Snowy Worcester or Sunny Jamaica?

We are very lucky where we are in worcester, almost in the middle of the country as snow seems to be hitting all the coasts. But last night we did have a -7c. Tonight we are forecast a -9 c and the thermometer outside the messroom door registered -11.5c earlier in the week. Very chilly, but not as bad as Scotland thankfully. I must admit that one of my favourite times is when I go to tend the conservatory boiler at the weekend when the garden is crisp and white; there is no sound and looking down I can see all the tracks of animals I never get to see during the normal working day.

Many people ask what a gardener does when it is snowing. If the weather is really bad we will do maintenance work inside on chairs and benches, or weed the greenhouses, but generally there is always something to do outside. Gritting the drive and checking gutters etc, collecting leaves from sheltered corners, having a bonfire, pruning the more robust shrubs, checking tree ties, checking veg in store etc.... the list is almost endless.

Debbie has been in Jamaica on holiday for a week, and is not due back for another week. Lucky girl! She is missing all the cold weather. Her brother is getting married out there and they are making a trip of it.

I did mention at the beginning of last month’s diary that new puppy Millie had escaped through the garden gate and we thought we’d fixed it with corrugated plastic. We were wrong! One afternoon Millie had the desire to get out and follow my husband, and just bashed through the plastic! There is now strong wire netting covering the gate.

December Tasks

Check overwintering veg, tubers and bulbs for vermin damage and set traps if necessary.
Good periods of dry weather can be used to dig over and manure areas of the vegetable patch
Float a ball in the fish pond to reduce the pressure of ice on the structure, and to prevent total freezing.
Ensure the potting shed is clean and tidy, and all pots and trays are washed, ready for next season.
Now is a good time to prune back roses that are likely to be loosened by the wind.
Tie in whippy shoots of climbing roses before they are damaged
Rake up fallen leaves and store them in a pile or black bag to rot down into leafmould.
All dahlias and cannas should have been lifted by now, after the frost has blackened the top foliage.

Trouble comes in threes....

Not the easiest of months.... we acquired a puppy from my brother in law who had purchased it about 2 months earlier. 5 month old Millie proved to be a lot livelier than they had imagined so we took her in to add to our two collies. Millie is a lab/staffie/whippet mix, and is a very strong, happy little pup who likes to chew anything from the phone charger to slippers, the corner of the settee to an entire packet of dog biscuits. She broke our garden gate, climbed the pallet put there temporarily, and when we installed a lovely wrought iron gate she squeezed straight through the gaps! We now have the bottom of the gate covered in corrugated plastic. Not pretty, but finally effective.

For anyone who is interested, you can see one of our other dogs on youtube: put in ‘tree climbing dog’ and watch the BBC Midlands Today report.

In the gardens the leaf colours have changed and some of the acers are really beautiful. (see pic). Autumn has truly arrived. However, it is a little disheartening to clear an area of leaves only to return the next day to do it all again. I know that we will get to the end of it but this time of year can be frustrating as jobs don’t seem to stay ‘done’.

One of the more satisfying jobs has been the clearing of the next section of the South Border. All the plants have been removed and those for keeping have been potted up. We will repeat the process we undertook last year, with the first section we cleared, and hope to radically reduce, or even eliminate the bindweed etc. by the end of next year.

That short, sharp frost that occurred in the middle of the month gave us an opportunity to test out the new conservatory boiler. It certainly worked a treat and is holding heat and water as it should, finally! It was a serious cause for concern last year. We have also lifted, fleeced or frost protected the tender and susceptible plants around the gardens so hopefully we won’t see a repeat of last year when the really cold weather killed off several plants.

Of course the sharp frost meant that we were able to lift the dahlias earlier than we have done for the last few years. They are now all neatly stored away in a frost free shed. The cannas however are a different story: we lost nearly all the canna purpurea, a couple of variegated varieties and a few of the canna Robert Kemp whilst they were in storage last year, so we have stored them in a warmer room in the main house this year, hoping to avoid a repeat.

Best wishes

Kate

Topical tips for November

Check through stored apples and veg, discarding any that are damaged.
Use any spare space in heated greenhouses for quick crops of lettuce etc.
Keep an eye on the greenhouse and ventilate on warmer days.
Ensure that all tender plants have been taken into the warm, or protected by fleece or straw as we are just starting to get those nippy nights.
check guttering/drains and keep them clear.
lift and divide borders, so that perennials are regenerated for a better display. Then top dress the borders with well rotted farmyard manure, or garden compost.
Lift and store the last remaining dahlias, cannas, and gladioli bulbs.
Plant wallflowers and other winter displays, on warmer dry days
Keep an eye on ponds and ensure fish have a breathing hole by placing a pan of boiling water on the ice. Some people float a tennis ball to absorb the pressure of the ice and prevent damage to the pond.
Lift the last remaining dahlias, cannas, and gladioli bulbs.
On dry breezy days continue to cut lawns with mower blades set high, but try to avoid walking on grass when the weather is frosty.

Why are moles so good at hiding?

Last month saw the start of a new gardener to replace Richard, who had left to set up his own business. Chris started at the beginning of September and was thrown straight into the hedge cutting. And not just any old easy hedge, but the West Border crennellations...the ones that go up and down, and have a ditch to one side. It was a bit mean but Chris rose to the challenge admirably. It takes between 4 and 6 weeks to cut all the hedges at Spetchley and can be monotonous, so I have also been trying to ring the changes a little and mix up the jobs.

Last week Chris helped Debbie for a couple of days to sort out the new planting for the South Border where we had removed all the plants to try and eliminate ground elder and bindweed from the area. Well, we are now planting up and although a few small pernicious weeds are still showing, they are weak enough to be eradicated before the new planting becomes too large. A blog reader from Germany has suggested a specific control method which we are looking into. We will soon be taking the next section of border out, ready to repeat the process.

The damp, warm weather has also meant a lot of grass cutting, and the emergence of mole hills all over the gardens, in places I have never seen them before. This is particularly frustrating as I have limited sucess with mole traps. If anyone has a tried and tested method of mole control I would love to hear from you.

Isabelle Roberts, and her daughter Mary have been visiting for the last couple of weeks, as part of a month holiday in England from Alberta, Canada. They have been visiting all the friends that Isabelle made during her quarter century living in Gardeners Cottage at Spetchley. It has been lovely to have them stay and we are already planning next year’s visit. When Mary called her daughter at the weekend she was told that there was 8 inches of snow! We had had a lovely sunny day at the Avoncroft museum of buildings near Droitwich. ( A facinating place, you must go). Alberta winters can get down as low as -40º c, which I don’t fancy at all.

This month’s picture shows the ‘knees’ of the swamp cyprus, slightly altered by Clive Bagley, who ran the Tea Rooms about 4 years ago. Have a really close look....

October Tasks

Prepare the garden for winter: keep drains and ponds etc free from leaves and debris, clean and store garden tools, ensure that greenhouse glass is clean, and that any shading has been replaced by insulation.
Lift dahlias after the first frosts blacken their leaves.
Order spring bulbs for next year.
Feed roses with sulphate of potash to ripen the wood and make the plants more disease resistant.
Check tender plants for infestations of insects, and treat before returning them to their winter quarters.
Put frost protection round any plants that will be staying out for the winter.
Store undamaged apples and pears in a cool, dark well ventilated room such as a garage or garden shed.
Take hardwood cuttings of deciduous shrubs, and gather clematis seed for sowing in a cold frame.
place netting over ponds to catch leaves.
Change the plantings in hanging baskets for winter interest.
lift and divide herbaceous perennials.

I think I may starve....

September is nearly upon us and next week we are having the first wedding that Miss Berkeley can remember in the little C of E church up the drive. The daughter of the farmer over the road is getting married, so Miss Berkeley, Nigel my husband, and I are taking special care to ensure that the grounds are pristine for the event. Nigel has been volunteering to keep the church yard in order for the last 5 years.

We had a fantastic day at the M5 Living History event last month where re-enactors from all over the country displayed life from various centuries. This year there were far more displays and re-enactors than in previous years. We spent quite a time wandering around all the encampments and talking to the people. I found the barber/physician particularly gruesome!

It was a hot dry day so I needed to move an irrigation line in the copse with the help of my husband. Whilst we were doing this a small group of WW2 soldiers came creeping up the ride, checking for the enemy... (They reminded me a bit of the end credits of Dad’s Army!)

There were trade stands for the first time, which sold a fascinating array of re-enactors paraphernalia. It was possible to buy muskets and all the associated equipment, medieval outfits and cloth, swords and bows and arrows, reproduction coins, glassware and even chain mail gloves!

Every half an hour or so there was a display battle with cannons, muskets and various people falling down ‘dead’ and being dragged off the battlefield...

I had a go at the archery using a longbow (think Robin Hood), and managed to graze the back leg of a model deer, completely miss it’s hindquarters and then send a third arrow under it’s belly. I think I would starve if I had to rely on my hunting skills.

There was a wonderful display in the squash court by some RAF re-enactors showing how Bomber Command worked, with a map table and the Wrens standing round pushing airplane indicators across it (see photo). It was all explained really well, and the mock air raid demonstration was great fun.

And finally some frustrating news: the company that has collected our yew clippings for the last 10 years or so is now unable to do so, as the company they sell the material to can now get yew clippings more cheaply from China.

September Tasks

Continue to trim hedges. Putting a sheet down first to catch the clippings will make clearing up a lot quicker.
Dead heading the herbaceous borders will prolong the display, but if you want to save seed, don’t forget to leave some flowerheads uncut!
Keep cutting lawns, gradually raising the cut in preparation for winter.
Check fruit trees and remove any fruit affected by brown rot to reduce infection spread.
Be particularly careful when picking tree fruit as wasps love windfalls and can become quite drunk, presenting quite a hazard.
Continue to pick runner beans etc. in the kitchen garden. It is not too late to sow quick crops of radish and lettuce.
If your greenhouse cucumbers are suffering from an attack of red spider mite, try putting a block of wet straw by the plants to increase humidity.

Happy visitors

This is an extra entry to my usual monthly missive. Debbie has sent me the picture she took that I mentioned in the previous blog.... so here is the picture I promised of the happy visitors; a lovely couple just sitting in the copse enjoying the sunshine.

What do you mean no electric?

The last month has been full of lots of sunny weather, and the gardens have been looking really lovely. (The picture shows the beautiful heads of an achillea) The watering however, is proving to be more and more of a nightmare. I have been constantly moving seep hoses around the borders in the copse where the hydrangea and rhododendrons are flagging. We can’t be the only people really wanting lots of rain.
Half way through last month I was working with Debbie on the South Border when we noticed 2 lovely people sitting in the copse, enjoying the gardens. They looked really happy together and Debbie went over to have a chat and ask if it would be ok for her to take a photo! They were suprised but delighted to oblige. When I get a copy I will post it....

After the excitement of the powercut mentioned last month, a couple of days after that I noticed that some of the sockets downstairs didn't work. It was thought that mice had possibly chewed the cable which would mean a major rewiring job. Thankfully it was just an unrelated problem in a faulty circuit breaker. We are now back up and running again.

The last month has been full of lots of sunny weather, and the gardens have been looking really lovely. (The picture shows the beautiful heads of an achillea) The watering however, is proving to be more and more of a nightmare. I have been constantly moving seep hoses around the borders in the copse where the hydrangea and rhododendrons are flagging. We can’t be the only people really wanting lots of rain.

Debbie has been working really hard on new planting plans for the South Border and Kitchen Garden central path where all the plants have been cleared out. We lifted and repotted all the plants from sections of the borders and have been trying to eradicate the bindweed, creeping thistle, ground elder etc etc but it is proving to be very difficult. Mr Berkeley has great ideas about making a traditional style perennial border on the South Border, but using a lot of new and interesting plants.

New volunteer Rob came in last week and I think I must have bored him to tears.... he was working in the same area all week... planting, weeding, pruning the espaliers, removing the peas and beans that had finished... he didn’t manage to get out of the kitchen garden all week! Anyone else like to volunteer?!?

August tasks

Make sure you arrange for someone to pop in keep an eye on the greenhouse and veg plot if you are off on holiday. They will also need to check any veg that needs picking, such as runner beans and squashes.
Keep working with the hoe when the weather is warm enough.
Watch for the fungal infection rust on hollyhocks, pelargoniums etc. Remove affected foliage and spray with a fungicide.
Keep picking those sweet peas and remove seed pods if they form.
Continue to dead-head spent flowers, especially those of summer bedding, hanging baskets and any remaining late flowering roses.
Start cutting hedges towards the end of the month
Listen to the weather forcast and water greenhouses and pots accordingly.
Start taking semi ripe cuttings of fuchsias, penstemon, pelargonium, salvia etc
Start collecting seed

Power cuts.... cows... roses... busy, busy, busy...

The sunshine has been really lovely over the last few weeks but is now beginning to outstay its welcome. Everything is really dry, the borders are starting to suffer and the irrigation system is on the the Kitchen Garden most evenings.

We are still interviewing for the replacement gardener to take Richard’s place in the team. We had a good response, and at least 2 ideal candidates so the decision will be difficult.

The martagon lilies at their best (see pic) and are really looking well, helped in part by the dry weather; it is the rain splashes that spread the lily disease infection.

We had a very important visitor last week when the ex president of the Rose Society came to the gardens to have a look at our roses. Debbie had chatted to a speaker at the local garden club and expressed an interest in someone coming to identify some of our large rose collection. Little did we realise we would be welcoming someone so important. The visit took up all the morning and only covered one of the borders. The lady was really enthusiastic and said she would write a piece on the gardens. She was staggered that we have so few visitors, as the gardens are such a beautiful place to visit.


On Saturday morning, a frantic phone call at 7am from Miss Berkeley, ended with myself, my husband, Debbie’s husband and John the gamekeeper all coming to help remove cows from the gardens again. It seems that some unhelpful person has been leaving gates open and cows do like to take any opportunity for a wander....

And finally... I had a power cut sometime on Saturday night; calls to neighbours indicated that it was just Gardeners Cottage. The electricity company came out promptly and were really efficient in finding the problem: when the electricity had been installed in the cottage it had been taken from the substation through the car park, under the cart shed, under our potting shed and down to the cottage all in a straight line. The section of cable right underneath the wall between our potting shed and the cart shed had broken. This meant it took until 10pm Sunday night to restore the power by putting an extra loop in to go round the buildings. Today they were back, digging a trench to install the cable properly. I am using this as an excuse as to why this month’s diary is a few days late... no laptop...

July Tasks

Trim back geraniums and aubretia in the borders after flowering
Cut grass where daffodils have been left to die down.
Tidy the dead tops of daffodils from borders when weeding.
continue harvesting peas, lettuce, early tomatoes etc in the kitchen garden.
Prune wisteria tendrils back to 5 buds.
Start collecting seed in paper envelopes when the weather is dry.
It will soon be time to take softwood cuttings of plants such as hebes, fuchsia, salvia and penstemon.
Thoroughly water vunerable plants, then mulch to keep moisture at the roots.
Feed roses etc with a general fertiliser such as phostrogen, and continue to deadhead spent flowers.
Top up pools as water evaporates. Keep pumps in good condition.
Work with the hot weather and hoe regularly.

Comings and Goings

It has been another interesting month. Not anything like as dramatic as last month but still facinating.

The biggest news has been that gardener Richard has decided to start up gardening self employed. He is now working for himself doing the gardens of the local Worcester populus. We wish him all the best in his new venture. We also expect him to pop in from time to time, to let us know how he is getting along.

The other news is that coincidentally, we have had several people come forward as volunteers, offering a half day a week. This has made a huge diference as we will now be rather short staffed for a few weeks until we employ Richard’s replacement.

In the gardens the plants are beginning to catch up with the season after being about 4 weeks behind. The wisteria have been stunning and the iris border is very colourful. The Fountain Beds have a stunning show of aquilegia and tulipa sprengeri and the borders are looking lovely. (The picture this month is of a seedling astrantia major). However, we are having a terrible problem with ground elder, bind weed and especially cleavers. Husband, who works at Worcester University, told me that these specific weeds are rampant there too. It must be the weather, but it is driving me to distraction.

June Tasks

It should now be safe to plant out remaining bedding, including those cannas and dahlias.
Water hanging baskets every day
Shade and ventilate greenhouses
Feed plants in borders, and start dead heading flowers.
Thin out hardy annuals and veg sown in the garden.
Ensure net cages over soft fruit, peas and any other vulnerable veg are secure, without access holes for mice or pigeons.
Removed reverted branches of variegated shrubs.
Remove suckers (growth from the roots) from roses, lilac and other suckering shrubs.
Remove spring bulb foliage when it can be lifted easily.
Remove alge and blanket weed from ponds etc before it becomes a problem.

Debbie and The Furtive Man....

This must be the latest I have written the monthly diary for quite a while. I went to Devon to attend a baptism for the Bank Holiday and have yet to catch up with all the work.

We had an incident in the middle of last week: I had just finished lunch and was about to return to the yard when I received a strange phonecall from Debbie. She sounded very quiet, but was furious and indignant, whispering that she had just spotted someone stealing plants from ‘her’ Fountain Beds. I couldn’t believe her; I didn’t think people really did that sort of thing. Debbie was insistent and said she’d seen a man with a satchel, looking suspicious. Then she said she’d seen him walking back to his car with paeony leaves sticking out of the satchel. Then she rang to tell me to go and look in the footwell of his car, which I promptly did. Sure enough there were a couple of bare rooted plants in plastic bags. I was still not sure, they could have been there before he arrived at Spetchley.

Debbie continued to ring me with updates, the man repeatedly returned to particular places in the garden, and was constantly watching the other visitors around him. Finally he realised that we were watching him and started to make his way back to his car.

I phoned the gamekeeper for moral support, and when he arrived Debbie confronted the man. After a little waffling he was very embarrassed and admitted everything. His satchel contained a digging tool and plastic bags; he had come equipped! We recovered the plants and cuttings and felt very pleased with ourselves.

Taking plants, cuttings or seeds is theft.

A few days later I received a hand written apology,a promise never to return and an amount of money for buying more plants.

On a more upbeat note, the paeonies are showing their buds, the daffs are almost over but the rhododendrons are just beginning. There is always something new to see at Spetchley.

We have just planted up a new bed in Smokey Hollow called imaginatively ‘Bed 9 copse’, under the wispering pines. It is now full of rhododendrons, lilies and hydrangeas. Rhododendrons particularly like it as they like the needle fall from the pines which turns the soil acidic. The picture is Rhododendron Percy Wiseman.

Best wishes

Kate

May Tasks

Plant extra rows of veg for continuous cropping in the Kitchen Garden.
Remove the faded flower heads from daffodils but do not cut down or tie the leaves.
Water greenhouse plants and install shade netting if necessary.
Bedding plants be planted out towards the end of the month, after the last frosts have passed. Ensure they are gently acclimatised to the change in temperature outside the greenhouse or cold frame.
Prune winter flowering heathers before the end of May
Earth up early and maincrop potatoes
prune spring flowering clematis after flowering
Keep hoeing and weeding
Pinch out the growing tips of bush fuchsias
Continuously picking rhubarb and removing any flowering stems will ensure a longer crop.
Protect vulnerable plants such as young seedlings, or hostas from slugs. We use crushed egg shells as a barrier.
Trim back spreading alpines such as aubrietia and arabis after flowering.

Why Me?

Why is it that my life seems to revolve around animals and birds? I had a couple of really challenging experiences on the same day last month which turned me all of a dither! Firstly, I went round to the back of the lake to check mole traps and re set them. I have been singularly unsuccessful at this venture. Now I know why... the moles are watching. I had dug out a large, deep sod of turf to reveal both ends of a tunnel. As I stood looking into the hole, one of the tunnel ends started to fill with soil. The soil fell out into the hole closely followed by a long, snuffly pink nose. I was rather taken aback and could only watch in wonder as the mole turned round and stuck its tail out, then pushed the remaining soil out before scarpering back down its newly cleaned tunnel. I then felt really mean and had to admit defeat.

I decided to try elsewhere and went into the peacock pen where there was more mole activity. After realising this was a battle I was not going to win, I turned back to the cage door... only to see the white peahen taking advantage of a loose latch and making a bid for freedom, closely watched by her 2 remaining chicks. Panicking, I managed to manoeuvre between the chicks and the door whilst the white mum walked round the outside of the cage. I then rang Debbie, who must have thought I was having a turn, but did arrive very swiftly, and slowly walked round the cage encouraging the mum back to the door where, thankfully, the call of her chicks was just too strong for her to ignore. She had been a free bird for all of 6 minutes!

Now, less of my adventures and more of the gardens. It has been a difficult month: lovely weather to start the month and terrible weather to end. We managed to mulch most of the main borders and the gardens looked really lovely for opening, although it had been so cold that all the daffodils and crocus have been very late. This is the first year that I can remember us having such a spectacular show of crocus when the gardens have been open. (see pic). Although the rain has been a bit of a nuisance we have done our best to make sure that the gardens are at their best for the Easter Bank Holiday weekend....

Best Wishes

Kate

April Tasks

plant those early potatoes as soon as the weather allows
Check and cllean garden pool pumps
Cut grass regularly when the ground is not wet
Feed camellias and rhododendron if looking a bit yellow. They require a special sequestered iron food.
Feed herbaceous borders with a good quality granular feed, e.g. Growmore.
Sow broad and French beans, carrots and winter brassicas.
Prune hydrangea and cut down hardy fuchsia

Pests, Pests, Everywhere....

We have had an interesting, if irritating month for pests. There were rabbit tracks in the snow, all over the kitchen garden. Even in the vinery there was evidence of rabbit digging. I set a humane trap on the outside of one of the gates and made a channel under the gate for access. Annoyingly, it has yet to trap the little beast, but did trap a squirrel over the weekend.

Then, as I was in the kitchen garden, explaining a task to Richard, he suddenly pointed to what he thought was a fox running across Miss Berkeley’s patch. I looked up to see the back end of a white tail flashing against the shrubs: a roe deer. I am still puzzled as to how it got into the kitchen garden, which is walled and gated.

Richard went one way and I went another, opening all the gates and hoping that the deer would find one and leave. However, it suddenly rushed behind me before I got to one of the gates, crashed into it, then turned round and went down the border. Richard tried to chase it back but it suddenly disappeared. We can only assume it went through the hedge into the Millennium Garden. We left all the gates open all day, hoping that it would find its own way out. We haven’t seen it since so we can only assume it left.

Then there are the moles.... everywhere. I was setting a trap bahind the lake this morning and a mole started to lift a hill right next to me! I tried to catch it but it was too fast. If you drive by the gardens, have a look on the other side of the road at the lawn of the village hall. It is full of molehills. This is just a small indication of all the hills that are appearing at the back of the lake, up the drive, in my garden, by the peacock pen.....

Speaking of peacocks, 3 of the peacocks left to go to a new home at the beginning of the month. Two of the female chicks and the older female all went together to a farm where there are already other peacocks. We were very pleased to see them go to such a good home as there was just too little space for 7 fully grown birds in the pen.

The weather has been frustrating. Beautiful,(see pic.) but becoming rather tiresome. We are unable to do so many of the normal early spring tasks due to the snow. It feels as if spring is about a month late. I have yet to start the leeks and parsnips in the kitchen garden, and I am getting a little concerned.

We were remarkably lucky to escape the worst of the snow though. The only damage we sustained was a couple of cedar branches that came down next to the rose lawn due to weight of snow.

Don’t forget that the Gardens open for the new season on 21st March. See you all soon....

March Tasks

Pot up dahlias and cannas in the greenhouse to give them a head start.
Dig up and divide congested clumps of snowdrops etc as the flowers fade.
Prepare the vegetable patch, clearing and digging over or rotovating on fine dry days.
Plant the early varieties of potatoes that you prepared (chitted) last month.
Cut down ( pollard) willows and cornus that are grown for their winter colour.
Cut down autumn fruiting raspberries.
Finish pruning roses, wisteria and campsis.
Start to cut grass on a high cut, when the lawn is dry enough and the weather is sunny. and don't forget to browse those seed and plant catalogues for your summer bedding and baskets before its too late.

Sickness and Snow....

This again has been a rather trying month. The snowy weather (see pic) really hasn’t helped and we are getting behind with the preparatory work for opening. Our main truck decided to have gearbox trouble and is still away being mended, Gardener Steve was off for 2 weeks with a bad attack of swine flu, Gardener Richard went down with a stomach bug and Assistant Head Gardener Debbie had a very painful knee that was interfering with the jobs she was able to do. Thankfully all 3 seem fully recovered now. ( We are still waiting for news on the Bonser truck).

However we can also be thankful that all the main leaf raking has been completed, only borders left to do now. And we will soon be returning all last year's lovely rotted leafmould back onto the newly weeded beds.

Richard has been busy cutting circles in the grass round newly planted trees, and backfilling with woodchip.Every time he thinks he has finished, Mr Berkeley says that as he is working to such a good standard there is this area or that area to complete as well. It will take until March for him to finish! This task not only mulches and protects the young tree, but removes the competition for nutrients from surrounding grass and weeds.

The conservatory boiler is now complete with its new flue and concrete pad. It looks very smart, and has been put to good use over the last few days. The little niggles have been sorted out and It works a treat, staying warm for over 18 hours, (which is better that when I first tried to work it and had to fill it up at 10pm, in the dark, to ensure that it was still warm in the morning.)

Last week saw the last family shoot of the season, and on Saturday ‘Keepers Shoot’ took place. This is when the gamekeeper can invite his own guests for a final shoot. As usual I helped the gamekeeper’s wife to prepare and host the lunch; chilli, baked potatoes and apple pie to follow. Catering for so many can be a challenging experience, but we have done it now for several years and it is always appreciated.

In the gardens we havve completed lots of formative pruning, and opened up new vistas. The spring flowers are just beginning to show, the early snowdrops are peeping through on the banks and in the borders. It’s the promise of things to come. I love snowdrops.

February Tasks

Prepare vegetable seed beds, and sow some vegetables under cover
Start chitting potatoes
Prune winter-flowering shrubs that have finished flowering
Prune Wisteria
Prune hardy evergreen hedges and renovate overgrown deciduous hedges
Prune conservatory climbers
Cut grass on a high cut when the day is dry and slightly windy.
Check and repair pergolas and arches if needed.
Rub down and treat wooden garden furniture when dry.
Remove algae from paths if they start to become slippery.
divide and replant early spring bulbs that have finished flowering
Check fruit and veg stores for rot or rodent damage. Don’t forget the stored cannas and dahlias.
Trim the old leaves from hellebores and epimedium to reveal the new flowers
Sow sweet peas on a cool windowsill or coldframe
Regularly check greenhouse heaters and fleece.

Boiler Mayhem

Firstly, may I wish you all a Happy New Year.

The first day of December arrived with a sudden and definite change in the weather. There was a very sharp and pronounced cold snap which made everything look crisp and snowy. The misty mornings were really picturesque. (see pic).
The cold snap was preceded by desperation as we were still waiting for the new conservatory boiler to be installed. A lot of phone calls, texts and rushing about ensured that just before Christmas we had the brand new, purpose built heating boiler up and running. Last winter the old boiler had become so badly corroded that every time it was fired up, the circulating water would flow through the holes and put out the fire! Thus, in all its 45 year old corroded glory it was removed by the blacksmith in Pershore to be copied.

A temporary flue was installed to see us through the coldest weather during the holidays. The blacksmith promised to return after the holidays and install the proper chimney, and repair a couple of very minor leaks in the new joints, fired up the boiler and it seemed to work really well. All the conservatory pipes warmed up beautifully and for a while (less than 12 hours) the system worked perfectly. Perfectly that is, until the original pipe going through the wall between the boiler house and the conservatory was found to be seriously leaking, (at a speed of about 3 bucketfulls of water an hour) about 3 feet from the new boiler. Back to the temporary system of a large gas canister and heater. I am feeling so frustrated. So near and yet so far.

At home we found some small logs, destined for the woodburner, that were hollow. We saved a few and filled them full of melted lard mixed with seeds and nuts. When we hung them on the trellis in our garden we had an amazing range of birds coming down to feed. Which reminds me, I must refill them as they get emptied in a couple of days. We also removed a dead tree that had a hollow trunk so we cut it into sections and will put them round the leaf heaps as hedgehog hideaways.

Apart from the excitement and frustration about the boiler it has been a very ordinary month. Raking leaves has continued throughout the month, and looks to continue well into February. I find December to February very miserable months although, looking out of my window today, the sun is shining brightly making the garden look very inviting.... The early signs of spring are just beginning to show and I am really looking forward to the snowdrops.

January Tasks

Regularly check greenhouse heaters are working, and insulate the greenhouse where possible.
Keep an eye out for wind damage on tall plants, check tree ties and stakes.
Drain down or insulate waterpipes. Even full watering cans left out can become damaged through ice expansion
Ensure tools are clean, oiled, serviced and ready for next season.
Make the most of ‘indoor days’ to plan for next season, with seed catalogues and a layout of the garden.
Don’t forget the veg patch in your planning: try to include veg that you haven’t tried to grow before.
Dig over the veg patch on sunny dry days, and add manure if not growing root crops.
Prune back grape vines before the end of the month
And don’t forget to feed the birds, ensuring they also have access to unfrozen water.