| Growit Posted on Monday, December 03, 2007 - 12:49 pm: |   |
Well I kept this going on a daily basis....NOT!
My only excuse is Christmas is coming and I just don't get time to write down everything that I do cos I am too busy doing it.
The weather this weekend was horrendous. Gale force winds and torrential rain. As I live on Windmill Hill the wind is the main problem for my garden. I can only grow tall things in certain areas of the garden as the wind funnels through the beds at such a speed they get ripped out if too tall. A few things with good deep root systems stand their ground. My Trachycarpus fortunei (one of the first things I planted here) is strong and sturdy and designed to cope with wind. The palm leaves are like long fingers so give no resistance. It was just over 2ft when I planted it and is now getting on for 10ft. I love looking at it out of my window. Reminds me of holidays in the West Country. I still have not had the time to put my garden to bed for the Winter. All the gardens I work in are leaf free, cutback and mulched just not mine. I keep hoping I will be rained off but the rain seems to be working round me. I pack my tools up to go home and then it rains or like this weekend it rains all weekend but not through the week. Every time I come home I apologise to my garden but I am just too tired after 6 to 8 hours of gardening to even contemplate tackling mine. Just as well it is small and low maintenance.
I think England (and probably other parts of Europe) are experiencing very evident change of climate due to global warming. Whether man made or the earths natural cycle it is definitely happening. As a gardener I think I notice the changes more than people who do not work the land. Our seasons are no longer defined. The plants seem to be as confused as I am as to when they should be doing what. I have flowers out in the garden now that would normally have given up by Sept/Oct. My Buddliea(sp) is no longer deciduous so should I cut it hard back in Spring or when should I do it...if at all? A lot of the plants that need a hard frost to crack the seed and germinate are going to disappear as we are lucky to get below -4C nowadays and the temps do not stay low for more than a day or two either which makes a big difference. I miss the defined seasons. Each has its own beauty. Something to look forward to. Now it is just bland and samey. Maybe next year will be different again as El Nino will not be playing a part.
Today I continued my battle with the celandine in Cs garden, I will win. I also split some Heucheras and Astrantias to fill one of the more ignored beds up a bit more. Hopefully it will look as pretty in fact as it does in my head.
Saw a fox today There was a loud squawking and a lot of flustered pheasants shot into the air closely followed by a frustrated and rather scrawny looking fox. I don't think it got any of them but I got a close up view of the fox. It was just a few feet from me on the other side of the hedge. Hightailed it out of there as soon as it saw me. I wonder if it is the same one I saw earlier in the year? Apparently their are a lot this year (so my pheasant breeding friend told me) She is a gamekeeper and has shot quite a few this year as they keep attacking her pheasants. Shame really as they eat rabbits!
Dug up a load of Sarcoccocca seedlings today as well. I wish I knew who to give them to. Seems such a waste to throw them. I brought them home in a bucket. Maybe I could offer them on Freecycle later. There is nowhere in my garden to plant them. Even with all the rain this year my soil is too free draining and a week of dry weather would kill them off.
My SIL has moved in to a new house so Christmas will be spent with them this year. Wonderful! No Christmas dinner to plan this year. We just get to prep some veges and provide the drink. Hoping to go on the ferry to France for the day at the end of this week to stock up on duty free so shouldn't be too expensive. I also get to play. My mum has been invited up to spend Christmas with us and SIL has an open fire with a hearth and everything. Being a good German I helped my mum make all the wreaths and swags etc. for Christmas when I was a kid. I loved doing it. Will get the chance to do it again this year. Mum and I will be collecting all the holly, ivy and conifer branches to make up the swags and decorations for my SILs house. I can't wait. I never bothered for my house. It is so modern that it just wouldn't look right. I went for silver spray branches and silver and white decorations in general. I have also come up with this years Christmas card design. Just need to get it photoshopped together (hubby will do that) and then send them out.
Have to mention Thursday...Favourite garden. Beautiful sunny, crisp morning. To top it off saw 2 mice, 1 vole, a sparrow hawk hovered right above me and then a swan flew over. I LOVE nature!  |
| Growit Posted on Tuesday, December 04, 2007 - 07:34 am: | |
Yippee! got rained off. A whole day at home to catch up with everything. Except my garden as, of course, it is raining.
Perhaps it will stop later and then I can do it. I have been making and creating for Christmas.
I must remember to buy some more almond oil to make more bath essential oil mixes today.
So far I have made oils and vinegars for eating. Bath bags and 2 bath oils and some muffins. I have also propagated from my baby indoor sedum. I don't know the name of it but it is blueish green and snakes down the side of the pot in long ribbons. Very pretty. That will be one of the presents for N this Christmas. if I can get hold of some wreath rings it would be nice to make some herb wreaths as well. Must check online to see if I can buy some.
I have the material for the cushion covers for the van. A nice 'Fosters can' blue to match the van. I am going to cover some buttons with the red I have left over and punch a few of those through the cushions to tie it all together. I will also use some of the blue as tiebacks for the red curtains. The floor for the van will be red and cream squares as and when I can rip all the inside cupboards out to fit it. I have until the beginning of February to get all this finished before hubby starts the VW shows.
Found a great present for my nephew online. A ball that gives you an electric shock! It is on a timer and you throw it to each other until the timer runs out and then whoever is holding it gets a shock. HAHA! I think he will love it. His brother is not so easy to buy for. He doesn't really have any hobbies and is at that difficult age of 17 when toys are no longer an option. SIL is trying to find out what he would like. That just leaves one of my nieces, my Aunty M and stocking fillers for my boys and hubby. I have a few already but not enough to fill their stockings up.
Lisa did you know it is only 21 days until Christmas! |
| Flowerfreak Posted on Tuesday, December 04, 2007 - 08:43 am: | |
Yes! I'm trying to keep up! Only 1 more gift left to get & I will do that as soon as I figure out what to get! lol |
| Growit Posted on Wednesday, December 05, 2007 - 11:55 am: | |
Haha! there is always one isn't there? Why is it some people are so hard to buy for?
2 days of no work and probably not tomorrow either. I am so bored already. I am not designed to be a housewife. I dislike housework so much that I get it done in double quick time so already my house is clean, my presents wrapped, my cushion covers cut, all the apples cooked. All my lotions and potions made. Can't do garden cos it is pouring (and gale force winds) Nothing left to do...bored, bored, bored! Trouble is all of my friends work now so no one to visit either. Could go and do some shopping I suppose. How boring is that?!
NB; Mistle thrushes are back Wonder where they went? They are being a bit of a pain though as I have mulched and they keep flicking the dirt out of the beds looking for food. Wonder how my garden will look next year? This year was bad. Sparse flowers and lost a few plants with our dry Spring.
I planted 7!!! clematis this Summer. It was so wet it was like our normal Spring weather. Wouldn't normally plant in the Summer. Far too hot and dry. Hopefully my garden will be a riot of colour with my clems in. Shame I couldn't get the white one recommended but it should look fine with the red. Never really had a thing for them before but this forum is inspiring and the clem section blew me away. |
| Flowerfreak Posted on Wednesday, December 12, 2007 - 07:48 pm: | |
Me too! I planted 2 of them this year & was able to get 2 blooms off each one. Better than nothing. They were very pretty though! Can't wait to see your pics next year :) |
| Growit Posted on Wednesday, December 12, 2007 - 08:06 pm: | |
Wonderful Lisa. I got 2 flowers on a nearly true blue I bought but that was it. Not surprising as I planted so late in the season. Can't wait til next year either. |
| Growit Posted on Wednesday, December 12, 2007 - 08:23 pm: | |
Oooops you posting just reminded me.....Malgorzata!
Sorry. Here you are;
For the herb oils it couldn't be easier. Buy a bottle of oil, stick some herbs in it (about 5/6 sprigs). Rosemary, thyme, and oregano work well.
Leave on sunny windowsill for three weeks. Strain through double thickness muslin. Put fresh sprigs in...done. If you want to use a nice bottle then don't forget to sterilize it first.
Chilli vinegar; 600ml white wine vinegar
20-25 chillies
Bring vinegar to the boil in a pan add chillies and return to the boil before bottling in sterilized and still hot bottle(s)
Leave to stand for 5/6 weeks on sunny windowsill before straining through double layer of muslin. Add a few fresh chillies for presentation. You can also add garlic and/or green peppercorns for variety. |
| Growit Posted on Wednesday, December 12, 2007 - 08:27 pm: | |
Oh and don't forget to seal with a sterilized cork or screw-top. |
| Flowerfreak Posted on Wednesday, December 12, 2007 - 09:09 pm: | |
Your not an [OoGBoo] for nothing!!!!!! hehehe |
| Malgorzata Posted on Wednesday, December 12, 2007 - 09:51 pm: | |
Moira, thank you! I can get all the ingredients...but the sunshine for 5/6 weeks on any of my windowsills (actually no windowsills here ). What are my options?? |
| Growit Posted on Wednesday, December 12, 2007 - 10:16 pm: | |
Just as bright natural light as you can give them Malgorzata. The sun doesn't have to be shining for the light to have an affect. Try to avoid North facing and get as near South facing as you can.
What no windowsills at all? Can you stand a small table or something in front of a window? You could just wait for the Summer and leave them outside in the sun. Sorry I can't be more help. If you are intending to give as presents you could always tell the recipient to put them on the windowsill. |
| Malgorzata Posted on Wednesday, December 12, 2007 - 11:39 pm: | |
Thank you Moira. Light spot is obtainable. I thought I need direct  . ;) All is manageable now! You have been a wonderful help!  Is you mail back in order? I am not sure if you got my last message (sent about 4 weeks ago?). Happy Holiday Season to you and your family Buddy! |
| Growit Posted on Thursday, December 13, 2007 - 04:37 am: | |
And to you and yours Malgorzata.
No and no. Have to wait until hubby has enough time to sort it out. I have had no emails since 17th October! |
Mmmm, yum! I am going to try that sometime. |
| Growit Posted on Thursday, December 13, 2007 - 09:19 pm: | |
Careful, it bites! |
| Growit Posted on Friday, December 14, 2007 - 06:27 am: | |
Day off.FIL,SIL,BIL and hubby have all gone to France for the day to get cheap booze for Christmas. Not me, why not? Cos I forgot to renew my passport!! [OoGBoO] |
| Growit Posted on Friday, December 14, 2007 - 07:21 am: | |
My day yesterday was just perfect. My favourite garden is in the most beautiful little village. There is only one road in, over a bridge as there is a watermill and the river runs straight under the road. The bridge is only one cars width and on a bend so has to be negotiated quite slowly and carefully. As I was going over a heron looked up. He was no more than 10 ft from me and seemed totally unphased by me or my car. He (or 'it' I should say, as I have no idea how you tell the difference between a male and a female) just carried on fishing. I stopped the car and watched it for about 5 minutes. They are designed so perfectly for their environment. Its legs barely made a ripple in the water as it repositioned itself all the time peering into the quite rapidly moving water. Its body is sleek and the feathers smooth. The beak long and sharp, a perfect tool for spearing fish not that I saw it impale anything.
The mill itself is very pretty. (must try and get a picture next time I go) Restored to full working order. The water gushes over a narrow weir and over the years has widened the river at that part. The water becomes calm for a while before dropping over another weir right under the bridge that I was parked on.
Arrived at work on a crisp and crunchy frosty morning. Finished digging a border and left the clods to break up with the frost. Next job, favourite job....bonfire time! Many of the hazel on the other side of the little stream had been butchered by the previous 'gardener' (a word that seems to encompass any idiot with a spade and a lawn mower these days) He didn't like any branches to grow low enough to snag him as he walked past so he chopped off any side branch lower than about 8ft. This means that all the hazel (and some hawthorn bushes as well) are growing on only 3 or 4 stems upto 20/25ft in the air! When the wind catches them the roots cannot support them and a lot are leaning over nearly uprooted. Many of the lower branches that have been badly cut have rotted too hence the bonfire. It doesn't help that the rabbits have used the loose soil round the bottom to burrow into. All in all a bit of a mess. I left the hazel and hawthorne to grow back from the base this year and there are now some nice long and low growing whippy branches. In the Spring I intend to cut down the tallest branches and eventually get back to the old tradition of coppicing. Anyway back to my bonfire. My father taught me how to build a bonfire when I was around 6yrs old. Maximum heat, minimum smoke and what smoke there is in a neat trickle coming out the top like a chimney. I can now build a bonfire that will burn slowly for 3 or 4 days. Why? you may ask. It means a bonfire can be made in a confined space causing little or no damage to surrounding trees and shrubs. The heat is right in the heart and the surrounding wood etc falls into the hole rather than the fire spreading out from the centre. There is no need to be there constanly stoking it. The heap can be built right up and then left to slowly burn which means nobody has to be there keeping an eye on it. Neat! Needless to say I do not do this in the middle of the Summer when even the smallest spark could start a fire.
So there I was stoking and chopping and dragging when a beautiful cock pheasant came and joined me. My friend the gamekeeper said they are quite terrotorial and he was checking me out but I reckon he was a bit chilly and wanted to get closer to the fire. As I was watching him and had stopped making any noise I heard a loud "plop" from the stream. I turned to look and there was a fish, over a foot long, trying to negotiate its way downstream in barely enough water to to cover the bottom! It ran aground a few times but managed to wriggle on down until the water got deeper and swam off into the sunset...figuratively speaking.
The whole time I am in this garden I also have front and back robin following me around. They are both quite chatty. Most of the time I feel they are chastising me for not constantly hunting out food for them LOL! The back robin will nearly accept food from my hand. He will come right up to me but not take it so I have to drop it on the ground for him. A few more weeks and I should have cracked it. |
What a neat story, Moira! It was like reading a book excerpt. When I read things like that, I get a picture in my mind and a feeling in my heart that I wish would last forever. |
| Growit Posted on Friday, December 14, 2007 - 09:39 am: | |
Thanks DJThats how I feel when I read your journal. |
| Flowerfreak Posted on Friday, December 14, 2007 - 09:46 am: | |
That was a neat story Moira! I felt like I was reading one of DJ's posts there. I was so engulfed reading it. Maybe you & DJ can write a book together ;-) |
