Friday 24 March 2017 - Hickling

What a beautiful day!  And what a beautiful garden!  A third of an acre garden, which currently incorporates a good size compost area, polytunnel, raised beds, chicken run, family garden with flower beds.  The owners plan to also have a wildflower meadow and orchard, and also to make more a small garden adjoining their holiday cottage, which is attached as an annexe to their house.  There is a lot of work to do!

 

Today I've been digging holes to plant  the fruit trees which are due for imminent delivery.  My brief was to dig seven two foot "cubes", spaced at least two metres apart and to incorporate the two plum trees already in the garden.  These holes were to be dug in the "meadow" area, so basically meant cutting out the turf.  

Luckily, my client is incredibly knowledgeable - more so than I am at the moment - so I had very clear instructions on what to do.  On the first hole I dug, I was a bit stumped and tentative as I didn't want to dig a huge hole, only for it to be in the wrong place.  I spent a lot of time walking back and forth with my tape measure!   But by the second hole, I had a definite rhythm going - cut and take off the turf for the two foot square hole, and then wheel that over to the chicken run for the chooks.

 

Then back to the hole to dig out  the very heavy clay and wheel that down to the bottom of the garden to the "mound" which is made up of rubble from the building works that have been done on the house.  Back to the hole for more digging out of clay and then back to the "mound".   Once I was satisfied that I was two foot down, then up to the polytunnel to collect a good amount of chicken manure fertiliser and back to the hole to fork into the soil to ensure enough nutrients for when the trees are planted.

I didn't manage to get all seven holes dug - I managed five holes in three hours so was disappointed with my efforts, although think I might have been set a test by my clients to see how I do - this was, after all, my first working visit to the garden.  (I've since had some feedback that they're very happy with me and have actually recommended me to friends, so I may have another client from this!  In addition, I have been set another lot of tasks for my next visit, so I can't have done too badly!)

Obviously the holes can't be seen in this picture - but they are definitely there! - so I hope that no-one goes out walking in the dark and falls down them.

Very pleased with my efforts and I even came away with some eggs from the chooks, with a promise of a dozen eggs as part of my wages - bonus!

The chickens certainly seemed  very happy with the new grass covering in their run!

 

 

Friday 10 March 2017 - Norwich

Today has been glorious - no coat needed today! 

I've dug up the last tree root that will come up now - the others are too big, but being too big, they are less of a trip hazard as they are very obvious! 

I've moved all the pots out of the trench to the side of the garden and filled in some of the trench using the excess soil in the compost/ wheelie bin area.

Sadly, as fast as I was filling in the hole, Sid the greyhound was digging it all up again, so I really need to work out how I'm going to do this.   I'm wondering whether a few bags of shop-bought compost chucked in the day before Sid goes on holiday to Wales might work, as there will be a whole dog-free week for it to settle.  Also, if I chuck some grass seeds over it on the same day, then that's a week where the seeds have a chance to get established? 

I've dug out some more weeds in the lawn and planted some primroses around the base of the tree.

The biggest job today was trying to get up a big patch of stinging nettles that had taken root again.  These will come up all the time, so I will just need to keep an eye on it.

Again, this can be covered in grass seed in a couple of weeks to try and establish.

By the time I'd finished, the brown bin was full of stinging nettles!   Once I get the compost bin established, then I can put these nettles into there - chopped up of course - because this compost will then lock in nitrogen into the soil where it is placed in the garden.   Nettles are good!

The pots are looking good in the sunshine - the hellebores are coming along nicely.  I know that more pots have been procured, so my aim is to divide some plants and repot into these new containers.  I did a bit of light weeding in the existing pots, but they are remarkably weed-free.

The garden isn't looking too bad - it's not as muddy as it has been, but it is looking very bare - I will be sprinkling grass seeds in a fortnight (see above) and hopefully that will start to establish quickly.

 

Time spent working in the garden today:  1 hour 

 

Jobs completed:  tree root dug up; soil moved from compost area into trench; all pots out of trench and sitting in sunshine by fence; weeds dug out of lawn; primroses planted; brown bin filled with stinging nettes.

 

Jobs for future visits:   level area by gate for compost bin and wheelie bins;  move soil from this area into the trench;  dig out more weeds;  cut grass with shears before mowing can commence in spring;  grass seeds to be sown (March) for planting out in small clumps;  dig up excess foxgloves from my own garden to plant;  research water butt coming off shed;  concentrate on area behind bike shed and patio;  split osteospermum into separate pots;  plant bluebells; research solar lighting and tealights in tree;  research stepping stones; sprinkle seed mix; weed patio area and inbetween paving slabs.

Friday 17 February 2017 - Norwich

Today has been glorious - to the point where the coat was discarded as I was overheating, although I did have a few layers on!  

 

I've been digging up tree roots today - where all the suckers have been thrown up around the garden, I took my large fork to the roots to try and get them up.  I didn't manage them all as there were lots of them.  But I did manage to get quite a good little pile of dug up tree roots to go into the brown bin.  Some of them were four feet long! 

 

 

After this back breaking work, I turned my attention to the pots which were gathered in the shady area by the shed.  I took out all the old dead growth to reveal the green shoots of the new growth, and then moved the pots out into the sunshine.  I also weeded all the pots at the same time.

 

 

 

 

Very pleased to see all the bulbs I'd previously planted are popping up all over the garden and will hopefully give a fabulous pop of colour to the garden.  Also pleased to see the hellebores in pots are beginning to flower and there is also new growth in the pots.  

 

The garden isn't looking too bad - it's very very muddy but that's to be expected.  The soil appears to be clay, so as I dug out the old roots, I worked some of the garden to break up the clay clumps.  I plan to start sprinkling grass seed shortly and hopefully the garden will start to look more green than brown!

 

Time spent working in the garden today:  1 hour 45 minutes

 

Jobs completed:  tree roots dug up as far as I could and piled up by other garden waste ready to go into brown bin;  pots all weeded and cleared of old dead growth;  pots moved into the sunshine.

 

Jobs for future visits:   level area by gate for compost bin and wheelie bins;  move soil from this area into the trench;  dig out more weeds;  cut grass with shears before mowing can commence in spring;  grass seeds to be sown (March) for planting out in small clumps;  dig up excess foxgloves from my own garden to plant;  research water butt coming off shed;  concentrate on area behind bike shed and patio;  split osteospermum into separate pots;  acquire more plant pots;  plant bluebells under tree; research solar lighting and tealights in tree;  research stepping stones; sprinkle seed mix.

Friday 2 December 2016 - Norwich

Today was curtailed for a number of reasons - I was busy in the morning, so didn't get around to start working in the garden until one thirty.  And then within forty-five minutes, I'd managed to break my trowel and hadn't taken my spade with me, so that was the end of digging.  Also the light was beginning to go - I can't wait for the start of spring! 

 

It's been a few weeks since I have worked here and all the leaves are now off the tree, so it makes the garden look much more open.  

What was very obviously apparent from this visit was how dangerous some of the tree roots were - I had sawn them off quite near the ground, in advance of trying to dig them out.  But with the leaves laying on the lawn being the same colour as the tree roots, they are now a tripping hazard.   So I tried to get as many out as I could.

 

 

 I hadn't left too much above the  ground when I cut them, so hadn't left myself enough wood to get a proper purchase when trying to pull them up.  I had to lift them a little and then get my hands right underneath the fibrous roots that had grown at right angles to the main trunk.  What makes me pretty optimistic is how shallow the roots are - less than a spade's depth, so I think I will be fairly easily able to dig up the others.

 

Time spent working in the garden today:  45 minutes only

 

Jobs completed:  filled brown bin with stuff cut down already; daffodils planted underneath tree and over by left hand fence;tree roots pulled up;tulips planted up in terracotta pot under tree and into pots in the "trench"; mint cut back and tidied; tulips planted into mint pot; hellebores rescued and weeds taken out of pot;  all pots topped up with compost;  hydrangea hard wood cuttings being monitored.

 

Jobs for future visits:   level area by gate for compost bin and wheelie bins;  move soil from this area into the trench;  dig out more weeds;  empty remaining plant pots;  dig up more tree roots;  cut grass with shears before mowing can commence in spring;  grass seeds to be sown (March) for planting out in small clumps;  dig up excess foxgloves from my own garden to plant;  sow iris bulbs;  research water butt coming off shed;  concentrate on area behind bike shed and patio;  split osteospermum into separate pots;  acquire more plant pots;  plant bluebells under tree; research solar lighting and tealights in tree;  research stepping stones; sprinkle seed mix.

Friday 11 November 2016 - Norwich

Today I carried on with my "project" garden - continuing with the jobs I started last week and working on the list I made after my first visit.   It was a much nicer day today - last week it rained pretty much all the time I was there - but today was sunny, although fresh.  

 

 

 One of the first jobs I did was to saw up all the branches I'd cut down last week to get them all into black sacks.  The brown bin has not arrived yet, and I wanted to make sure that access through the side gate wasn't impeded by a forest!  

 

I also sawed down the remaining offshoot of the garden tree which makes the garden look much bigger and opens everything out now.

I also chopped down some overhanging branches from the neighbour's tree, just where it came down into Amanda's garden.  It makes everything much lighter now and I am going to experiment with some daffodil bulbs around the base of the remaining tree.

I tried to work out which way the garden faces according to the light, but I don't think I was there long enough for that.  The light was very strange, just a small block of it moving slowly around the left hand side of the garden.

 

 I recycled some old plant pots and planted up some of the forget-me-nots (Myosotis sylvatica) which I had dug up from my own garden this morning.   I then moved those pots to the "trench", firstly to try and stop doggy-digging, but also to put them out in the open where they will get more light.  I'm not sure where the plants had been placed before in the garden - I found them round by the shed - but it will be interesting to see which is the best place for sunlight.  I may need to move the pots around as an experiment for a while yet, until I'm happy with their positioning.

 

 I am currently in my first year studying for my RHS Level 2 in Horticulture and attend Easton and Otley College one evening a week for the first year, and then one evening plus one whole day a week for the second year.   This week, coincidentally, we started working on "soil" and apparently any soil that has stinging nettles in it is very good soil indeed.  After last week's cursing about the proliferation of nettles, I'm now very pleased that I have a very good canvas to work with, which was also evidenced by the size of the very fat worms that were coming up with the tree roots I was pulling up this morning.  This is good news indeed.

 

Time spent working in this garden today:  2.5 hours

Jobs completed:  sawed down remaining tree suckers; pulled up tree roots and brambles; dug up weeds; bagged up rubbish and left by back gate; cut back some mint and planted in a pot on the patio; planted forget-me-nots; rescued hellebores from their weed-encrusted pot and added some more compost; moved pots into trench and watered well.  .

Jobs for future visit:  decide what to do with hole in lawn; dig out more weeds; empty the remaining plant pots; take shears to cut grass before lawn mowing can commence again next year; buy grass seeds and sow into seed trays to make small clumps of grass to plant out in garden; dig up excess foxgloves (Digitalis purpurea) from my own garden to plant in pots for interest; sow tulip and iris bulbs in pots for spring interest; sow daffodils at the base of the tree; research Helen Dillon garden which is made up of pots of plants which are moved around to avoid planting into soil; discuss benefits of water butt; decide position of compost bin and wheelie bins (currently on patio) and make small level area for these; concentrate on the area behind the bike shed and patio; split osteospermum into different pots. 

Note:  not all these jobs will be done in just one visit!

Friday 4 November 2016 - Norwich

The garden I have been working in today has become rather overgrown, leaving the owner a little overwhelmed at the amount of work there is to do in it.  When you don't know what you're doing, making a start can be really scary, so my job is to try and get the garden to a place where the owner feels happy doing the odd bit around the place.  I can then go in and do the labour intensive, more specialised work to maintain it, leaving the residents to enjoy the garden, and do the odd bit of pottering if they so wish. 

There were a number of large suckers that had come up from the tree at the bottom of the garden and they had well and truly taken root.  Some of them came up easily enough by the roots, but, for most of them, I had to use the loppers to get them down, near the base.   I've had to leave one though, as it was too big even for the loppers, so next time I return, I will take my saw with me.  My plan will be eventually to dig those roots out because they will keep throwing up shoots.  At the moment, it's all about things that can be done quickly, until more lasting solutions are found.

I managed to fill quite a number of black sacks with weeds, stinging nettles, dead grasses, and tree branches, although I will have to saw a lot of those branches down the next time to get them into bags.   The garden owner has ordered a brown bin from the local Council, but this has not yet been delivered, so the black sacks are currently lined up at the back of the house, ready to start being put into the brown bin on delivery.  Alternatively, these sacks can be taken to the local tip, a job which I'm afraid I cannot do due to waste management rules and regs. 

I've spotted some very overgrown and weedy pots which I can definitely recycle with new plants and that will be a good quick fix to ensure the garden has something of interest over the winter.  

 I was also pleased to find a large mint shrub in the garden, so I plan to dig that up, cut that back and put it into a couple of small pots on the patio.  It has gone to seed for now, but that will come back to life next spring/ summer and be useful for minted potatoes!

Amanda's greyhound is a very lively boy and loves digging, so there was quite a trench in the middle of the garden, although not so evident from this photo.

I've used a whole bag of compost to fill the hole and need to decide what to do with this area.  I've compacted it for now, to try and stop any more digging, but I think it will probably need at least one more bag of compost to level everything out.  My first thought on seeing the hole was that it would probably be ideal for a pond or a water feature, although not so ideal when you put a large greyhound into the mix!

As this was the first time I have been out gardening for someone else - rather than tending my own garden - I very quickly realised what I did and didn't need, so made copious notes while working.  These are a few tools of my trade, although not nearly enough.

 This little chap was serenading me as I worked.

And this photo shows an injury - longer gauntlets are needed for clearing out a large patch of stinging nettles!

Time spent working in this garden today:  2.5 hours

Jobs completed:  chopped down trees and suckers; pulled up teasels and stinging nettles; dug up weeds; bagged up rubbish and left by back gate; filled hole in lawn with compost.

Jobs for future visit:  saw down remaining trees and also branches to put into bags; add more compost to hole in lawn; dig out more weeds; empty the plant pots; dig up mint and plant into pot; take shears to cut grass before lawn mowing can commence again next year; buy grass seeds and sow into seed trays to make small clumps of grass to plant out in garden; dig up excess foxgloves (Digitalis purpurea) and forget me nots (Myosotis sylvatica) from my own garden to plant in pots for interest; sow tulip, iris and daffodil bulbs in pots for spring interest. 

Note:  not all these jobs will be done in just one visit!