Just what the Doctor ordered

 

I find the last weekend of October very challenging.   It is depressing when the clocks go back an hour and if this isn’t enough, there are grey skies and a perpetually damp garden to cope with.  I feel like hibernating under the duvet until the spring comes.   However, this year Doc had an inspired idea to brighten us up.  He suggested to some friends of ours that we all go to Westonbirt Arboretum for a day out.  Autumn colour, leaf kicking and a good walk were just what we needed before the gloom of winter takes hold.

Doc and I had not visited this wonderful treasure trove before.  Trails guided us to the seasonal hotspots and we loved the Acer Glade and the National Japanese Maple Collection.   The colours were electric – reds, pinks, oranges, purples, gold and every shade of green you could imagine.  Doc took well over a hundred photographs.  

There was everything we could wish for – dry weather, beautiful vistas, unusual species of trees and acres of grassy space to wander.  We even sat outside and enjoyed frothy coffee and a delicious spicy apple cake.  It was a busy weekend but despite the crowds, the trees soon gathered everyone in and we scarcely noticed we were not alone.  Trees have such a calming effect, don’t they?

Nester: Leaf Peeping!

Westonbirt offers something for everyone, all year and we will definitely be going back.  It was a real tonic and we felt invigorated.   Doctors don’t always reach for the prescription pad, thank goodness!

www.forestry.gov.ukk/westonbirt

Flossing is Fun

I volunteer for a local community gardening initiative and a group of us has been helping out at a special school.  The building is a former ‘grand’ house and is set in large grounds with lovely views of the countryside.  There is a wooded area, play area, raised beds, fruit trees and a two large polytunnels which provide interest and produce for the children.

When we were planning our own garden, Doc and I never considered installing a polytunnel instead of a greenhouse because at the time we associated them with agriculture.  However, they have become more popular over the years, probably because they are cheaper than greenhouses and there isn’t all that glass to worry about.  From an aesthetic point of view polytunnels look much less ‘industrial’ than they used to and I am impressed how effective they are.

Just as our greenhouse gradually develops a layer of green algae, so do Polytunnels.  Autumn is the time of year when clearing up and getting on with some outdoor cleaning edges its way to the top of the To Do list.  Unless the algae is removed, the light won’t reach the plants and although it is probably better to do the cleaning in the spring, after several months of damp weather, there is too much else to do in the garden.  As long as it is done once a year (or every other year!) we can keep on top of the green invader.

At the school, soft mops and sponges were pretty effective at cleaning the walls inside and outside of the plastic tunnels.  However, since the tunnels are very wide, there is no way that anyone could reach across the top without using a bit more ingenuity.  And we were introduced to the art of ‘flossing a polytunnel’.  Or should I say, ‘flossing a polytunnel with excited children’...

The process is simple – in theory.  Two people are required, along with a couple of long lengths of soft ropes and an old bed sheet.  We rolled up the sheet and tied a length of rope to each end.  Then the sheet was soaked in a large bucket of plant-safe detergent.

One person was tasked to toss the floss over the polytunnel and the other person had to catch the rope the other side.  This took a bit of practise because it takes skill and effort to throw a wet sheet over a high wall of plastic!  Finally though, with the floss in position, the two people then took it in turns to pull, dragging the sheet backwards and forwards over the plastic cover.

So far so good, except the tunnel needed rinsing as the flossers moved back and forth across the tunnel.  Cue some children, a hosepipe and a tap.  I had forgotten to take a waterproof anorak and when it was my turn to floss, I soon learned that some children never quite get the hang of spraying a polytunnel roof 'gently' with water.  As a result, I enjoyed (!) a good soaking.

We found it was more efficient to have 3 people involved in the flossing.  This is because someone was needed to co-ordinate the ‘flossers’ and check for any areas they had missed.  After a few pulls, the flossers seemed to forget whose turn it is to pull!

Anyway, a good time was had by all.  It was only water and I needed my hair washing anyway.  The children had a great afternoon and now the school has two very clean and tidy polytunnels.  I only wish we could wash our greenhouse in the same way. It takes me ages to clean the panes of glass!

Eggspensive!

The girls have gone on strike.  For the first time in two and half years, we are eggless.  Ginger has let herself go and is leaving feathers lying around.  She is definitely less stylish than she used to be.  Tweedledee and Tweedledum don't appear to be molting and look tidier but they give me quizzical looks when I search the nest box.  They have that 'you won't find anything in there' look on their beaks.

I have tried to bribe the trio with lettuce fresh from the garden but they are not that interested.  Don't they know that fresh lettuce in late October is quite an achievement?  Even one or two strawberries from the greenhouse are not welcomed with the relish they used to be.  The girls just mooch around doing nothing in particular - except, of course, munching their layers pellets and making a mess.  Last week we stocked up on feed, straw and bedding - AND - we had to buy eggs.  (I had almost forgetten they come in boxes of 6!)  I still have to clean the coop out and at this time of year I also have to rake out the corral.  They don't like waddling around with a garland of fallen leaves attached to their claws.

It is a good job we love them and we do appreciate the dozens and dozens of eggs they have provided.  I suppose every hard working hen deserves some 'off lay' time and I am trying to look upon this as their little holiday from work.  Hopefully, empty nest box syndrome won't last forever.  We have to believe that because Coq au vin is simply not an option.

Happy Days

Number One Daughter is now a Mrs P and very happy in her new role. The wedding was on October 6th and everything went according to plan, including the weather.  Doc was tearful as he led our little girl down the aisle and I was tearful because my shoes were killing me.  Mrs P was sensible and wore dusky pink pumps, encrusted with pearls.  The long white vintage-inspired dress did not look half bad either! 

 

But enough of fashion, it was all about the special day, seeing family and friends together and enjoying much food and drink - and funny speeches.  Oh, and the flowers!  Mrs P is a florist and she created all the arrangements herself.  They were magnificent - even though we are a teensy weensy bit biased.  Each dining table had a dramatic centre piece consisting of a tall candleabra overflowing with burgundy, red, pink and ivory roses, lilies, eucalptus, snow berries and 'love lies bleeding'.  And there was a coronet of yet more flowers on the table itself.  It was over the top but bold, inspired and lush.  When Mrs P does something, she Does It!   

 

After seeing the newly weds off to their honeymoon in Cornwall we travelled back home, quietly and in a sort of limbo.  With so much excitement, coming home was an anti-climax.  So we did what gardeners do and retreated to the plot for some therapy. 

 

Much has been achieved in a week, despite the showers and some other commitments.  Doc has chopped several trees into logs and now qualifies as a lumberjack.  He has composted the raised beds, cut the grass and continued to pick raspberries and blackberries.  I have tidied and sorted everywhere and created a huge bonfire heap, ready for Guy Fawkes night.  

 

However, the job I am most pleased about is re-claiming the steps down from terrace.  With so much rain over the summer, soil from the rockeries had washed and spilled onto the steps, providing the perfect place for weeds and plants to migrate to.  The steps are now a good six inches wider!   

 

Today is Sunday and we awoke to bright sunshine and our first frost.  The grass sparkled and felt crispy under foot when I trekked down the garden at 8.00 am.  I had to break the ice from the chickens' water container but they did not seem to mind the cold. 

 

We might not have memories of the hazy days of summer 2012 to see us through the low season.  However, we do have memories of The Wedding.  I think we have enough photos to keep us occupied until its time to start the spring planting!