'Le Wedding Cake'

 Sorry about the title but we've been busy working on the redesigned area in front of the barn.  Firstly, I have filled the hole which will become the 'Wedding Cake' bed.

It is called this strange name (this is how family terms arrive!) because when Sue was designing it she was fearful that it would look like ... yes, you've guessed it ... a wedding cake.  It remains to be seen if the final, planted up version resembles said cake.

We then proceeded to plant 4 Thujas (small trees which look like Junipers) in the 4 corners of this 'new' area.

So all we need now is to plant up Le Wedding Cake and for everything to start growing ... and it all should look good in 5 years time!!!

One STEP Nearer

 It eventually stopped raining for a couple of hours this afternoon (I don't suppose our UK readers will offer any sympathy as you are being buffeted by storm Eunice) and we were able to plant our step over apples which create a boarder to the new area which is being developed infront of the barn.

I had the idea in December and we immediately rushed off to the nursery to buy some one year old trees. We explained that we wanted to make step over apples, totally blank response from the proprietor, espaliers we suggested but that didn't elicit any light bulbs either. So we gave up and just came home with 6 trees. We healed the trees in and John has dug holes and made supports since then whenever the weather has been favourable. Well today we planted the trees and chopped them off at an appropriate height. We now have to wait, and hope, that they shoot and we can start to train them. 

PS There really are signs of Spring we have just heard the cranes flying over on their migration to their breeding grounds. We couldn't actually see them as it was pouring with rain. We never cease to get excited when they fly over head in vast numbers.

A Raptor Morning

 Just finishing breakfast and we saw this bird on one of the small crabapple trees in the front garden, sitting there only about 2 metres off the ground.  We  think it is a Sparrowhawk.

We were then going into the kitchen and, there on the roof of the barn behind the house, a Kestrel. 

Either we are at the fag-end of winter and food is getting scarce or they all think that Spring is very nearly here.  The latter we hope!

No Resting on Laurels

 Whilst our cold weather continues every morning , we are having bright sunny afternoons which is allowing work to continue in the garden.

Sue is trying to catch up with clearing last year's dead foliage from the beds ready for the new 'campaign'.

 Meanwhile, I've started to put in the support frames for a line of step-over apples which will make a border to the area in front of the barn which will have the new (as yet unfinished) bed.

So, Spring is busily approaching, and to prove it ... crocuses!