We have just harvested the plums from one of our row of cordons- lovely rich purple plums. We filled the trug after picking over 10lb of fruit – not bad for one cordon.
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Purple Plum Profusion
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Hagley Hybrid?
We bought a clematis a few years ago labelled as Hagley Hybrid. Once it started flowering we were unsure whether it actually was this variety. But nevertheless it is a stunning climber which rambles happily over the trellis in our Rill Garden and always makes its way towards the top pool and on its way makes a diversion to clamber over a standard holly. Its deep pink-red blooms contrast beautifully with the deep green glossy leaves of the holly.
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Apple Arch
We have trained a Scrumptious apple tree over an archway over the path to the greenhouse. Starting with a one year maiden whip we trained it over the arch pruning it as a cordon and within three years we were harvesting heavy crops. The only problem we encountered was when the main trunk was snapped off in heavy winds when it was heavily laden with fruit. But we learnt our lesson and from then on always tie it in as it grows with much stronger fixings.
In the photo the redness of these delicious and attractive apples looks great behind the yellow saucer shaped flowerheads of the fennel and the metallic blue globes of the echinops.
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Added heat!
We have added more red to our Hot Border for extra zing! This extra red was provided by a crocosmia called “Walbertons Red”. The “Walberton” part of the name refers to the nursery in Arundel, West Sussex who introduced it. The nursery’s best-know introductions are probably Lavender Silver Edge and Scabious Butterfly Blue. We also bought Crocosmia “Walbertons Yellow” and both these crocosmias are richly coloured and flower strongly.
We have a real champion creator of scarecrows at our lottie site, Bowbrook Allotment Community. Every year Mrs Anna as she calls herself, crafts splendid characters for us to enjoy. Last year we had a scarecrow version of Shrek but this year she produced three wonderful characters based on her family apparently. The old couple who doze in the shade under our sycamore tree are based on her parents while the pink beauty is herself 10 years from now. Incredible!
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Feeding Frenzies
We have had the pleasure of watching avian feeding frenzies in our Avocet back garden in the last few days. Firstly we watched flocks of noisy crows wildly feeding on flying ants on the hillside behind us. Through our scope we could see their wildness and greed as the ants in the big patch of sloping dry ground took to the air. It seems little gain for such large birds, but perhaps ants provide some essential nourishment. Or some drug!
The ants nesting alongside our garage wall took flight the following day and were instantly gorged upon by robins and blackbirds. How do birds know this is about to happen?
The food source of the third instance was a complete mystery. Early one sunny evening the garden was invaded by dozens of swallows swooping low through the trees and borders, occasionally landing on the roofs of the conservatory and garage. This continued for a good hour with the garden seeming at times absolutely full of swallows performing amazing aerial acrobatics. What entertainment! They put the Red Arrows to shame.
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The year of the clematis?
Should 2011 have been “The Year of the Clematis”? All ours have flowered so well and for so long, be they the usual climbers or the less-often grown and less well known herbaceous varieties. Just look at the photos! The first is a climber and the second an herbaceous type.
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Conservation – habitat or species?
This is a controversial issue with strong feelings on both sides I suspect, but should we really be expending energy, resources and finance on reintroducing creatures such as the beaver when we could be concentrating on improving and increasing scarce habitats? My feeling is that if we concentrate on habitat conservation and improvement first then an increase in all species indigenous to that habitat would increase in numbers and indeed some species that have disappeared could reappear – plants, insects, birds and mammals. 
The landscape in the photo is part of the RSPB reserve on Anglesay which consists of cliffside habitat and cliff top heathland. The habitat here is well maintained and as well as looking colouful with its heathers, lings and gorse, and dramatic with its steep cliffs and huge splashing waves, it is home to so much wildlife. On a recent visit we watched choughs along the clifftop crying out their “chee-ew” calls. And perching atop stems and stalks stonechat and pippets. On other visits we have watched hunting displays of peregrines and sparrowhawks.
The cliffs themselves are home to nesting seabird colonies of razorbills, guillemots and puffins while out at sea lucky watchers may spot porpoises and dolphins. The heathland is home to adders.
While there I decided that by conserving rich habitats such as this we are best serving wildlife. Surely value for money and value for effort wildlife conservation is best served in this way. Reintroducing beavers to a remote loch in Scotland surely comes a poor second!
The buds on the agapanthus are still opening. They look wonderful at every stage.
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Meet the under-gardener.
- Jude, the under-gardener hard at work.
Most of the hard work in the Avocet garden is done by Jude the under-gardener. She does the digging, weeding and humping around while I have the ideas and do the glamorous jobs like planting new acquisitions.
greenbenchramblings 