Home Garden

The plot has been separated in my mind from HG (home garden). Recently though, I realised just how integrated they are. I use HG to grow food too; also used for family recreation it is easy to access. Just a walk out of the door and I’m straight in there. In HG I can spend 10 minutes gardening; then stop. To get to the plot it takes at least ten minutes. Walking or cycling it is ten minutes, driving is two minutes, but that doesn’t count the time loading the car with tools. I have enough hand tools kept in the shed at the plot to use my bike or walk. To get the power tools to the plot I use the car. That and carrying drinking water makes a visit to the plot more of an expedition.

Roll on the day when I can dispense with strimming!

Inevitably I do not get there as often as I would like. This week, with all the cold and wet weather, it became obvious that both gardens are integrated. In gaps between downpours I planted some bare root fruit bushes into pots, split some perennials and sowed some seeds. All this was done at HG, mostly for the plot. HG is effectively a nursery garden for the plot. The fruit bushes were to go straight into the ground but weather and time intervened.

In previous years I have kept a garden diary. It has had entries from both gardens. So far this blog has only had entries about the plot. In the interests of joined up thinking I have decided to add posts about HG too.

To start this off some pictures from HG.

The tulips are to remind me it really is spring, despite the temperature. They are Tulipa Triumph ‘Kees Nelis’. They are doing well. They were a present bought at Amsterdam Airport and planted out of season last year. They flowered later than usual and have reverted to normal seasonal pattern for 2012.

23rd April 2012

The wall basket was planted two days ago with alpine strawberries using an old wool jumper for the liner.

Below: some HG residents – they are in bad books this week as they have decided to keep making breakout attempts several times per day. New straw in their run and a change of location of their coop seems to have been the trigger.

Eggs from HG residents 24th April 2012

They do pay for their keep!      

More strimming



More strimming today. It fitted into a two hour slot when the sun was shining between heavy rain and hail.



Before the strim

After the strim



Before the strim

After the strim

There is blossom on the apple tree.

Joined again by a pair of robins; they were hard to capture on camera.

On the plum tree

On the wall



Silver Birch planted today with newspaper mulch

Hedge planted

First Step


Last Friday I planted 50, 2 year old (1+1) bare root hedge plants.

Step two

Visible progress!





Step three

There are 26 Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), 6 Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa), 6 Common Dogwood (Cornus sanguine), 6 Crab Apple (Malus sylvestris) and 6 Hazel (Corylus avellana).



Step four



 

 

 

 

 

Between the plants I pushed a few cuttings off the trees that were pruned and scattered Hawthorn and Holly berries collected last season amongst the base of the trees.

 

 

Planted

The biggest challenge they face in establishing is possible lack of rain. It has been a really dry spring, so I’m hoping for some more rain. The saving grace may be that they are planted out of direct sun at the hottest part of the day and at the bottom of a slight slope.

It took six hours to clear the line of the hedge and get the plants in. It was incredibly satisfying to get this done.

It is good to see the fruit tree buds opening and that the annuals have germinated. Spring was definitely in the air. A pair of blackbirds frolicked all around and I was watched by the ever present robin. There was a few bees around too when the sun was shining.