PYO and GYO are relatively common terms to the gardener, but I've been learning about BYO - Build Your Own. The Handyman is somewhat incapacitated at the moment whilst recovering from a nasty accident involving broken bones, so the flatpacked greenhouse that I ordered and has been sitting awaiting attention for a number of weeks now.
I decided to replace our existing greenhouse with a green-framed version with polycarbonate glazing, for aesthetic and safety reasons. I don't want to be worrying about potentially nasty accidents with glass when my grandson visits.
The existing greenhouse was sold and removed over a week ago and my precious tomato, cucumber and pepper plants have been sitting outdoors with everything crossed hoping for warm days and nights whilst they await the construction of their new abode.
Now construction is not my forte, so it was with some trepidation that I unpacked the contents of the large box...inside I found a myriad of parts and a chunky instruction manual. So off to the tool box for spanners and screwdrivers and, disconcertingly, a rubber mallet!
Five hours later the basic frame is in place and, so far, I haven't lost a nut or bolt, though I did lose my temper a couple of times. I am hoping to finish the frame tomorrow and glaze it on BH Monday but the forecast is for rain tomorrow, so some delay may be appropriate. More BYO news to follow over the next few days...wish me success, and patience!
PS Just look at how my rocket, lettuce and radish have progressed since their last post appearance just 2 weeks ago. Simple things please the gardener, well this gardener anyway.
Hurrah! Lovely summer sunshine and temperature in the closing weeks of May mean lots of weekend days and weekday evenings spent in the garden. After the poor weather in the first half of May this is a wonderful end to the month and hopefully a good start to June.
The garden has moved beyond the fresh flowers of spring, the daffodils are well and truly over, as are the primulas, and the aubretia is due a haircut. In their place come the hostas, aquilegia and hardy geraniums, to name but a few. The summer flowering clematis are covered in large flower buds and are streaking up their various supports and flower buds are forming on the peonias.
In the kitchen garden it's time to manage the various legumes: plant out french and runner bean young plants, sow some more peas and feed the broad beans. The first flowers have formed on the tomato plants in the greenhouse and the courgettes are coming along well.
What a lovely start to a day...sunshine, warm air and the prospect of a whole weekend in the garden...hurrah again!
I planted up some violas way back in September/October last year in two wall baskets hanging on either side of Stars gate and through the winter they began to look pretty sorry for themselves. But just look at them now and they've been blooming like this since March!
The only problem is that I'm putting off getting the summer plants into these baskets as I'm loathe to remove these darling violas!
The soft fruit in the fruit cage is looking very lush. I'll have to think about getting some netting up over the next few weeks if the lushness is a harbinger of fruitfulness.
I think I should probably be thinning out the raspberry canes, though I'll have to refer to the reference books to confirm. The other soft fruits in the cage are currants - red, white and black - gooseberry, thornless blackberry and strawberries.
Also residing in the fruit cage at the moment are a number of specimens for the garden borders awaiting planting; amongst them three more roses, two climbers - Creme Anglaise and Evening Light - and a shrub rose - Smarty. They'll have to wait until the weekend as the weekday evenings after work are taken up with a watering, a bit of weeding and a wander round the garden to end the day.
It occurred to me the other day that I have not kept up to date with all the identification of plants in the garden. I foray out to the local plant nurseries and garden centres and purchase plants sometimes planned but mostly on impulse. On returning to the garden I get so enthused by the prospect of planting them that I forget to record the purchase. I do conscientiously label the plants but despite trying various types of label and marker pen, after a season the label is washed clean and the plant nomencliture gone.
Above: Hosta Frances Williams
In the process of gathering information to log to the database I have gone round the garden with a notebook writing down the names etc of all the clematis and roses in the garden currently. It was a surprise to realise the number of each that we have planted over the past 3 years: 10 climbing roses, 3 ramblers, 11 shrub and 3 ground cover roses. On the clematis front we have 19 plants. Now I need to start on the herbascious geraniums and the hostas!
By the way, if anyone has a recommendation re plant labels and pens that work, please, please let me know.
The picket fence at the front of the house at this time of year is home to three spring flowering clematis: two from the Montana group and one Fosteri group member.
From the montana group are the popular clematis montana 'Elizabeth', bought in memory of my Mum, and the slightly later flowering clematis montana var. rubens 'Tetrarose'. Elizabeth is in full bloom as you can see from the photograph, whilst the Tetrarose buds are just beginning to open.
Further along the fence is a supermarket 'bargain buy' planted last summer and, I fear to say, neglected and forgotten, until a couple of weeks ago when the lovely blooms appeared as a delightful surprise.
This clematis 'Early Sensation' has its roots in the dry shade of a large conifer. It seems to have prospered despite, or perhaps because of, my lack of attention.
Don't you just love the way a garden can surprise you!
I've been neglecting my blogs recently, life has been delivering some challenges over the past few weeks and months but now blossom time is here again at Holly Grove and, in its beauty, demanding some mention, so I'm back on line...
The two old apple trees are abundant with pink and white flower. Unfortunately the weather remains unseasonably chilly and the number of bees in the garden is severely limited, not sure what this may mean for crops of apples in September and October. The younger apple trees planted during our first winter at HG, 2007, are progressing well, especially Sunset which has a gorgeous dark pink blossom followed (hopefully) by deep red apples.
Also in blossom is a lovely little Morello Cherry bought and planted last spring. We had 6 cherries from it last year, or would have had if the birds hadn't beaten us to them. I'm looking forward to the year when we have enough cherries to warrant netting the tree until the fruit is ripe and then making some lovely Morello Cherry jam - might be quite a wait!
The damson and plum trees flowered earlier in the spring, around the middle of April, when the weather was exceptionally fine and warm, so we should get a decent crop of fruit again this year. Last year's bounty was huge and the weather pattern this year has been very similar to 2009: warm and fine April followed by chilly and wet May.
Whatever the weather, a garden in May is a beautiful and peaceful place to spend some time.
At last! Some spring-like weather and I emerged from my winter slumbers into the kitchen garden at the weekend to start some weeding and clearing of the remains of the over-wintered vegetables. I retrieved lots of swede, three leeks and enough cabbage leaves to accompany our Sunday roast chicken.
The onion sets and garlic that I planted in September are making progress and I've got some seed potatoes chitting, I'll be planting these over the Easter weekend. I spent some time going through my seed tin and broad beans and peas will be planted before the end of March - how exciting!
The fresh air and sunshine were invigorating, athough I'm now feeling the full effects of my first real exercise for a few months - still it's all worth it and good for me and the garden!
Now construction is not my forte, so it was with some trepidation that I unpacked the contents of the large box...inside I found a myriad of parts and a chunky instruction manual. So off to the tool box for spanners and screwdrivers and, disconcertingly, a rubber mallet!
Five hours later the basic frame is in place and, so far, I haven't lost a nut or bolt, though I did lose my temper a couple of times. I am hoping to finish the frame tomorrow and glaze it on BH Monday but the forecast is for rain tomorrow, so some delay may be appropriate. More BYO news to follow over the next few days...wish me success, and patience!
PS Just look at how my rocket, lettuce and radish have progressed since their last post appearance just 2 weeks ago. Simple things please the gardener, well this gardener anyway.
