Garden Developments June 2013

Following on from the deluge of 2012 we have drained the main path in the kitchen garden, raised the growing beds and as a result the crops this year look very healthy indeed.
During 2012 we finished planting the 60 trees in the Jubilee Plantation for HM The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and we are now doing further work around the pond and with other dominant plantings in that area.
In the main garden the Shade Garden behind the garage/potting shed is now fully planted with plants gradually establishing and the Mediterranean Border is taking shape with colourful new additions.
At the far end of the orchard a new Gabriel Ash plant house has been erected which really blends into its surroundings perfectly. This is heated and during this spring has provided welcome extra capacity for the raising of young vegetable and flowering plants. It has been fitted out with ‘Two Wests and Elliott’ commercial metal staging plus a good-sized propagator. Under the floor we have excavated a large pit which will act as a heat-store by day and at night the cooler night-time air will be pumped through it, emerging warmer to benefit overnight temperatures. We have two bio electric fan heaters to act as a back-up during colder spells.

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Wildlife Summer update

Despite the very late spring bird activity in the garden has been busy with several blackbird nests in bushes, climbers and even Liz’s Bay Tree! Blue Tits nested high up in their favourite tiny hole in our garden wall and elsewhere ducks, thrushes and robins have been hatching out.
We even encountered a heron standing on the garage roof for nearly 30 minutes one morning recently, had a swan fly overhead the day before and swallows have once again reared a family in the roof of the potting shed/garage.

Curlews are frequent visitors to adjacent fields and hares and deer are seen on many days.
In the garden we have frogs and toads which are good at pest control and Liz’s many bird feeders draw a wide variety of visitors at all times including nuthatch, coal, blue and great tits, bullfinches and greenfinches plus more sparrows once again this year.

Recently we have been serenaded with a male blackbird and a lovely song thrush during the long evenings.

I am now the Gardening Correspondent for ‘The Yorkshire Times’ on-line newspaper. Please see articles under lifestyle section.

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