done! Who said this gardening lark was hard work?
Poo picking
Saturday 3 September, 2005
We got the first results of the poo picking home today. Those of you with horses will know what poo picking is. For the rest of you, poo picking is the manual (in gloves) removal of piles of poo from your horse's field. This strange equestrian pastime is done to keep the grazing clean and to prevent the spread of intestinal worms.
Smokey and his buddies, Willock, Barney and Wallace, occupy quite a small area of grass. This is because they are all native ponies and can live on fresh air. Too much grass and they get fat. Fast. Now each horse poos about 10 times a day. So the grazing gets dirty pretty quick. Horses avoid grazing areas where poo is lying, so the grass (and weeds) grows long there and gets overgrazed elsewhere. The field is then said to be "horse sick". It's bad management to let your field get like this.
The rise of the Under Gardener
Wednesday 8 June, 2005
Dan's in London for a couple of days, so I'm, notionally at least, in charge. In case I get bored, Dan's left me a "To Do" list.
So tonight I had two and a half lovely hours in the garden. Gardening in our place is not a solitary occupation. Tess generally goes off and does her own thing, but Meg will be throwing you her ball (and barking at you if you don't throw it back), Cassius will be supervising all you do, the hens will be chooking about in case you dig up a worm or a bug or two. And the midges eat you.
Holiday (?) Weekend
Monday 2 May, 2005
As usual, the weather for the May Holiday has ben somewhat changeable. Saturday was lovely, Sunday was pretty rainy and today (Monday) has been changeable. I rode in the rain this morning, walked the dogs in a mixture ofsun and showers and hung the washing out in warm sunshine.
The weather meant we didn't get the grass cut. Nevermind, it's long clear now!
I've been working away on the courtyard garden. So far, I'm quite pelased with it. I still have to find a table and chairs -I'd like blue wood or a blue mosaic small round table and a couple of chairs.
The Courtyard Garden
Sunday 27 March, 2005
This is my new(ish) project. We have a small slabbed area on the west end of the house. It faces South and gets a reasonable amount os sun, particularly in the afternoon. It is enclosed on three sides, by a hedge (west), a high fence (North) and the house (East). It was pretty grotty, although it was slabbed with quite nice Yorkstone.
Last year, we decided to turn it into a courtyard garden. The idea is that this will be a quiet area for relaxing in with a G&T, after the rigours of the day.
