And it was All going so well

 We have been continuing to have lovely sunny days and I have been able to carry on with removing the stump of the Plum tree.Yesterday I was using the chainsaw but really the chain is making hard work of it.  I need to either get it sharpened or buy a new one.

But, as we are locked down (and I am impatient) today I resorted to hammer and chisel.  Fortunately I was able to split the stump along the grain and success was achieved this morning.

So, the tree is now a memory and we have a 'muddy' patch.

I have sown it with grass seed although that is a bit optimistic as it's far too late in the season!

But then ... We happily went off this afternoon to the local recycling centre to get a load of their free compost which we are using as a mulch.  On our return journey, with the car filled with 13 old fertiliser sacks full of compost, we came round the corner on the narrow road just nearly home when we had to emergency stop for our neighbour in his large van coming towards us. No accident ... but Sue was showered with compost, as well as her seat, the carpets etc.  What made it worse was the fact that she had only cleaned out the car about 3 days ago!

So we stopped the car outside of the front door to hoover it out and ... where is the doorkey?  We searched in the car, in my bag, in fact everywhere we could think of!  We began thinking of which window should we break!  I (unusually) had been the one to lock up and I was trying to remember what I had done and where I may have put the key.  I gradually remembered that, as Sue had cleaned the car, when I unlocked it, with gloves and the key in hand, I had put them on the roof of the car before I could lay down the seats and lay out the dustsheets ready for the compost.  Hence I must have left the house key on the roof of the car.

So, you can imagine we retraced out journey to the Recycling Centre quite slowly, Sue gazing intently in the gutter!  Nothing.  On arrival at the Centre Sue started looking, even stopping a man who was about to shovel compost into his trailer, just in case he shoveled up our key. At that point I got out of the car ... maybe the key had slid down to where the windscreen wipers 'park'.  Low and behold, on the roof, right in front of my eyes, was the key! (Click on the picture if you need it bigger)

We had driven about 3 miles to the Recycling Centre, returned home (including an emergency stop) and then driven to the Centre a second time, with the key of the roof the whole time! The man loading his trailer told us how lucky we were ... he said we should buy a Lottery Ticket!!!!

They say things come in 3's and actually, this was the third.  After showering Sue with compost, she had discovered that the wind had blown over the lid to her cold frame and torn the plastic covering.

We will be taking steps to 'hide' a spare key somewhere safe, just in case.  Hope us old codgers don't forget where we've hidden it!

Open Vistas?

 The sun continues to shine and the Under Gardener still has his chainsaw handy.

This is / was the old plum tree in the front garden which I mentioned previously, and which has never fruited regularly.  So now was the time for it to come down in the grand (redesigned) scheme of things.

But, at that moment the Head Gardener cried "Stop, We can use some of those branches to block off the access where the deer come into the garden and eat the Azaleas!"

I just think that they will come in some other way, but the HG is hoping that they won't see the Azaleas as they arrive by a different door!

Work continued the next day ...

... and was finished off today with all of the debris removed ...

... except I have the offending (to the HG) stump to deal with!!  Any suggestions?

Whilst I was clearing up, Sue was investigating her stored Dahlias in the Porcherie.  She had dug them up about 6 weeks ago and she noticed that the 'lid' on one of them had been disturbed.  Mice?  But no, it's just that they haven't stopped growing!!!

We're hoping we have 'Winter' now ... it was -3 degs C this morning and forecast for the same for the next 3 mornings!  That should slow them down!

Just a Trim, Sir?

 The weather continues mild, warm even, dry and no frosts!  So we are proceeding well with the 'Autumn' jobs.  Having started trimming our 'courtyard' tree (a field maple) a couple of days ago, I was able to finish off the job yesterday.  I love it when I can cross off a job from my list.

Meanwhile, in other parts of the garden, the work quietly continues.

A cock up at the dentist

 This is a rather tortuous story and nothing like you would expect from the title, so keep up.

As part of the redesigning of the "old white bed" (which is now no longer white) I had decided that we needed a silver birch so that there would be some interest in the winter. However despite extensive searching we have not been able to source one, apart from a couple of rather spaggy specimens. Of course in my head I envisaged a mature tree of about 20 years old which would cast just the right amount of shade on the other plants. Well that was not the reality.

Enter visit to the dentist. We arrived a bit early for the appointment to be greeted by the receptionist saying that we were early. "Yes" we said "we know but we are happy to wait". To which he retorted "you know that you will have to wait an hour and a quarter!!" Much discussion followed about the time we had noted in the diary but what could we say. As it was impossible to go and have a coffee (Covid lockdown restrictions) we decided to see if the garden centres were open to while away the time. To our amazement they were. So much for the lockdown restrictions that only allow shops to be open if they are selling essential items!!

Surprisingly our mooching  brought success as we found not a silver birch but a snake bark maple. Unfortunately it is not 20 years old but probably about 3 and the bark is pink although we are assured it will turn white as it ages. As gardeners we are ever optimistic that we will be around for a few years yet to see it mature.

Return to dentist. We were greeted by a very 'umble receptionist grovelling on the floor. He had got us confused with another patient. I was ushered in for my treatment and copious apologies from the dentist. "No worries" I said with excitement "we have bought a tree". She looked at me as though I was completely mad. Some may agree with here!!

Furthermore some plants I had ordered arrived yesterday so that I can finish planting up the "old white bed". Like the stachys bed a couple of years ago it does resemble a drooping cabbage patch, but the optimistic gardener says "you wait until next year".

The results of the Under gardener's rock-breaking efforts to dig the hole.

Tree and plants duly planted, we retired indoors for a well deserved rum and coke!

A Bad Omen

 Another lovely sunny day.  I happened to look out of the window and I saw movement at the end of the garden.  Upon closer inspection my heart fell.  

The Head Gardener with paper in her hand!

Not good news ...

...new plans and new ideas always seem to develop into 'work' for the Under Gardener!

Respect

 Yesterday was the 11th November, Armistice day, which is a National holiday here in France.  So, the Head Gardener decreed that, to respect this day, we would not do anything noisy, so no favorite pastimes like mowing or chainsawing.

So I began pruning (with secateurs and lopers) the plum tree in the front garden.  This tree has perhaps fruited well only every 3 or 4 years and its role in the garden design is under question ...

... and the chainsaw awaits.

Then, in the afternoon, having got into the swing of things, I started on the field maple in the courtyard.

This is quite a vigorous tree and I 'scalped' it about 3 years ago.  As you can see I've removed a lot of the lower growth and will be reducing what's left by about a half.  A lot of debris to get rid of.

The things you do when the sun shines!

Unexpected Guests

Look who came to tea Sunday evening!

But they weren't wearing their masks!