2023 Weeks 15 & 16
10th - 23rd April
An exciting day for the greenhouse construction with the first assembly of the inner frame. The exercise was a salutary lesson in the importance of accurate marking out and, once we had corrected a few measuring inaccuracies, it all fitted together beautifully. Three more to make including two with glazing rebates and then a whole stack of staining.
April showers prevent continuous outdoor working and every space gets used where we can set the frames out for marking up the rebates.
At the other end of the walled garden the bricks are surely but slowly stacking up to form the enclosing space and the link to the terrace.
Its going to be a close race to get the outdoor kitchen up and running for this summer.
The deer pay a nightly visit through the gate opening. Their particular favourite is the thornless blackberry. (Think that I might have mentioned that before!). There is a big difference between the bright new bricks and those that were laid last year. its a good job that I wanted the whole thing to look like it had evolved over time. Dead easy when the ingredient over amateur brick layer is thrown into the mix.
All of the window sills inside the house are either full of baby plants or too hot to leave baby plants on so I am utilising all other spaces available to grow more. It is tempting to start to try and put stuff out but the threat of frost is still in the air.
I can get some plants going outside though. Trying to create some drama with layouts and hoping that the cloche provides a good kick start environment for the Brussels, Peas and Broad Beans
The tracing paper lan for the zone 1 beds has seen some action now and is updated with the latest batch of seed sowing.
Alex believes that the Petit Pots are beginning to show so maybe I shouldn’t write them off just yet.
Leaving the old Crittall windows to slowly rot in three years in Sussex rain and shine has made the old putty pretty easy to remove in preparation for eight more raised cloches to move around the garden.
Made to measure as two panes fit perfectly over the top of the brick raised beds. These are currently being used as seed beds ( see plan above). Two types of cabbage in one where one type at least is starting to show and the other for leaks which are popping their heads above ground in abundance.
A sure sign that Spring is in the air when my favourite tree comes into leaf. The foliage of the Sorbus Aria Lutescens has a beautifully vibrant minty hue combining with a mass of white flowers that will last into May
On the drawing board this week is the metal arch that will span across the two brick raised beds in front of the greenhouse. The is a local metal worker that I will be commissioning to make this and hopefully, it will be up and ready to take the climbing Squash plants soon enough.