The orchard has kept us in apples for 6 months! Staring with Katy apples in early September we have worked through Cox’s Orange Pippin, Spartan and Golden Delicious. The Spartan and Cox’s kept reasonably well for a few months in the fridge but were soft and woody by Christmas. However the Golden Delicious kept well and were still going strong until the last few got soft just a few days ago.

I’m so glad for the pruning of the Golden Delicious tree- it made all the difference. I shall continue to keep it with calcium and weed under it  and hope for a good harvest this year as well.

Well it could have been a lot worse. Apart from a liberal scattering of branches and twigs over a good deal of the garden, there was only some minor damage and none of it to any of my favourite trees. Most of what came down was dead wood, including the trunk of a tree that had long since died and was essentially holding up some honeysuckle. Oh, and a bird box came down too- luckily not inhabited so far as I can see.

Wild plum trees in the woods. These tend to have lots of dead branches and tend to see quite a lot of woodpecker action, making them hollow in places.

The previous owners had the fine idea of a wisteria walk, although sadly it became over grown and was more of a wisteria ‘crouch’ as even I couldn’t walk under it without bending, let alone my taller family members.  So, I have given it radical surgery to get back to a framework that can be extended later. We also need to lose some of the trees that over-shadow it but that is work for later this year. In the meantime I am quite proud of my efforts and I now have a huge potential bonfire.

The white wisteria sinesis at the front end by the greenhouse needed the most radical surgery, although my brother assures me that it will recover. I do hope so as the blooms were amazing in quantity and scent last year.

Before in January, it was so heavy it had pulled over and broken the framework. 

Before in January- the  jungle effect

Before in September

After- looking somewhat denuded.

After- note the horizontal branch to the right. I am planning more of a tunnel effect with branches at shoulder height, not just overhead.

I’m sure it will grow back and this time I’m in charge!

This year seems to be a record one for snowdrops in the garden. It seems that they are spreading naturally. I am so pleased- I do like gardening that helps itself.

This is in the woods, but there are many more throughout the garden especially nearer the house that I am not sure where there last year.

What on earth eats holly ?

And what eats viburnum?

It’s not as though there isn’t plenty of uncut grass ……

Loving the wildlife still, but tired of putting up barricades- or just too lazy more like.

It is cold and frosty but the sun is out and some warmth can be felt as I walk down the garden and sit in the arbour. The witch hazel is making a good show and the first snowdrops are just coming through in the woods.

All around in the woods I can hear the wrens chatting busily and further up the garden the blackbirds and tits are calling.

The frost is making the earth in the vegetable patch friable and the early broccoli and leeks  are all ready to take off when the weather improves.

Those naughty rodents have been at it again causing havoc in the orchard. This winter they are chewing the bark from the trunks of the apple trees. I have put some plastic guards around them but the plastic is old and brittle and they don’t fit too well. I did retrieve some from the busway hedgerow the other side of the fence that we empty and lying on the ground but they are harder to fit. Sustainability is a good principle but it does often mean making do with things not being ‘quite right’.

This year perhaps I really will get the orchard fenced off and then I can also grow other herbs and flowers beneath the trees and make the orchard into a sort of mini garden itself.   I could also grow berries against the fences – although keeping the birds off them may be another thing.

I do enjoy all the wildlife in our garden and welcome them all, but I wish they weren’t so hungry ! According to Su next door she has seen many many badgers and also Roe deer and these may be to blame for the missing pears…

For the first time ever I have ventured into hardwood propagation. I have taken cuttings of : yew, wisteria ( moonlight), spindle, box, wintersweet. If I get any plants at all I shall be so amazed and delighted. In a garden this size I think I need to get into propagation otherwise I will be spending a fortune on plants and still won’t fill the space.

Trying to make a full plan of the garden. As it is 200 metres long and just 22 metres wide I needed a very long roll of paper. The scale is 1m:1cm which at least is easy. Placing things accurately however is much less easy even using triangulation techniques…I think I may take some short cuts, but at least I know the size of various garden areas and can do overall planning and perhaps ignore those things that are going to be coming down anyway- like some of the trees.

This winter I need to plan the front garden as I have asked the highways people at the council if I can have a hedge at the front. Apparently, it can only be 1 metre high – which is fine although I did also fancy a few small trees- back to the drawing board on that one. This is my project for the winter months.

The garden is very productive right now even if it is looking a bit sad because of the drought in the last month.

The plums are nearly over and the greengages in the orchard and the woods are completely over. Interestingly it has been an amazing year for the wild plums and some small yellow plum trees also in the woods.

The pruned apple trees are looking good and the early apples are ready. They are not so good for eating, but the juice looks pretty even if it has a rather ‘dry’ and bitter after-taste. I think the variety is Norfolk Royal, however the local fruit grower hadn’t heard of it so I may go back to the drawing board on that one, it could be Lady Sudeley.

The beans haven’t done as well as I had hoped- I really must plant many more green beans next year and a more productive type- the ‘speedy’ and ‘deliniel’ were not a prolific as I had hoped. The runner beans I sowed were ‘moonlight’ but they get big and coarse so soon and I end up throwing them away. One courgette plant is also plenty for our use.

Once again the sweet corn was disappointing with cobs small and not filled out to the end and the kale and broccoli was very susceptible to rodents and caterpillars.

The spinach is good and the mangetout has gone well and I am growing a second crop. The beetroot is also good.