Supporting Norton Conyers!! 27th March 2018

A glorious start. Today's weather brought out the very best in the gardens. It was milder too. Despite it starting off dry, the weather is fickle, so I had still come fully prepared for the worst. In the event, this wasn't needed, and I could soon take off a few layers.

It was the perfect day to bring the benches out of their winter rest - having treated them with linseed oil a fortnight ago. Alyson and I manoeuvred the benches out of the Bothy and lifted them to their appropriate places in the garden. Benches are awkward things to carry - your legs keep getting in the way, meaning you can only make small - but quick - steps. It must be quite comical to watch thinking about it.

Benches bring something unique to a garden. I can't quite place it but perhaps it is the human spirit - the reminder that others have been here before you and enjoyed this very same view.

The benches looked superb in situ and felt soft to the touch. But there wasn't time to sit around; one more bench lay ready to treat - once again, Alyson and I used rags to do so.

My next task was back in the vegetable garden, continuing the task I had started on Thursday. Bex had already used the strimmer to cut back the Manure grass. This made for easier work - upturning these plants, and returning them back in the earth.

Having used a spade the previous day - I thought a fork might be easier. It was. My progress on the patch was quick. Giles soon joined me to lend a hand - he dug with a spade. He said that although it's easier to turn over the earth with a fork, the spade delivers better results. Giles got me a spade from his van and we returned to work.

I had baked a cake for us hard-working gardeners - Jamie Oliver's Torta Di Nada - a blueberry and olive oil cake previously mentioned in my blog. It went down a treat - a moreish, moist and fruity recipe, which gave us all a boost of energy.

We returned to work, and Plum promptly arrived rather proudly with a dead rabbit. It hung limp and lifeless in her mouth as she chewed - its eyes misted and matt black. Giles was happy for her to eat it if she wanted, but wanted to get the tail for the purpose of pollinating first. However, Plum wouldn't give up her catch - she frolicked with it as her Dad made a vain attempt to catch her.

I finished off my stretch of Manure grass, and Giles asked if I wanted a change. My back was starting to feel the strain, so I was glad to be offered this.

I joined Alyson in building and restoring pea supports. Some of the current supports had come loose in the earth - others were broken or no longer fit for purpose. These arched supports are a thing of beauty in themselves when finished - offering  shape and structure to the garden in the absence of plant growth and also shape to the growth when it comes. The knife on my multi-purpose tool came in handy for this task. However, I nicked my finger on it as I cut the twine - there are bloodstains on the branches to prove it!

We retired to lunch. I had saved half of the cake for Sir and Lady Graham, so walked to the house to deliver it. The daffodils had opened up, and looked glorious in the backdrop of the Spring sun and sky.

I finished off my supports, before joining Alyson again on the main border. A support was needed to straddle two neighbouring Heliopsis plants. The support would need to be tall and strong. The earth was tough, and I plunged the branches in vain. Alyson suggested I use a fork to break up the earth. This was just one of the many useful tips and hints she proffered throughout the day; like Giles, Alyson is also a fountain of gardening knowledge, and believes in doing things properly.

At this point, Giles arrived and asked me for my help. I followed him to the area outside the Dumper shed where a huge van stood, bearing the moniker East Riding Horticulture. This was our compost delivery; clearing out the shed the previous week had been very useful, giving up a clean, empty space in which to store it.

The bags were heavy - 75 litres - and there were lots of them - 40 to be precise! Fertiliser, gravel and plastic sheeting completed the delivery.

I returned to finish off the supports - it took a lot longer than I was expecting, but I was pleased with the result.

Resident artist David Stead had hosted a group of ladies for an art class today, and was showing them the gardens. They commented on the beauty of the supports we had created - it was pleasing to have this appreciation.

During all this time, Alan, Bex and Beth had been busy in the vegetable garden - starting to build raised beds. Haven't seen the results yet, but as I'm on holiday now for the next week, it's likely things will have changed quite dramatically again by next Thursday!

As I tidied up, Giles and David ventured into the gardens, and I was called upon for assistance. David had acquired a huge tree stump - Cedar of Lebanon (Cedrus libani). It needed lifting upright. Giles used his mini tractor to lift it up; David used a metal stake in the ground to prevent it from toppling; I looked on - ensuring the stump wasn't in danger of slipping. The stump was now upright, but not stable. We tied it to the concrete slabs in the yard using blue rope.

I ended my day - again tired but strangely refreshed. I looked forward to the fresh challenges I would face the following week.

Digging for Norton! Norton Conyers, 22nd March 2018

Spring has seen more than its fair share of false starts this year. I suppose it usually does, but then this year, there have been several heavy snow showers - interjected by mild sunshine - in March!! However, as I drove up to Norton Conyers today, I recognised a difference in the tone of the sky that suggested that this was Spring sunshine. Blue skies in winter tend to be slightly paler and cloudless, and the light offered by the Spring sky is unmistakable.

As we greeted each other this morning, the mood was cheerful and relaxed - all of us commenting on the lovely weather, and what a difference it would make to the day's work. It is true: good, mild weather is liberating for the gardener. Less layers to worry about; your whole body is more relaxed; there is no dread - or danger - of getting soaked to the skin before you've done half an hours' work.

Wheelbarrows, spades and forks were needed for our first task. Alyson and I hauled multiple full barrows of compost from the heap, and spread it generously over a huge, empty border. We had soon emptied the compost bin; quite a feat, having seen the quantity in the pile at the start of the day!

As she plunged her spade into the compacted earth, Alyson told me of the toads that had made the compost heap their habitat in years gone by. There were none today though!

The improved weather was good news for the garden's flora; the warmth had brought a few bees out of their slumber. We had been planning to aid the pollination process the previous week, but in the absence of a suitable brush hadn't been able to do so. Giles commented "Perhaps we won't have to use Shandy's tail after all!" Nevertheless, he thought the bees would still need some help, so in the afternoon volunteer Sue borrowed a brush from resident artist David and went about pollinating the peach stamens.

Next, Alyson and I dug up shrubs in the adjoining bed. They had spread, leaving the middle of the plants dead. Splitting the plants would rejuvenate them, and help them to thrive. A layer of compost was turned into the earth, before replanting. We then weaved supports - like inverted baskets. They were very attractive in their own right.

The afternoon: more digging. In the vegetable patch, 'Green Manure' had been planted to act as a natural fertiliser; in order for it to do this, the row had to be dug up. I began to tire - the cumulative physical effort was beginning taking its toll on my back. However, I finished the job, turning over the plants and digging them back in.

Giles had ventured out to collect timber planks earlier on in the day. Transporting these across the garden was the penultimate physical effort of the day. Giles and I carried them - around 30 - from the middle garden gate to the vegetable garden. We placed them approximately where they would be finally installed for the raised beds.

I finished the day digging up exhausted lettuce plants; the massive roots were heavy. I wheeled them over to the compost heap, and the cycle of decay and growth continued.

Although I felt physically exhausted, the mental effect was invigorating. This had been another extremely productive day, and we had all worked very hard to make this substantial progress. 

An Apple a Day? - Norton Conyers, 19th March 2018

2018's raspberry supports next to 1995's (left)

Today was a glorious - if brisk start; more snow had fallen at the weekend - the remnants of which still showed themselves in light patches across the garden. My first day in the gardens involved installing huge wooden poles as supports for the new raspberry plants; indeed, Giles later said that one of his first tasks as Head Gardener had been to install raspberry supports in 1995. These poles still stood solid - 23 years later. I looked forward to making my contribution. Today we were to finish the job we started in February using metal wire. The tools - a huge metal hammer, a drill with a huge drill bit and fencing pliers.

We assembled next to the apple trees. Plum was lively this morning. She jumped and barked, taking particular exception to Beth's hands. Giles and I completed the first job - hammering in smaller posts at 45 degree angles to the end posts. The hammer went above my waist when stood on end - it was a big, heavy beast. Giles held the pole and I hammered; my finger promptly got in the way. I concealed my pain - at least until it doubled in size! It's still a little tender as I write this. "I won't do that again." I thought. Well I wouldn't - at least not today. Soon, the supporting poles were all installed. Alyson and Bex marked out the location of the wire with a garden line, and then drilled the holes.

Meanwhile, Beth and I headed to the vegetable garden; an order had been placed by Sir James. There are thin pickings at this time of year, but there was still some wonderful fresh Kale, Leeks and Celeriac. We took them to the Orangery, where they were washed in a bucket of water and trimmed.

Some earlier crops remained in the apple store - we filled up the vegetable box further with potatoes, beetroot and apples.

The view from the top of the Apple Store ladder

A vegetable box for Sir James and Lady Halina

Having filled the box of vegetables, Beth and I returned to the Berry plot. The holes had been drilled and the tensioners installed. Bex and I headed to the Dumper store to retrieve a couple of reels of metal wire; we returned and teamed up to feed it through the poles. The reels had been used before, and were fitted with hundreds of bits of string. My new multi-purpose tool came in use as I used the scissors to remove it. Feeding the wire through the poles was a snug fit. Half way through this task, I discovered that one of the reels of wire was tangled - it took much effort to unravel, and Giles and I were occupied for 10 minutes for this purpose alone. Following installation of the wire, we realised one of the tensioners wouldn't fit properly next to the angled poles when it was tightened. I suggested drilling into the pole to allow further room. Giles did this, and the result was satisfactory. The supports were installed. Following this, Beth and I tied up the raspberry plants with garden twine.

Shandy and Plum accompanied us to our next task of the day. We would cut back the huge, established apple trees. Giles explained that they were towards the end of their lifespan, but would probably last at least another 20 years. Water shoots - or sprouts - were out biggest enemy today; they form when an Apple tree is cut back. In order to discourage this, the shoots had to be cut right back to their base. And there were hundreds of them. We made a start, but it wasn't long before lunchtime.

In the Orangery; a 'Celebrations' box lay on the table. As I sat down, Bex passed the box over to me, along with an envelope. I was intrigued, but couldn't work out what this was about. A birthday cake - baked by the lovely - and multi-talented Bex. Raspberry and honey - it was beautiful, moist and really delicious. And a birthday card too, adorned with a smiling sheep - in reference to last week's adventures. This was signed by all the gardeners too - even Plum and Shandy!!

Given the fact that these apple trees are older trees, it is even more important to cut back weaker branches and shoots to promote better growth and fruits in stronger parts of the tree.

There were four trees to tackle. This took all of us nearly four hours to complete. Tonnes of branches were removed, improving both the aesthetics and the health of the trees. It was an even bigger effort to relocate the waste wood; thinner branches were taken to the woods for habitat piles, whilst the bigger ones were placed in wheelbarrows for firewood. I loaded my car up with them for my woodburning stove! Giles said they would take about a year to be suitable for burning; they are currently airing in my shed. Unfortunately much of the wood had succumbed to rot - the centres were filled with dusty rotten wood and loaded with woodlice. Giles explained this wasn't unusual for trees of this age; despite this they would most likely live reasonably healthily for another 20, 30 or 40 years.

Sawdusty Shandy

View over the Berry Plot

I spent the last hour of work clearing up stray branches; this was satisfying - if slightly exhausting work. But the results were there for all to see - this side of the garden looked neater, healthier and lighter.