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Post by murrayc on Oct 22, 2016 14:22:13 GMT
Another lovely morning for digging, and by the time I got to the site this morning wilbarra was into his mid-morning break, holding court in his grape-hung bower accompanied by an itinerant rotovator repairer. Even more of the centre of the garden has now been cleared, raked and partially rotovated and now the shape is clear. Today wilbarra planted clumps of daffodils in each of the existing quadrant beds while I dug out a fourth. This side of the plot not only contained industrial quantities of bindweed (someday I am going to find a country whose people subsist entirely on bindweed and then I am going to corner the market) but some of the oldest, gnarliest rhubarb crowns I have come across. They took a fair time to dig out, but once they were lifted the rest was easy enough.
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Post by Stuart@AmericaLane on Oct 23, 2016 16:52:22 GMT
Hi, I have left a chocolate tin by the apple tree. Unfortunately it does not contain any chocolates. It does however contain some tulip bulbs that should look nice in the spring. The Recreado are purple, the Atlantis purple/white and the Purissima white. I would have planted them but didn't want to do it until I had spoken to the head gardener or one of his assistants. Hopefully I'll be back next weekend weather and other duties permitting. If you fancy planting them go ahead but I'm not expecting anybody to do my dirty work, just didn't want to mess up the planting scheme by jumping in too soon. I can see how busy you have all been so I am feeling guilty that I haven't so much as pulled out a dandelion yet. Looking at the football latest WB should be in good spirits tomorrow.
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Post by jane on Oct 23, 2016 17:09:35 GMT
Sorry I haven't been down to help! Have seriously hurt my knee and can't really walk let along dig or kneel down!! Hopefully a weeks rest will sort it!!! Looking good everyone. Am happy to donate a rose too ....
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Post by murrayc on Oct 23, 2016 17:19:56 GMT
Sorry I haven't been down to help! Have seriously hurt my knee and can't really walk let along dig or kneel down!! Hopefully a weeks rest will sort it!!! Looking good everyone. Am happy to donate a rose too .... Sorry to read that jane. If there's anything urgent or important you want done on your plot while you recuperate please let me know - very happy to help with anything. Roses: Pat and I went into the Scaynes Hill nursery (UpCountry) and were told that climbers and ramblers would be a week or two before coming into stock because of the late warmth and drought lingering on from the summer.
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Post by wilbarra on Oct 23, 2016 18:13:53 GMT
23/10/2016 MANY THANKS FOR THE TULIPS STUART. WILL PICK THEM UP TOMORROW. WE ARE GOING TO PLANT THEM IN THE MIDDLE BED (IE) WHERE THE PEAR TREE HOLDS COURT . THIS WAS THE ONE ANDREW MOVED ON THURSDAY AND WILL BE THE CENTRE PIECE OF THE GARDEN THE OTHER FRUIT TREES THAT ARE ON ANDREWS PLOT WE GOING TO PUT ON THREE SIDES OF THE GARDEN AND TRAIN THEM ,FAN SHAPED, THE FRONT OF THE PLOT WILL CONSIST OF RAMBLER ROSES, SO YOUR OFFER OF A RAMBLER ROSE WILL BE ACCEPTED WITH GRATITUDE JANE. THE MAIN JOB NOW WILL BE TO GET THE MIDDLE OF THE PLOT RAKED TO SOME SORT OF LEVEL. WHICH WE HOPE TO DO IN THE NEXT WEEK OR TWO. I AM GOING TO SPEND THE NEXT FEW DAYS ON MY OWN PLOT AND TRY AND GET THAT IN SOME SORT OF SHAPE. IT REALLY NEEDS IT. IF ANYBODY IS INTERESTED PARKERS PLANTS DO A VERY GOOD DEAL IN ROSES.
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Post by wilbarra on Oct 27, 2016 8:10:00 GMT
27/10/2016 ANDREW SPENT THE WHOLE DAY ON HIS OWN TUESDAY, DIGGING MOST OF THE OLD RHUBARB OUT AND THEN MOVING A LOT OF THE EARTH ABOUT SO WE ARE AT LAST SEEING A LEVEL BEGINNING TO APPEAR ON THE PLOT AND IT IS,AT LAST, BEGINNING TO TAKE SHAPE, ALTHOUGH THERE IS STILL A LOT OF RAKING TO BE DONE. ALL THIS WAS DONE IN THE POURING RAIN AND WITH A STINKING COLD. AFTER THE RAKING WE WILL BE MOVING ANDREWS FRUIT TREES ONTO THE GARDEN, SO PERHAPS THAT WOULD BE WHEN THE KIND OFFERS OF HELP WOULD BE MOST WELCOME.
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Post by murrayc on Oct 28, 2016 12:55:18 GMT
27/10/2016 ANDREW SPENT THE WHOLE DAY ON HIS OWN TUESDAY, DIGGING MOST OF THE OLD RHUBARB OUT AND THEN MOVING A LOT OF THE EARTH ABOUT SO WE ARE AT LAST SEEING A LEVEL BEGINNING TO APPEAR ON THE PLOT AND IT IS,AT LAST, BEGINNING TO TAKE SHAPE, ALTHOUGH THERE IS STILL A LOT OF RAKING TO BE DONE. ALL THIS WAS DONE IN THE POURING RAIN AND WITH A STINKING COLD. AFTER THE RAKING WE WILL BE MOVING ANDREWS FRUIT TREES ONTO THE GARDEN, SO PERHAPS THAT WOULD BE WHEN THE KIND OFFERS OF HELP WOULD BE MOST WELCOME. That levelling off looks very good. Today we planted two roses, one either side of the arch of the central pergola. To the left is Antique, and on the right, a climber called The Simple Life.
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Post by murrayc on Nov 11, 2016 9:08:11 GMT
Not much activity in the last few days, not surprisingly with this pattern of sharp frosts and then rainy squalls, but we will carry on whenever there is a window of decent weather. Meanwhile, looking ahead a little I have come across this scheme www.lottyearns.co.uk/2016/02/21/bq-wastage-scheme/B & Q are prepared to donate some old stock to local charities and community causes. It looks worth spending a little time on finding out of we qualify but I will contact the Burgess Hill branch and see if there is anyway we could benefit. Come next year a bit of old decking or timber edging could come in very handy!
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Post by Stuart@AmericaLane on Nov 17, 2016 19:12:39 GMT
We have cleared a bed at work and have a lot of perennials going spare. Stuff like assorted Hemerocallis, Hosta Halcyon, some Helenium and or Helianthus I think, Aster Divaricatus. Various ornamental grasses such as Miscanthus, Molinia, Media Briza. Kniphofia which I think is Alcazar but if not they are all in the yellow orange red palette. There may be other stuff I have forgotten but that is the sort of stuff going spare. All dying back now of course but perfect time to split them up and replant for next year. If anything there can be of use let me know and I'll grab what I can. I'll be down there again next Wednesday.
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Post by Stuart@AmericaLane on Nov 17, 2016 19:27:16 GMT
And if the plot is not ready for planting I can pot them up and keep them at home until the spring. I will just need to know what if anything would be useful as I am not sure how long they will be available or how long they will survive out of the ground. They have been dug up and are sitting in clumps.
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Post by wilbarra on Nov 18, 2016 8:59:49 GMT
Hello Stuart Would welcome anything you can give. If you prefer to dump them down on the site then we can plant them up as we go. If you put them very close together they will keep perfectly sound. Once again many thanks. Now that the councils ground staff have taken the big pile of rubbish away, we can get going once again. The next job is to make and plant up the middle bed,which we hope to do in the coming week. After that its the big fruit tree plant up time. which we hope to do before christmas
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Post by Stuart@AmericaLane on Nov 18, 2016 16:48:21 GMT
OK I will grab a selection of stuff and bring it down. If there is too much or its not suitable it doesnt matter and can go on the compost heap as that is all that will happen to it anyway if we dont use it.
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Post by Stuart@AmericaLane on Nov 23, 2016 18:23:50 GMT
I've put a selection of plants at the front of the plot by the arch. It was pitch black by the time I got there so I hope I didn't put them on anything that was trying to grow.
If I can remember there are some Helianthus, Hemerocallis, Hosta, Aster, Persicaria. The Aster (divaricates) is good for under trees as it doesnt mind dry shade. Apparently according to Chris Beardshaw it was Gertrude Jekyll's favourite Aster. When I first came across it I though it looked like a weed but now I get how subtle it is and much prefer it to the brightly coloured Asters. The Helianthus will get tall so back of the border for those really. I only brought up one grass which is Briza media. It is a low clumping grass. Commonly called quaking grass I think? I could get some Molinia and Miscanthus but both are going to get to about two metres I think and probably too big for the plot and would shade other stuff out.
I will need to take the black crates back so please keep them safe. Anything that is no use just dump back on my plot as I will find a use for it somewhere. I am planning to grow all my spares to give the the school fetes and alike for next year so I'll find a use for them.
Also, and I know it is ubiquitous, but it is great for the bees, I have a lifetime supply of Sedum autumn joy so just let me know if you want any.
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Post by murrayc on Dec 14, 2016 16:05:46 GMT
More great work digging a couple of weeks ago when the frost was at its worst, and we now have a bed around the central tree - well done again Andrew. This is how it will stay for a while at least - and doesn't it look massively different to those first pictures of the rather unkempt plot? Meanwhile Stuart's kind donations will be planted up later on.
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Post by Stuart@AmericaLane on Dec 18, 2016 12:46:42 GMT
Is any of the Rhubarb lifted going spare? As I lifted mine last year it is not ready to disturb again yet. But I have a couple of friends who are after some so if there is a spare lump I can divide and pot up for them I'd welcome it.
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