Messing about in the garden

I have been doing quite a lot of work in the garden - pruning, cutting back, transplanting - the list is endless

 

I have been shaping some laurel and a box tree into lollipops, and doing lots of weeding

 

My lollipop Bay tree - it was huge before but looks much neater now - I pruned those sticky out bits off at the back.  I think I might take up hairdressing as a new hobby!

 

We lost  yet more conifers to the disease so two more came out - we couldn't afford to get the rest cut down.  The sunshine was very bright today, but we have stained the fence which is now dark brown but doesn't look it in the photos - and ditto the raised beds - I stained those dark brown to match.  I have put some rotting turf clods in them - they make great soil, and will cover that with well rotted compost, and next spring/summer these will be planted up with veggies - probably climbing beans, its a perfect place for them - well sheltered and sunny.

 

Here are some more I stained - I have run out of wood stain now!  Just as well as I get a bit carried away!

This afternoon the lawn had dried out after the heavy overnight dew, so  grabbed the opportunity to mow the lawns.  I was shattered as I had been working out there for a number of hours, but really wanted to get at least one for cut in before the weather changes  - and pick up the leaves in the process!

On the right is Kath's garden, with the brilliant yellow chrysanthemums still flowering their hearts out.  The flower bed wraps itself around my garden room and I can see her garden from the conservatory too.   I am going to widen it another foot or so now that the building work has finished and the lawn has recovered.

 

I have been very brutal with the cutting back of the Woodland garden on the right - but it'll be worth it next year.  More of my 'lollipop' trees against the fence - they'll look good in a year or two.  They were big bushy shrubs before.  Inbetween them I have transplanted some gooseberry bushes from up the allotment, and some perennial plants from the front flower beds.

 

It's nice to see the lawn without the layer of leaves - but it'll only be a matter of days before it'scovered again.  Where I put the chickens on the lawn for a week or so whilst we were away a couple of times, the grass has grown really lush and you can actually see where they have fertilised it!

 

 I have done a lot of weeding and transplanting and created a nice neat path

 

....to make access to the 'business' corner of the garden easier.

It we can afford it, the birch tree is getting the chop - it's taller than a house and we are a bit worried it might fall into our neighbour's garden if we get any bad storms in the winter.

 

This woodland garden does look rather bare - I confess I was over zealous with the saw and shears - but I am transplanting lots of perennials so it should be full of summer flowers next year - until the shrubs grow rampant again.

 

The last of the winter lettuces

 

They look almost too good to eat - like lovely florettes - but eat them I shall

 

Earlier in the week I cleaned out the chickens - and the next morning it looked like this.

Can you see all the feathers - they are all moulting

 

The lawn was covered in them too - hence my mowing it today

 

For lunch I cooked brown rice with fresh salmon fillets in a tomato pesto sauce.

 

The chooks always get the bits of rice left in the saucepan and literally fly in from wherever they are in the garden when Mr Lottie bangs it like a gong - then there is a real kerfuffle to see who can eat the most in the fastest time.