Apples And Diamond

I finished my nights this morning and sat down watching the birds in the garden.An elusive visitor is the Nuthatch who comes down to feed on bird seed and sunflower hearts.I have had a pair of Nuthatches visiting together.I will try to get another photo of them.My Betula Utilis variety Doorenbos was delivered today.It was sent in a large cardboard box,taped up,and containing a huge amount of straw used as a natural packing.Cat suggested that I recycle the packing into the Strawberry bed outside and to insulate any winter tender plants.The Himalayan Birch will eventually have white bark.Bluebell Nursery's cut the main stem for me,and it has two other growing stems to hopefully make it grow smaller and more vase shaped.I need to plant it outside in the front grass,when the snow melts and the ground is not frozen.These Strawberry Amelia were delivered a few days ago.I have soaked the roots in water.I will plant these tomorrow.I will clear one quarter of the Strawberry bed to have these new plants growing together.
We went to Asda earlier and I found Fruit Trees for sale at £6 each.A Bramley Apple Tree and a Howgate Wander Apple Tree.They are both cooking Apples,and will complement the Braeburn patio Apple Tree growing in the pot.They need planting when the weather improves a bit.Its not snowed any more but it has been below freezing at night so it has not all melted away yet.
I think as the days start to lengthen then I get more into getting ready for the growing season.The Woodlands Trust has been planting trees as part of the Queens Diamond Jubilee, calling them Jubilee Woods.
http://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/en/Pages/default.aspx
I have three new Trees now to plant that will always remind me of 2012.

Snow Business

Snow was falling thick and fast last night when I went to work.I love the look of freshly fallen snow.When we got back this morning I took some photos of the view from the conservatory.It looks so Christmassy, snow covered plants.It will not last long though as no more snow is forecast.The Ceanothus and Hebe look very jolly with white snow balancing on the branches.I loved looking at all the foot prints that the cats and birds had made.Impressions of who's been through the garden.This Hungry Robin came down to eat some food off the bird table,and some suet mix on the ground.The Red breast contrasts beautifully with the snow.I spied our local Squirrel about sixty feet up a tree looking hungrily down into the garden.He was relaxed enough to preen himself from his lofty vantage point.He came down and was trying to dig through snow to get to the bird food on the ground.His little nose was cold after trying to dog for food.He ran off with a large chunk of fat ball that he managed to get through the black cage on the left.
Only one more night left for me on this set.

Wintry Day

Its freezing again this morning.The pond has frozen solid across the top.It is an inch thick the ice,but is still watery below that level.
The Birds food has been topped up.I love coming back after a night shift to see the birds flying into the garden to feed.
I can hear them singing now as I'm typing this.I got a text saying that the White Silver Birch Tree will be delivered on Monday.I cannot wait to see what its like.
The freezing temperature is expected to bring snow today.I will keep the birds food topped up.
The photo shows a Blue Tit in flight from the fat balls.They are such brilliant little blue acrobats and so agile in flight.I love seeing them in the garden.

Fruity Thursday

One of the surviving bulbs are my Black and Yellow Crocuses.These were planted in the Lilac Tree pot and have moved between three houses.They are a sure sign that the end of Winter is approaching.I hope they flower this year.These seem to be eaten by mice every year.The councils park display Crocuses seem to do much better.I love the glowing green leaves with the white stripe.It contrasts nicely with the cigar like flower buds.I was looking up on the blog about the Apple Tree.I ordered it from Garden Express at xmas 2007,and it was delivered in January 2008.This is the fourth year that I have had it.Time flys when you are trying to grow Apples.I thought that its pot was restricting its growth.We went to Hampsons today for two new pots.One for the Apple Braeburn,and one for the Black Munich grape vine.I struggled to get the Apple tree from its smaller pot.Its roots had penetrated around the big crocks at the bottom of the pot.I used my hands to edge around the root ball to bring it out without damaging the main stem.It is now taller than I am.I put two decorative frogs in the soil.It is about 1.8 metres tall now and is developing lots of side shoots.I'm hopefull that there will be more than 3 Apples on the tree this year.I hope we do not move because the pot is so heavy to move.It will need tilting and rolling if i have to move it anywhere.I trimmed off the dead part of the second stem.I think it was a Patio Apple Tree so it will not grow any taller.

I potted up the Grape Vine into a large green pot decorated with flowers and fruit.I need to construct something for the vines to grow up.There are three main stems growing from the base of it,above the wax covered scion.The frame need to be able to be moved outside for over wintering the Grape Vine.

I also bought two small pots of Nepeta (Catnip) today.The neighbourhood Cats have eaten our plant and the builders finished it off.I will grow the two pots onto a bigger size before they can be planted into the sunken border.

We saw a leaflet today for the Spring Flower Show at Harrogate.This is between the 26th to 29th April.I have booked the day off for the first day of the show.

Back to night shifts for me now untill Monday morning..

Three Colours

I was woken up this morning by my mobile phone ringing.I found a voice mail when I got up from Bluebell Nurseries.I have ordered a Silver Birch Tree (Betula Utilis "Doorenbos") for the front garden.I asked them to cut the lead branch so it bushes out and stays relatively compact.The nursery man was telling me on my voicemail about the stems,where it should grow,when the white bark forms,and to get into contact with them if there were any problems.I could photograph it and send them the photo.
I was impressed with the knowledge,and care they took of my order.They obviously worry about what happens to their Trees once they leave the safety of the plant nursery.The white barked tree will look gorgeous against the green hedgerow.
I spent a few hours tidying up around the greenhouse.I removed the buckets of soil,cleared the Scottish Cotton Thistle,trimmed one of my Grasses,and top dressed the Oriental Poppy.I took this photo of the Violet and Purple Pansy in one of the baskets.It looks like a watercolour painting.
I want the White Bark of the Betula to be as impressive as the Red stems of my Dogwood.Mum bought it for me when we were at Harlow Carr last year.Once I cleared the sunken border I realised how vibrant the young stems were.They were covered in old leaves and debris before.
I tried cleaning up the Strawberry bed,and trimmed a dead section from my patio Apple Tree.I need a bigger pot to plant it in.I'm toying with the idea of a Bramley Apple tree planted in the garden between the Strawberry bed,and the pond.I'm waiting for my eight new Strawberry plants to be delivered.
The February sunshine lulls you into a false sense of Spring.The cold air outside soon brings you back to earth.
I have more bulbs to plant once it warms up a bit.I had to buy some more Oriental Stargazer because mine rotted in the pot outside.I must remember to keep it in the greenhouse once it has finished blooming.The water logged soil here has rotted a few of my pot held bulbs.
We are going to New York in eleven days.I cannot wait to see Central Park, and will hopefully take lots of photos of monuments,yellow Taxis, and a few gardens.The garden will be ready for spring by then and I will be able to relax before the growing season begins in earnest.

Pineberry Surprise

I got an email about Wilkinson's new White Strawberries.These have also been called Pine berries,as the small fruits taste like Pineapple.I bought all my Seed Potatoes,Onions,and Garlic there in the Wakefield Wilko's but did not see these.I cheekily emailed them for a sample to grow in the garden.A few days later and the packet arrived with the White Strawberry dormant plants in it.I needed to soak the two roots first in water.I then planted them in two pots besides the backdoor.I will watch their progress and hopefully tell you all what the White Strawberries taste like.
I read about these as some of the garden trends of 2012.I hope that these will grow some tasty fruits this year.
I ordered another eight Strawberry plants for my sleeper bed a week ago.They have not arrived yet.They will fill the remaining corner of the bed.Last years crop of Strawberries was a delight of the Summer.

Big Garden Bird Watch 2012

I have done the 2012 RSPB's Big Garden Bird watch.I sat for an hour recording what birds landed in the garden.I was surprised by the change in numbers of different birds.The Starling in this photo never flew in during the hour.I wander if the birds know when you are sat counting them.I never saw my Woodpecker,Siskin,Sparrowhawk,or Nuthatch.They are the exotic rare birds I have seen occasionally in the garden.This pair of Goldfinches arrived after the hour.There was a solitary Goldfinch on the nijer seeds during my hour.My surprise visitor was a Green finch.He landed on the Ceanothus briefly before flying off.
House Sparrows topped my list.Followed by Great Tits,Blue Tits, and Blackbirds.I saw single Goldfinch,Robin,Dunnock,Collared Dove,and my green finch. I like how the food and water I put out always attracts the birds in.Its great now I have big wide windows to look out of into the garden.
I looked back today at the Blog and found I bought my bird table in 2007.It is five years old now,and showing signs of its age.I will need to replace it soon,and will look for a new birdbath.Mine is made of plastic resin but has broken on one side.
I have been a big fan of the RSPB's bird count.The results will be collated and revealed at the end of March.I wander what effect the warm winter will have had.I know I will have contributed some data about the health and numbers of all UK birds.