Catching Up

What a blissful feeling to wake up and suddenly realise I've got no more revision to cram in or exams to take. Unfortunately the one long overdue thing I had to do was clean the house, things like dusting have had to take a back seat lately and the piles of dog hairs in the corners were getting large enough to knit a jumper with! By the time things were back to normal (just about passable) it was mid-afternoon so I spent the rest of it meandering around the garden. I collected together the remaining plants I'd grown from seed and popped them into various pots having vacated some rather tatty violas and finally binning the chewed remains of the lillies, I wont bother growing them again thanks to scarlet lilly beetle. All in all despite the weird weather everything seems to be maturing nicely, thank goodness I've now got time to tend it all properly.

The only room in the house where I don't resent doing the housework!

"Those that make the best use of their time have none to spare" Thomas Fuller

Schools Out!

Have I done enough to pass? There's always hope I guess.

Monday and Tuesday were amongst the most difficult days of my life, eight exams to take all written in the RHS's unique parlance, it was a bit of a lottery sometimes things fell right and sometimes they didn't. Highlights (or should that be lowlights) were, 1. the plant nutrition paper that awarded ten whole marks for the description of a wormery with another two points given for naming the type of worm required to run one (where I pulled that piece of information from I'll never know), 2. In protected environments, a detailed table to fill in of a description of various rooms in the house and the effect of keeping house plants in them,does anyone you know keep potted plants in the bedroom? There were many other examples of tricky wording to be negotiated but who cares? It's all over, no more studying until I begin again in September!

"Learn something new every day under the sun. You will never get old if you do" Lois Bey

Damage Limitation

A short post today folks as the next few hours are all I've got to cram a little more knowledge into my skull! Horrid weather again for gardening at Norton on Saturday, all of us were disappointed to see the wind damage when the garden was looking so spectacular last week. We spent much of the day tidying up and re-tying plants that had come adrift from their supports. Nevertheless some specimens are looking astonishingly beautiful, like this Eryingium alpinum, it will soon turn a shocking electric blue, ruffs and all and look even more exciting.
That's all until Wednesday, wish me luck with the exams!

"Kites rise highest against the wind, not with it"
Winston Churchill

Orchard Or Wild Flowers?

It was nice to be back at Spofforth again yesterday, it's been nearly a month since I was last there, what with half term, emergency hospital trips with the boy, and Di's annual painting holiday keeping us apart. I was astonished at how much everything has grown, especially the orchard which resembles a wild-flower meadow. Di is loath to cut it because of the flowers much to Brian's disgust! I suggested that they just cut a path into the orchard and around the trees, leaving everything else to finish flowering before taking the scythe to it. Meadows are very eco-friendly and de-rigueur at the moment and I think the idea appealed to the botanist in Di, but I've a feeling Brian's tidy mind will win the day, I'll keep you posted!

"Landscapes have a language of their own, expressing the soul of things, lofty or humble, which constitutes them, from the mighty peaks to the smallest of the tiny flowers hidden in the meadows grass" Alexandria David-Neel

yesterdays renovation project

Di intends to mingle flowers and cabbages here!

Countdown

The final countdown has begun, this time next week the exams will be over and I will be free for the summer, it makes me feel like a schoolgirl again! Yet more last gasp revision yesterday which probably didn't do us much good, we were horrified to discover that of all the people who took the February paper on plant nutrition a staggering 43% failed! That's a pretty high percentage, I'm beginning to wish I'd never mentioned taking this course on P&C! Oh well if I don't pass all it proves is that I'm not very good at taking exams, the knowledge is still in my head it just takes longer to find it than when I was 16!

"Nothing that is worth knowing can be taught" Oscar Wilde

"Information is not knowledge" Albert Einstein

The famous Harlow Carr primula hybrids look stunning now

Nettles

We grow Olympic nettles up at Norton Conyers, I've known this for some time having encountered some in the woods that could sting you through your trousers! Yesterday it was time to engage them in battle across the raspberry wires, they and lots of other weeds that have been allowed to grow to gigantic proportions, it's no wonder that no-one wanted to pick the fruit last year. There were only Giles and Alyson tending the garden in 2011 and they simply didn't have the time to tackle the problem, now there is more manpower so we intend to sort it out. We made a start first thing before the mowing duties took over and I was soon regretting not having invested in some gauntlets, it doesn't surprise me to find out that nettle stings contain histamine and formic acid, because it certainly feels like it, a potent cocktail. They also have the nasty habit of continuing to irritate hours after the initial sting. We managed to clear the first row, only another four to go!


"Teachers who inspire know that teaching is like cultivating a garden, those who would have nothing to do with thorns must never attempt to gather flowers"

The round garden, thankfully nettle free!

Battle Of The Bindweed

It was just Alyson and me on a very damp Norton morning yesterday, Giles and the dogs being away on family business, it's astonishing how the weather is always appalling when they are away! I definitely made the right choice of attire though having togged up in full waterproofs, fifteen minutes into removing bindweed in the peony border and we were soaked through. It's a strangely satisfying if monotonous task finding out where each tortuous coil of foliage begins near the the roots and then wrenching it free of its victim. The treatment is mainly cosmetic as it wont take long to grow back, but for the NGS opening today everything must be as good as possible. Fingers crossed the weather is supposed to be better today and if we get a glimmer of sunshine the peonies are poised to burst forth into glorious colour, who would have thought they could be in bloom in June, nearly a whole month later than last year!
To all of you planning to visit the garden we hope you enjoy it and take home with you some of its special magic.

PS Happy fathers day dad xx

"A father is a fellow who has replaced the currency in his wallet with snapshots of his kids" Anon

Still beautiful when rain washed

Study Leave

P&C will be fairly quiet for the next few days as unless I'm at Norton Conyers or Spofforth I'll be studying. Looking at the weather today there's nothing better to do anyway, so I'm glad I got my brassicas planted last weekend, and that Fran and I walked the dogs yesterday, it gives me the whole of today to revise fruit and vegetables. Then I must go through my plant lists and make sure I can spell them all correctly in Latin, that's if I remember them at all!



"The bitterness of studying is preferable to the bitterness of ignorance" Filipino proverb

the garden's filling up, now where am I going to squeeze in those celeriac?!

A Sense Of Optimism

We were down to five in class on Tuesday, whether that was because of work commitments or different revision plans I cannot say, but it made for a more intimate lesson with everyone getting equal attention. We attempted two more past papers, the first on "understanding garden features, plant selection and planning", which was the one I was dreading, and then "understanding the choice, establishment and maintenance of garden plants and lawns".    Despite a few wobbles at first, when I put my mind to it they weren't so bad after all. Maybe we're getting more used to the RHS parlance, and of course practice does make perfect, but I detected a sense of optimism in the class that hasn't been there for some time. Two more weeks and it will all be over!

"In the long run the pessimist may be proved right, but the optimist has a better time on the trip"
Daniel L Reardon

Horace The Horrible

A rather mangled hedge thanks to me!

I had another beastly piece of machinery to conquer yesterday, Horace the horrible hedge cutter. I must admit I haven't been pestering Giles to let me have a go as Alyson had already confessed to a dislike of the thing, and she can manage anything! Anyway my time had come and I didn't want to chicken out without having given it my best shot, I managed about ten minutes all told! I mastered starting it as I'm getting used to pull cords and engines now, but as soon as I picked it up I knew I wouldn't last long. Talk about heavy, my knuckles were scraping the floor just after that small go, sometimes you just have to admit defeat. How the men use it for hours at a time I can't imagine. When it is time to cut the yew hedge and sell the clippings for cancer drugs it must all be finished in one day, that will be an all hands on deck day with the men cutting and us girls collecting the clippings, I must remember to eat a large breakfast before work then!

"If your strength is small, don't carry heavy burdens. If your words are worthless, don't give advice" Chinese Proverb

These white foxgloves are looking magnificent now.

Stormy Norton

We encountered more bees first thing on Saturday morning, but these were ground dwellers huddling together for warmth in the courtyard, awaiting some sunshine to warm them through. They say animals are more perceptive to changes in the weather than we are, so maybe they could sense the increased ozone of a pending storm before we became aware of it. As we carried on with our tasks the sun came out and it was soon very warm, enough to trigger a very unsettled afternoon. Norton Conyers looked stunning basking in the sun against the backdrop of a bruised and brooding sky. By 3.30pm the rain began in earnest so we abandoned gardening for the day, that's the first time I've finished early in eight months!

"Talents are best nurtured in solitude, but character is best formed in the stormy billows of the world"
Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe















Norton Conyers is open every Saturday and Monday during the summer but also next Sunday 17th June for the NGS. Please come along and support us, refreshments are available and many of the unusual herbaceous perennials to be seen growing in the gardens are available for sale.

Spa Day

Nidd Hall on a sunnier day than today!

No need to explain the lack of gardening activity again this week, and on top of that the kids have been off for half term. I took the teenager into Leeds yesterday where she happily liberated large amounts of cash from my purse. We are going on a rather exciting holiday at the end of July so certain items like new bikinis were deemed essential. More on all that nearer the time, I will of course be taking P&C with me! Anyway back to today, it's spa time again and this visit has been more anticipated than most as it's been a while since my last relaxing day, let it rain, I will be watching it from the jacuzzi!



"There is no need to go to India or anywhere else to find peace. You will find that deep place of silence in your room, your garden, or even in your bathtub (Jacuzzi)! Elizabeth Kubler-Ross

Elton

In a break from gardening Dave and I were at the Elton John concert here in Harrogate yesterday. I must confess we were a little concerned as his performance at the Queens concert seemed a little lack lustre, we needn't have worried though as he was on sparkling form. He played hit after hit, got the crowd to their feet and freely signed programmes and shook hands, so nobody even minded when the heavens opened. I've never seen a musician enjoy himself so much, he wasn't just churning out crowd pleasers, he was singing those songs because he loves them too. Paul McCartney, Cliff et al may be a bit passed it but Elton never will be, Respect!

"The great thing about rock and roll is that someone like me can be a star" Elton John

Spring animals

We spent a very quiet bank holiday catching up with work and study, the teenager devoted herself to another duvet day, the third on the trot, whilst the boy contented himself with x-box and football and food! Dave and I took Chum to Ripley for his walk, as we pulled into the village we spotted this beautiful foal, he was kicking his heels up and enjoying his freedom as only a youngster can. The chickens were ever hopeful of some crumbs too. All the animals in the little farm lead a charmed life, they are healthy, friendly, excellently looked after and fussed over by all the visitors, it is a scene that always brings a smile to my face.

"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated"
Mahatma Gandhi

Ho Ho Hoe!

It was back to chilly and dull weather yesterday but I didn't care, it was far more pleasant than working in all that heat last week. Our duties were less onerous too, just a few rows of sweetcorn to plant and then on with the job of hoeing all the borders. All the plants in the garden have doubled in size in a week and unfortunately that includes the weeds, but the steady rhythm of pushing the blade through the soil gives you plenty of time to empty your mind, listen to the bird song and admire the beautiful flowers taking centre stage at the moment. The aquilegias and poppies really are the stars of the garden now, so many forms and colours to see, it  is a real pleasure to walk around with Giles who names each one like a long lost friend, which I suppose they are when you only see them once a year!

"Through the dancing poppies stole a breeze most softly lulling to my soul" John Keats

A stunning colour

The seed head is just as lovely as the flower

June

All work and no play make Al a dull girl today, and likely to
be so for the next three weeks! Never mind welcome to June!

"It is the month of June, the month of leaves and roses, when pleasant sights salute the eyes and pleasant scents the noses"
Nathaniel Parker Willis