Last of the harvest

Yesterday I brought in and stacked two dumpy bags of logs, one of large 40cm "overnighters" and one of standard sized beautifully seasoned ash, the verandah is a glorious sight to behold and the aroma....  Not that we need them (yet) it was actually a wee bit too warm for log stacking.  I don't think I've ever been out in mid-late October in just a t-shirt without feeling cold especially when the wind is gusty.  Today is another unseasonably warm day, thermometer is reading 16 degrees but the winds have picked up and it's very blustery - the pups are more than slightly crackers.  They've been tearing around the garden whilst I harvested the last of the tomatoes, around two pounds of ripe ones have gone in the freezer and another pound and half of half ripe and green fruits are sitting on the kitchen window sill to be added to the freezer containers are they ripen always assuming they don't get munched as they ripen.  The last of the plants have been cleared out of the greenhouse and when it's not quite so windy it will be cleaned down and let open to air ready for next year.
Having harvested the last fruits the results of my mini-tomato-experiment are in. They did better in medium sized pots than grow bags, which is not so surprising, no competition and a better root run but what was surprising is that the plants in medium sized pots did better than those in the bigger ones, the root systems don't look hugely different despite the variation in available space so perhaps they need a little bit of stress to produce a good crop.  When it comes to varieties because my seedlings got checked by the late frost I ended up buying plants so could have a greater range. The sweet million were wonderful as always so they're on the list for next year. The gardener's delight didn't produce as many fruits but they were bigger and not as tasty, so they're crossed off, if I can get them we'll try sweet olive again nest year instead. Standard sized tomatoes: I had three varieties, moneymaker which was the best of the lot producing a good crop of nicely tasty fruits, next were alicante, not as many fruits but the flavour was incredible however the skins were a little tough, bottom of the heap were Grandad's favourites the Alisa Craig which didn't produce many fruits per truss, which were very fleshy not very juicy and again had quite tough skins, so we won't do those again. All of which means next year we're growing sweet million, moneymaker and one alicante plant all in individual medium sized pots and maybe something else - something different just for fun!
Cucumbers were mixed too, the socrates was best with soft skinned tasty seedless mini-ish cues, which kept producing until the beginning of the month - as long as you pick regularly.   The sweet crunch produced many more fruits but they were quite tough, definitely crunchy and the skins had a distinctive tang to them, we were not so keen on those, so socrates again next year.  And maybe we'll try gherkins for a change or seeing as the dogs are munching their way through courgettes at an ever increasing rate perhaps we'll venture out of the greenhouse into the surrounding area.  We were discussing rhubarb whilst listening to GQT and the Yorkshire lady stuck on Anglesey and struggling with hers, we both love rhubarb and someone poured concrete over our crowns - it may be a million years ago but we've not forgotten.....

And still it pours

I have emptied the water butt yet again today, it was overflowing across the yard once more this morning.  According to reports we have already had more rain than the January average, read more here on The Telegraph. We're all fed up of soggy walks. :o(
However, on the bright side the hamamelis is in full flower and this week the catkins have opened, the winter jasmine has been flowering since November and is a blaze of yellow.  The first berberis flowers have opened this week too adding a splash of orange.  When it stops raining I'll try for photos!
This evening for the first time in a while the sky is mostly clear and high with a wonderful display of stars, the pleiades riding high and pegasus's square plainly visible whilst auriga sits upside down on her throne in the middle of the heavens. Orion and the plough were both obscured by buildings and cloud.

It's not all doom and gloom

The garden might be a mess but under the shelter of bigger bushes my apothecary's rose Madame Hardy has managed to flower, the pure white glows in the darkness of the foliage.

Being protected so far her lovely petals remain unmarked by the rain, but for how much longer I wonder.

Fortunately Sweet Peas are more resilient, the first one opened on Tuesday, in the pouring the rain and today (before the, yes you've guessed it, rain) I cut the first bunch.  I really wish you could upload a smell file, the perfume is magnificent especially now they're warmer indoors.

I always grow several varieties to give a mixture of colours but all five of the first bunch are the darker maroon and pinks.  It looks like there are a couple of paler pink or cream (can't tell yet) which are almost ready to open but as yet no blues, I wonder if the weather has affected the timing of the flower production or maybe the darker flowered plants are simply stronger and better able to cope with the weather.  I suppose to tell we'd have to repeat the conditions and no one wants that.

(11 July)

Gardening leave

Wimbledon rolls around again and I get a week off to watch tennis balls and when it all gets too much to do some gardening.  BUT - the garden is so soggy there's no way I dare do anything, the soil is sodden, I'd damage the structure if I walked on it. Putting some washing out on one of the dry days the water is pooling up between my toes.  Oh, well chance to plan what we're going to do with the rangum down the drive.
(2 July)

Spring gardening

Finally, managed to make a start on the spring cleaning.


At the weekend the big border went from this:

 To this:

The birds are singing, a beautiful song thrush stands on the top of Green Garth's larch and tell the whole world it's a wonderful sunny spring morning; the robins are shouting their territories and the finches and spuggies tweet and whistle along too.

I don't know where the siskins have been all winter but they've arrived back this past week, already dressed in their "Sunday Best" looking very bright and smart.

Green and white border

16 October
At last the hostas arrived and I can get the new green and white border planted up. I was worried that the soil would be sodden but it was mostly OK and in good heart after all the compost and feed that's been worked in over the summer. The original plants (those which we decided to keep anyway) have been replanted, lots of bulbs added and the new hostas plus a few ferns along with a honeysuckle, a big grass and a lonicera purpera have all gone in. Just the roses now and a couple of hostas on back order and it will be done. I'm sure there will be a few casualties and few gaps to be filled next year but at the moment it's looking good, full of promise.

Sunshine!

And warm days, I unwrapped gunnera this weekend, still getting a fleecing duvet over night but already growing away strongly.
Saw a small tortoiseshell on Saturday and also heard my first cuckoo in the morning. Saw my first swallow on Thursday evening (8/4).

Soggy garden

A week of sunshine and drying wind and the garden was beginning to recover. I was just beginning to think that I might be able to do some weeding and then it rains - big style and we're under water again. But at least it's not snowing like Scotland and Ireland.

LBJ

Seen in the garden on Friday, a perusal of the books confirms that it's a garden warbler. In yesterday's sunshine a very brave little clump of celandines in the greenhouse garden decided to open their flowers - must get the weedkiller out before it's outlawed!

Spring

At last!
Aconites in flower under the hazel and the garden is perfumed with witch hazel - beautiful. Today the sweet peas have gone into the greenhouse and I've sown the first of the annuals. Yesterday I cleared the big flower bed (working off boards but still) and lifted the fleece off fatsia. Whilst I was working in the garden yesterday I heard the owls calling for the first time during the day.

Woodpecker

was drumming down the incline over the weekend.
Sowed the sweet peas yesterday approx 210.
But now it's snowing again!

Still wet

Hardly any snow left in the garden although there are still large heaps on the road sides and vast swathes across the moor. The garden is looking very sorry for itself and rather soggy too although I'm sure most things will recover.
We've become a regular stop for a large flock of long tail tits, around a dozen at a time. Our 'tame' blackbird is still asking for food every day.

Green Shoots

The garden is beginning to appear from under its blanket of snow and in the heather bed are the first sprouts from some bulbs, mini-daffodils I think. Spring must nearly here (well, lets pretend).

Winter declared!

That's it, it's officially winter here. Stove is lit and today we have wrapped the gunnera for the winter.