Hello, World!
A dirty job but somebody has to do it ....
Thankfully this time it wasn't me... It is usually me who dons the waders and steps out into the unknown, but this time Alistair was keen to get in there and clear the weed out - which is incredibly heavy and full of squirmy things. Any newts found get gently placed back into the pond (Alistair says some were as big as crocodiles but then he is prone to exaggeration!). Don't tell anyone about our newts in case the heavy mob from the EU descend and want to know how many we have and are they all accounted for! And while they're here they will no doubt want to check on the bats, one of which Alistair found under the bed a few weeks ago (Boudicca the killer cat had got it). That cat has got to go. We put a collar with bell on her but she has managed to remove that, no doubt while climbing trees looking for nests - I just can bear her murderous ways anymore. Alistair did ring the cat rescue centre where she came from originally but they are full at present, most probably with other killer cats.
Anyway the pond is looking better and the organic nematode things that I put in seem to have cleared the algae bloom and hopefully the bit of rain we had yesterday has flushed through some fresh water from the stream. The film below was taken on Sunday when we had a family BBQ, the first of the year. We have used the summer house for the first time which involved us having to stock it and get things moved up to that part of the garden; it's quite a trek and we were pleased and relieved when the younger members of the family cleared the plates and dishes with several trips back down to the house. Next time it should be plain sailing.
So much to do in the garden and if you have watched the film below you will see that we have been overwhelmed with dandelion wishes/seeds, which have blown in from the neighbouring fields. We are going to have a serious dandelion problem at some point!
Kiki watching Alistair
Week Three of film course
On yet another bright and sunny day I find myself having to water plants - it seems almost a novelty after all the rain we have had. I'm sure we are going to curse later on in the year but this weekend we were covered in dandelion wishes which must come off the surrounding fields. The theme for this weeks film is slow motion so here is my try at it.
Film 2 of my film course
I must admit this seems a bit dark and sad but I just liked the song, I wasn't sad at all - Alistair was away down south watching rugby so I just went with my instincts. I must admit I like the emotion of photo's and film and am not a happy clappy photographer - the black and white seemed to work better with this film and I did pot more than a couple of new oxygenating plants yesterday and yes Kiki was in the pond again.
Hosta Bank
I have been spending most of my time in the garden at present, everything is growing so quickly and its hard to keep up with all the jpbs that need doing. I have sprayed the Hosta's and the hosta bank with nematodes or something like that, rather than use slug pellets. It involved about 20 trips with a watering can up from the house to the top pond where most of the hosta's reside. It says on the instructions that it will have to be done every 6 weeks so I will see if the hosta's keep their leaves intact. It is nigh impossible to keep Kiki out of the ponds although her brother Lucca does not seem to have the same love of water that she does. Boudicca the cat is very nearly reaching the point that I would consider finding her a new home. We have been watching a pair of pied wagtails that have returned and that we saw last year - they are so friendly and trusting and we love sitting with a glass of wine in the evening watching them and the swallows and house martins as they zoom around the barns and back and forth to their nests.
Last night I went into the utility and found the female wagtail dead on the floor and Boudicca looking pleased with herself - I could have killed her. I went to bed upset and teary and vowing to get in touch with the rescue centre and get her re-homed - Achilles never kills anything completely the opposite to Boudicca who is almost a killing machine. Not sure if I will repent or not. Yesterday morning we had to construct a wire pen around a duck nest that is by one of the ponds with 8 eggs in it as Boudicca has found it and will kill the ducklings when they hatch if we didn't do something to help protect them. Anybody want a cat?
Barrels planted
I just love the new Spring plant growth -- apart from the weeds of course! The remaining plants for the three half barrels arrived and I wasted no time in planting them up: Pimpinella major 'Rosea', Astrantia 'Buckland', Geranium phaem, Actaea simplex 'Brunette' and Orlaya grandiflora. I will of course take more photos as they establish themselves and show off their pink, white and dark purple flowers.
We have been working in the ponds to solve the problem we were having with algae growing on the surface where pond grasses in the water were preventing proper movement. Alistair rowed the boat to the problem area while I wore my waders to pull up the grasses and put them into a large container to be ferried across to the compost area. That and a temporary pump seem to have solved the problem -- but next time I plan to be in the boat and Alistair will be in the waders!
Dancing Erythroniums
Walking around the garden each day brings new delights, well except for the weeds and their speedy growth. We nearly managed to mulch most the beds and we are wondering if it is too late now to finish them, but I guess it will still help to slow the weeds' progress, in a maybe/ hopefully/ fingers crossed sort of way.
The Erythroniums caught my eye as they danced in the sunlight alongside the stream. Rain has helped water in my latest plantings and also flush the ponds with fresh water from the brooks. I had just ordered something to help clear the ponds as they had formed lots of little blobs of slime and I'm not sure what causes them, but it looks pretty disgusting. I've tried skimming off as much as I could but now with the brooks flowing faster the natural movement of the water seems to be flushing the slime over the overflow and away down the brook. I will take some pics later.
Skunk Cabbage
Not the most romantic name, but it is a plant with impact. There was no sign of them a couple of weeks ago but now they are romping away; they grow quickly in our well and truly damp/wet/soaking garden as does the Gunneria by the pond. The streams meander through the woods and garden, leaving the ground rather sponge like. and this year the ground is taking quite a while to dry out. Alistair was only able to get the lawnmower through the woods and onto the lawns this week for the first time, and that was with the help of some bark mulching being placed in some areas. The lawns are looking a bit patchy after moles have had their fun and leaves that we just didn't get around to moving. It's bumpy and squashy in equal measures and our large Maremmas Lucca and Kiki really haven't helped matters by romping and chasing each other around the garden. They are pictured below after tiring themselves out!
Getting ready for summer
At last the sun is shining, the House Martins are back from their travels and are sweeping around the house and barn. We bought three half whiskey barrels this week and I ordered the plants after seeing a lovely idea in Gardens Illustrated. Jacky Mills created a pretty frothy concoction that I am copying and some of the plants have already arrived - I found a company I hadn't used before, 'Cotswold Garden Flowers', and my word they are quick to deliver. I bought Actaea Simplex Brunette from them. Husband Alistair has drilled some drainage holes in the barrels and painted the metal bands black, and we placed crocks in the bottom for drainage. So far I have managed one wheelbarrow of compost from our garden but I have now decided to delegate this to Alistair as I have realised how heavy it is, and I have a bad hand at present. This means that I can move onto the lawn edging and some weeding among the bed of alliums I planted last year - I will post a pic of these as soon as they flower. Right, back on with the wellies and into the sun!