Fond Farewell

Friday 29th July 2011

A glorious morning for our walk yesterday and with nothing in particular to do when I got home I could afford to be unhurried. I had a very pleasant chat with an allotmenteer as I passed by and stopped to admire his carrots, at least someone is managing to beat the dreaded fly. Down by the river I was awarded a glimpse of the kingfisher, always a treat but even better in full sunshine which catches the blue streak as he flies by. Followed by a couple of hours sitting in the garden with a magazine, bliss. Then I had a sorry duty to perform, I had to pay my last visit to Southlands. My ex-husband BIG BAD (always to be referred to as BB from now on , he's big, he's bad, he's six foot five of cad!), and his common law wife The Trout ( I use the term deservedly), have thoughtfully decided to take their new brood on holiday the week before we go away and the week after we get back, daughter #1 and son not being invited. BB helpfully pointed out that he was available for one weekend out of the entire summer holidays, I think we will neglect to take him up on that and go away out of spite! Anyway this has left me somewhat short of time and with college starting in September something had to give. I have enjoyed my visits there very much and hope they find someone else to help out soon.

Pics- the first one needs no explanation and the second is an example of my exuberant planting style at Southlands!

"In the hope to meet shortly again, and make our absence sweet"

Ben Johnson

Carrot Calamity

Thursday 28th July 2011

The weather for Spofforth this week was humid with white cloud cover, the mid summer garden snoozing quietly in languid stupor. Unfortunately Diana had digging in mind and any thoughts of an easy day idling through small jobs were soon shattered. However the small patch in the front garden was soon attended to and as a bonus we spotted the first puffball of the season, I would have let it grow on to see how many others came up, but Di is unsentimental about such things and anyway it is her garden! Crop inspection revealed gooseberries, blueberries and red currants in need of picking so we attended to that next. Further on down the garden the brassicas are doing very well and I came home with a fine early cabbage for our Sunday dinner, but the pesky carrot fly have also found their way into Di's crop which is a great disappointment. We agreed to change tactics and use seed tape sown and covered immediately next year, if that doesn't beat the blighters we may have to admit defeat.

"To see the summer sky is poetry, though never in a book it lie-true poems flee"

Emily Dickinson

Black-fly Genocide

Wednesday 27th July 2011

The teenager was tardy getting up on Tuesday, completely ignoring the fact that some of the household had been up since 6.30 tending to the more dependant members of the family. She loftily declared that 10 o'clock was far too early to to rise and that she might consider it after lunch had been provided! This left me with a window of unplanned spare time so naturally I gravitated into the garden. The nasturtiums caught my eye and although they had been glorious they were now being ravished by black-fly, there was nothing else for it but to pull them up. Luckily I still had space in the green recycling bin so was more than happy to let the council deal with the beasties. It is interesting to note that the variegated types have suffered much worse than the traditional nasties, so I'm going to stick to the latter next year. Other pest bothered crops are my chillies and peppers, the chillies are just about holding their own against the green-fly, probably because they taste hot, but I've given up with the sweet peppers and put them outside to fend for themselves. I suppose I've over fussed them as usual , I'm also fed up with squashing green-fly so maybe the outside crawlies will do a better job than me, but I sense they're not long for this world, there's more to this veg growing malarkey than meets the eye!

The lavatera continue to delight, every stage of the flower has its merits but for me the bud is the best, like an old fashioned cone of sweeties twisted closed by the shopkeeper.

"No two gardens are the same. No two days are the same in one garden"

Hugh Johnson

He's Not A Bad Dog Really

Tuesday 26th July 2011

The first day of the summer holidays started in typical fashion yesterday, allowing the children a lie in, I tackled the housework I should have done on Saturday, instead of galavanting off enjoying myself. Feeling relieved that the tide of mess had been held off for a little while longer Chum, George and I set off on our morning walk, it was then that I realised just how accustomed to my mornings of solitude I had become. George, under the pretence of keeping me company talked non-stop about X-box games and general drivel to be found on the internet (my blog excluded I hope!), I don't think I managed to focus upon a single thing of interest as my brain went into terminal shutdown. Approaching the end of the walk I made an unexpected detour into the vets for Chum's annual kennel cough treatment, he's had a long walk and should be nice and pliable I thought, foolish woman! As soon as realisation struck he turned into a different dog, tail firmly wedged between his legs and with the demeanour of a whipped cur he wriggled, snarled and carried on until reinforcements had to be called for. This is the dog who runs away from cats whimpering, but reaching into some hidden depths he put up enough of a fight to have to be muzzled, what an embarrassment. Breathing a sigh of relief I finally got home only to be confronted by the teenager, (actually dressed!), with palms outstretched for yet more money and that bored expression we all know only too well. Oh dear it's going to be an awfully long holiday!

"Mother Nature is providential. She gives us twelve years to develop a love for our children before turning them into teenagers"

William Galvin

Love At First Sight

Saturday found me joining an iris dividing party organised through Sue and the WFGA at Norton Conyers just outside of Ripon. I'd never visited or even heard of the place before but I confess it didn't take me long to fall in love with the late medieval manor house and gardens. It is a timeless place slumbering quietly within its old welcoming walls, and has been in the Graham family since 1624. Charlotte Bronte was the governess there in 1839, and upon hearing family stories of the incarceration of a mad aunt in the attic a centuary before, used the manor as the inspiration behind Thornfield Hall in her novel Jane Eyre. Our working party consisted of Giles the head gardener, Alison the current trainee, Alison from Wakefield, myself (Alison of course ), Mary and Sue, that's three Alisons in a group of six, must be something about the name! We soon got to work digging up the congested clumps, splitting them and replanting in a colour scheme devised by Giles and Alison. The rhizomes are left on the surface of the soil, pointing south to maximize the heat of the sun where they will soon grow new roots to anchor themselves in. As you can see we all had a great time and hopefully did a decent job. The visit ended with a guided tour and the opportunity to take home any spare iris divisions, I must go back to see them in full bloom next year. In case you would like to visit, the house is currently closed for major refurbishment until 2012 but the gardens are open Sunday and Mondays until 8th August and 28th and 29th August from 2 til 5pm. Parking and entrance is free but any donations can be placed in the honesty box in the plant sales area where they will go towards the upkeep of the gardens. YOU MUST GO!

"Thou art iris, fair among the fairest, who, armed with golden rod and winged with celestial azure, bearest the message of some god"

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Monday 25th July 2011

A Duo Of Devilment

Friday 22nd July 2011

A mornings work of hedge cutting and dead-heading was totally spoilt by my discovery of carrot fly grubs cheerfully munching their way through my crop. I'd thought they weren't looking great, a couple were going to seed so I decided to dig them up and eat them as babies, no such luck they were only fit for the bin. Naively I had hoped to get away without fleecing them, as I haven't grown carrots before I thought the dreaded fly wouldn't know where to find them! I wont be making that mistake again next year. Then I got a migraine, not a bad one but enough for me to decide against going to Southlands, sorry guys but I seem to be running on empty at the moment, I should be back to normal after the holiday. Moving pots and baskets around I disturbed a couple of devils coach-horse beetles, I wasn't quick enough with my camera so don't credit me with the photography! They are quite common but I haven't noticed them in my garden before now.

"No one who cannot rejoice in the discovery of his own mistakes deserves to be called a scholar"

Donald Foster

I have been asked for some explanation of who is who from John who has just started to read the blog.

Tate House is a residential and respite care home for the blind. the growing together group consists of Lynne, Jack, Nick, Stewart, Madhu, Leo and myself. I help there on a Monday.

The garden in Spofforth belongs to a lovely couple Brian and Diana, both in their late eighties they are still extremely active gardening, driving and planning an extension to the orchard. Brian is a retired doctor and Diana a zoologist and botanist, I provide a little labour on a Wednesday in return for lunch and lessons!

Southlands is the BUPA care home on Ripon road, they have an extensive and beautiful garden where I'm allowed to dabble in the raised beds planting veg and flowers. Many of the residents like to come out and chat when the weather is kind.

Finally I may mention Sue and the women and farmers gardening association who help nutters like me change career paths after years of fruitless toil!

Hope this helps to make sense of my ramblings.

Shared Labour Shared Harvest

Thursday 21st July 2011

It was a bit of a shock seeing the garden in Spofforth yesterday, the massive hedge which ran along one side of the boundary has been removed and replaced with a fence. This has let in loads more light and considerably widened the planting area, Diana plans to grow espaliered fruit trees along the whole length and is eager to get started, it will look marvellous when it is finished! However there was a lot of mess to be tidied up first, so we tackled moving mounds of soil heaped up by the fence fitters and putting things back in their proper places, hot dirty work but a necessary evil. As a reward we spent the rest of the afternoon picking the harvest, courgettes, sugar snap peas and beautiful baby broad beans, Brian even gave me a lift home as I was laden down with a share of each and four more pots of Diana's assorted fruit jellies, this is the really good bit about lending a hand!

Pics-ladybird on wheat, and a mushroom called The Miller which is edible and tastes of meal. Both snapped on our usual by-pass walk.

"Care less for your harvest than for how it is shared and your life will have meaning and your heart will have peace"

Kent Nerburn

Wizard Afternoon

Wednesday 20th July 2011

At long last I found the time to tackle my own garden yesterday, using a rare window of decent sunshine I set to work before the showers arrived again. I ripped out the poached eggs that had gone over and also a cystus and achillea that I'd fallen out of love with. Into the resulting gaps went more sunflowers, a salvia and the honesty I'd sown some weeks before. All I need now is something to replace my basket plants with, I can feel another garden centre visit coming on! Feeling well satisfied with my mornings work I took myself off to the pictures to see the last Harry Potter film, as a reward for finishing the OU course, and very good it was too. Interestingly Google have chosen the father of genetics, Gregor Mendal as the subject of their artwork today, he is the guy who worked out the family pattern of peas, a tedious and prolonged life work, but I guess he had the time being a monk, all very apt for botany students!

A couple of pics today, Jews ear fungus good in soups and stews but I don't fancy it much, and dinner time for a garden spider.

"Before the reward there must be labour, you plant before you harvest, you sow before you reap joy"

Ralph Ransom

Monsoon Britain

Tuesday 19th July 2011

It would appear that Britain has developed its very own rainy season, Monday turning into another dire day for gardening at Tate House. I have a theory that if the run up to the summer holidays has crap weather, there is a distinct possibility that the kids may get some sunshine whilst they are off school. The reverse also being true, as in last years hot run up to the holidays and then grim drizzle for the rest of August. Of course this will not suit me very much because you can guarantee as soon as we jet off to Portugal Yorkshire will be struck by a heat wave which will kill all my veg! Anyway, there was just Lynne, Jack and myself braving the elements yesterday, we didn't actually do any gardening because everywhere was just too soggy, but we did plan a few more additions to the courtyard garden and the construction of a bug hotel for the nature area. Finally we harvested lettuce, strawberries,broccoli, celery and early onions making up quite a decent July veg box.

"Shall I not have intelligence with the earth? Am I not partly leaves and vegetable mould myself"

Henry David Thoreau

Good Dog, Bad Dog

Monday 18th July 2011

Well the weathers been nothing to write home about over the weekend, so I'll tell you about Friday. A glorious warm British summers day for walkies with aunty Fran and Paddy, for a change we decided to walk around Fewston and Swinsty. The pathways were stuffed with wild flowers and creatures and despite having the dogs with, us we saw plenty of rabbits, a vole and a tiny baby frog. Unfortunately Paddy is quite partial to rabbits, as I am, but he prefers his dead, so we had two instances of trying to prize the remains out of his mouth. Not to be deterred in his quest for fun, he quickly turned his attention to something obnoxious and had a good roll. Drama over for the time being, we resumed our walk in peace, this lasted well enough until we chanced across some ducks that were just too tempting to ignore. With a woof of anticipation Paddy flew across the shoreline and into the reservoir in hot pursuit of his chosen victim, the duck undeterred made for deep water but Madders is no slouch and kept on going almost to the other side. Meanwhile Fran is standing at the waters edge desperately calling his name in a voice almost hoarse with despair. Eventually Paddy turned around and with us watching his every painful stroke, slowly made it back to dry land. I then gently suggested that the lead option might be appropriate and Fran concurred, we had had more than enough adventure for one morning. Incidentally Chumdog behaved like a little angel all walk long!

"A man may smile and bid you hail, yet wish you to the devil, but when a good dog wags his tail. you know he's on the level"

Anon

Fungi Funtime

Friday 15th July 2011

I might have mentioned before that I find fungi fascinating! Many plants form intricate symbiotic relationships with those types found in the earth, of course the mushrooms that we see are just the fruiting bodies and the most important buisiness happens underground. They are, if you like, the recyclers of nature, feeding off dead and dying material. Some orchids in particular, have such tiny seeds that they don't contain enough food to produce leaves after germination, so they take it from fungus roots, then when they have enough leaves to photosynthesise and produce food of their own they in turn feed the fungi. If only we humans could learn the lessons that nature trys to teach us, maybe the world wouldn't be in such a mess.

Todays discoveries ; sulphur tuft, poisonous with a bitter quinine like taste and black bulgar, not toxic but like eating rubber!

"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world"

Anne Frank

Harmonious Home

Thursday 14th July 2011

Sometimes when I think I don't have anything to blog about, that's when I start to observe things in greater detail. Nothing presented itself as worthy of note on our walk in the morning, nor did I do anything other than apply myself to study afterwards. However simply having a whole day with the house to myself and a silent phone, was unusual enough for me to be thankful. So I went into the garden to mow the lawn and water everything again, although looking at the weekends forecast I don't think I will have to again for quite some time; Anyway I disturbed this little chap, he is a harvestman, not a spider, I always think God must have been having an off day when he invented these, they don't look as if they should be able to walk! Also took a pic of this marvellous houseleek, so the day wasn't a total loss, it is the little things that help us through sometimes.

"Harmony makes small things grow, lack of it makes great things decay"

Sallust

Showtime

Wednesday 13th July 2011

Call me demented but I decided to take the children to the yorkshire show yesterday as if I haven't got enough to occupy my time! However we enjoyed it very much, starting off with a visit to the livestock pens. Every animal was pristine, gleaming coats and polished horns greeted us at every turn and also beaming smiles from the proud owners and farmers. It was a wonderful indication of the health of our meat industry, rare breeds aplenty, raised with care and love, who could possibly deny the benefit of shopping at your local butcher when faced with scenes like that. It was enough to help me quell the feelings of irritation as we inevitably chanced upon the big player supermarkets trying to muscle in on the home grown movement. George wished to see what was going on at the Asda stand, so I reluctantly entered with him, only to be accosted by a young chap enquiring if we knew how broccoli grew? I bit my tongue and managed not to blurt out that I'd just planted 100 of the buggers so had a fair idea, and we made a hasty exit. I really don't think they should be allowed to be there, but I suppose am biased! Another highlight of the visit was weaving willow shapes, very theraputic, I shall have to persue a few courses in that over the quieter winter months.

"Agriculture not only gives riches to a nation, but the only riches she can call her own"

Samuel Johnson

Five Minutes To Spare

Tuesday 12th July 2011

I honestly didn't have time for more than a five minute ramble around my own humble plot yesterday, but even that short amount of time gave me plenty of rewards. Three beautiful strawberries ripe for the picking, that's one each for me Dave and George, it's a good thing Jaz doesn't like them. strange creature! I picked another bunch of sweetpeas and gave them to Anita next door, I've got to keep picking to encourage more flowers, so I don't mind giving them away. And finally the lavatera has opened at last, I grow it every year just to see the bees covered in white pollen from nose to sting like little ghosts!

Photos lavatera and a nice yellow snail

"How doth the little busy bee improve each shining hour, and gather honey all the day from every opening flower"

Isaac Watts

Moving Forwards

Monday 11th July 2011

Well I'm fast approaching the end of my course, only half a chapter to go before I must submit the end of module assessment, to that end I have given myself another week off to concentrate on getting it finished. On the whole I've found it very stimulating, if a little taxing at times, I just hope I've absorbed all I could have, because in the end the message the OU and Kew , who helped devise the course, feel that "each of us can and should make a difference". So by planning to expand my growing scheme and further my plant knowledge, I hope that in a small way I am indeed doing just that. Craven college release their new prospectus on the 28th July, so as one path ends another appears to lead me off in a slightly different direction. The summer holidays draw near, a chance for all of us to recharge our batteries, but I'm already excited about starting college in September, if only I had known what I wanted to do when I was still a schoolgirl, how much more time I would have had!

Photos, dwarf sunflowers in the valley gardens and home grown beans doing well,

"Be an opener of doors for such as come after thee"

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Biopiracy

Friday 8th July 2011

The definition of biopiracy is the appropriation of plant genetic material without permission from the owner. Not that I'm guilty of that of course, believe me I've been working at three different gardens for over three months without the thought entering my head! However Southlands is so stuffed full of the most beautiful plants that it was inevitable that I would eventually consider it. I broached the subject with Ruth, who was of the opinion that every great gardener was a thief at heart and that the plant wanted to procreate anyway! I did of course ask permission from Val if I might take the odd bit here and there, and she generously told me to help myself. What great riches await! To start me off I took two small seedlings of mullein (verbascum olympicum), they will eventually look like the magnificent spires in the picture. The next target will be the inula, but I shall have to wait for it to set seed and try to germinate that. Who knows what else will appear as the seasons progress........

"Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared"

Buddha

In And Out Of The Greenhouse

Thursday 7th July 2011

Diana's garden is very long, at least six times the length of mine, but fortunately for us there is a greenhouse half way down, and boy did we need it on Wednesday. Although well equipped with stout boots and a mac I wasn't really expecting the torrential downpours that frequently started out of nowhere, it was like someone was turning the tap on full every five minutes. Now I don't mind gardening in the rain, but even I considered it prudent not to get drenched, so Diana and I would run for the shelter of the greenhouse when necessary. There surrounded by figs we could discuss the gardening world in moist security! Nevertheless we did manage to complete a few jobs, we de-frocked the beans now that the risk of strong winds has reduced and gave the veg a really good weeding; whilst I was covered in mud it seemed like a good idea to plant the last few cabbages, another twelve, that makes a round 100 brassicas in two weeks! A final tweak to the fruit cage net to let a sparrow out and we were done, rain or no rain it doesn't stop the workers!

"Weather means more if you have a garden. There's nothing like listening to a shower and thinking how it is soaking in around your green beans"

Marcelene cox

Midweek Meanderings

Wednesday 6th July 2011

Well we've had it nice and hot for a few days, but yesterday afternoon you could almost smell a change on the way, and not before time as everything is so dry. Despite a thorough watering the evening before the beans were bone dry again by mid afternoon, but as soon as they set flowers they turn into thirsty monsters, so it's worth sparing them some extra rations if you want a good crop. With rain forecast,it seemed like a good time to practise some good garden hygiene, nothing more strenuous than dead heading and removing dead and dying foliage, but once thoroughly wet that is just what can harbour diseases and mould spores, which will quickly infect your more vulnerable crops like strawberries and marrows. Worth a few moments of your time to avert disaster.

No specific photos to show you today, so I'll leave you with a general garden gallery.

"Tell me how many beads there are in a silver chain of evening rain, unravelled from the tumbling main"

Thomas Lovell Beddoes

Next Years Flowers!

Tuesday 5th July 2011

Phew! Another hot one yesterday, however there is no Tate house for a couple of weeks so I was able to spend a little time in my own garden. Firstly I earthed up the sweetcorn, which is looking remarkably good considering it's growing in pots, I think it will double in size before the cobs form(hopefully!) Then my mind turned to next year, seriously!, I sowed wallflowers, sweet williams and foxgloves, they are all biennial and will not flower until 2012. The foxgloves I sowed last year have been spectacular, the only problem being, I gave away more than I should and I've got gaps in my border, I will not make the same mistake again just sow even more!

My other revelation has been the night scented stock, it's not much to look at during the day, a bit weedy and shrivelled, but by night time the flowers have plumped up and they smell divine, again I will double the quantities for next summer.

I took this picture of a meadow salsify clock because it is such a feat of natural engineering and so often overlooked.

"Nothing is more memorable than a smell. One scent can be unexpected, momentary and fleeting, yet conjure up a childhood summer beside a lake in the mountains"

Diane Ackerman

A Plethora Of Pots

Monday 4th July 2011

It was the RNIB summer fair at Tate house on Saturday, a good opportunity to hear feedback from the residents and their families about our gardening efforts. Everything is still very new looking and it will be a while before the beds look full, but at least the sun was shining and the garden was looking at it's best. We had many nice compliments and helpful suggestions to keep us focused. Of course these little summer fairs are perfect opportunities to go planter hunting, what other people see as junk I often see as a quirky garden ornament. I confess to being guilty of planting old trainers and chimney pots so you can guess what I was looking for. I struck gold with these empty Betty's tea caddies for 50p each and this rather nice blue and white tureen for £2, so wasted no time in getting them planted. I might have to kerb my enthusiasm soon as I appear to be running out of space!

"Dirty hands, iced tea, garden fragrances thick in the air and a blanket of colour before me, who could ask for more"

Bev Adams

Biodiversity

Friday 1st July 2011

Much as I may curse the goosegrass and nettles at Southlands, there is a lot to be said for letting your garden go a little bit wild. With the Harrogate in bloom judging imminent, thoughts inevitably turn to images of pristine lawns and military tidiness , I'm glad to say that Southlands isn't a bit like that. Tucked away behind a hedge screen is the wildlife garden, a mass of jungley plants doing what they do best, going wild in their own competitive race for the most light, water and food. Because they are left to their own devices, they have created a small ecosystem that is unique to the nursing home. As I walked around admiring the beautiful plants, a red kite wheeled high overhead, and I smiled to recall the rush of proud residents who wanted to tell me of the nightly visits of two hedgehogs. The garden deserves to win an award for the great joy it brings to all those who are privileged enough to use it, not because it is weeded regularly!

Harvested yesterday, sweetpeas of course, baby carrots and garden peas eaten straight from the pod. Into the gaps I sowed carrot autumn king, butterhead lettuce and bulb fennel. I had to take a picture of this beautiful plant, inula hookeri, I must have one !

"Nothing exists for itself alone, but only in relation to other forms of life"

Charles Darwin