Fig and other stuff

This one's from last weekend, we got hail:

This is a couple of days ago:

It froze at night. I put a fleece over the apple blossoms as a precaution.

And then I found this large bulb in the basket. Oops.
Peruvian daffodil. Been there for nearly two weeks.
Large! I planted it near the hyacinths.

All of these which follow I took today. It was a sunny day and all creatures were lazily sunning themselves.

Well, some were busy with lovemaking! video here.

Eyes!

Redcurrant

Hyacinths

Apple blossoms

Fig leaves

Peony

Wild strawberries

I planted some pole beans around these branches.

We'll see.

We dug out the fig again, the roots were still holding up nicely as they were in the pot. Pim dug a hole (about 60 cm cube, bit wider), we poured rubble (we got plenty) on the bottom, I lined the walls with recycled bricks (also got many), we then planted it back in.

This pallet has been a huge hit with the insects. I've never seen so many ladybugs together.
They are always crawling around it, sunning themselves, sheltering in the crannies.
Many other bugs are also always crawling around, lots of spiders!

Fig

We had two figs in pots, they overwintered indoors.
We decided to plant the smallest one (Ficus carica Brown Turkey) outdoors
It seems quite protected in this location, between
the apple closest to the house and the peony.

Loki found the perfect spot for a nap

In one large pallet we left over the grass all winter it seems ladybugs have been overwinteringand now are waking up. They're crawling all over and mating and reproducing, and they're welcome!

Coppice

I've been continuing cutting limbs off the willow at the back. I had to do a bit at a time because of my joints. I've been cutting the canopy into smaller chunks and separating branches and twigs.

Loki, the stump and a holly sprout

Today Pim's dad brought a chainsaw to finish coppicing it, but it stopped working about 1/4 in. I tried to continue but it was a bit too much for me, the stump is quite wide at the bottom (at about 8 cm from the ground). In the end Pim cut it with the folding saw and some patience. The last bit split and there is a small hole on the stump. I gather it is best to not cover stumps with paint or anything, but I didn't like how this hole was going to collect water, so I filled it with paraffin from melted candles and dabbed around it a bit. It is not completely covered but the bits that would collect water are.

Looks like the central branch enveloped a couple of others.
There were signs of this on the exterior as well.

The hole that concerned me.

Waxy mess.

I hope it will sprout back this or next year and live on as a coppice. Perhaps even be harvested for basket material.

As it stands now.

So now, all the raspberries and red currants will get a lot more light and some sun. Last year was quite dark in there and they barely gave any fruit. I certainly should fertilise the area as well.

I also found a few holly sprouts in this area, one right by the stump (see first pic). They'll also stand a better chance.

There is another tree a few paces further, right at the edge of the property, a hawthorn which I love and is of modest proportions. It can be seen in the last picture.

Willow at the back

I've been meaning to trim the willow at the back for a while. The main problem in the entire garden is the hedge*, of course, but we'll have to talk with the neighbour about that and I suppose have disposable money around in case we reach an agreement. Not gonna happen any time soon.

Meanwhile, the berries at the back are also getting lots of shadow from the big crown of this willow. A year ago, I think, I cut off one side branch, but it grows so fast and this summer we basically got no berries.

I got a folding saw recently and today I cut one thick branch off at about a metre from the ground. I want to just coppice it, maybe even harvest it for basket weaving?

I have another two branches to go but I'm doing this by hand (should I say, by shoulder, which is giving me grief) and cutting everything into little pieces is taking me a long time. I don't know if I'll cut the other branches this year.

I harvested some of the pussy willow from what I cut and put it in water jars inside. Unfortunately Loki likes it (of course) and I'm sure at some point he's gonna topple a jar and make a mess.

I also cut off a thickish (5 cm?) branch in the hawthorn at the back. It was a sucker that was growing straight up from the bottom. Not easy, had to cut it in several pieces and untangle it sideways (it was as tall as the tree and branching at the top). I also trimmed a few other very minor branches. Now the tree looks much nicer, I think.

Some signs of life in the new snowdrop patch. Aren't they late?

*Of course it is Leyland cypress, and has been cut badly so it's brown on our side, and it's like 2,5 metres tall at least. Not getting any sun in winter at all.

Signs of spring

These bulbs were already here when we got the house,
they come back every spring.

I planted some snowdrops here in November,
they're popping out!

Cherry tree

The healthiest of the rosemaries ha grown 10cm sprigs

Rosemary beetle already in place

Fig tree

And another picture dump

Been too tired to update, or something ;P

This is another picture dump from the camera. Actually, just pictures from a while ago, I went out with the 100mm. The pictures could be better, it was pretty dark by the time I got out.

The peas have come and gone. This weekend I have planted late beans in their place (Speedy).

The sage-of-death got a drastic pruning on Friday. It was still not enough for me, so today I pulled it out, put it in a hole in the middle of the garden, where it can do as it pleases, and planted the thymeses back where they used to be, before I took them out and put them in pots because the sage was crowding them. And everything else. And itself. The lavender it still flattened out and looking like crap but the bees are visiting the few flowers now, and everything is gonna have to go possibly this year, so I just let it be.

The curcubitas are getting large and great. Really cultivating the ground, a cold winter (bye slugs) and a dry summer (bye slugs) really makes a huge difference... we're getting our first ever real nice courgette possibly tomorrow. I already harvested a round one last week. I saw the first pumpkin flower today.

What else? I don't know. The new apple tree and one of the cherries look dead, but there may be some life in the stem. The other cherry looks relatively ok, and the mispel is actually showing signs of new growth.

Some flowers from seeds haphazardly dispersed have come around. The borage has been a great hit with the bees and bumblebees.

On with the dump, first, a new favourite: Love-in-a-mist. These are from seed packets... I think! both packets were mixed, one had "plants that repel slugs" which we dispersed in the perimeter of the vegetable garden, and the other a wildflower mix that I sprinkled close to the roses at the back. It could also be spontaneous, but I've never seen them before (ever in fact!). They are extremely adorable, and so are the seed pods, which I will try to keep (for decoration and seed!). Incidentally, I was looking and shopping for white flowers for bees at seedaholic.com, saw this one and bought some seeds for the white variety (Miss Jekyll alba), I know I will never have enough of these:

Growing close to the newly sown beans

Vegetable garden perimeter

At the back

And again at the front

Borage and herbs:

Loved by all bees

Wasps, always thirsty

Bumblebee lovin' the white lavender

Super tiny blooms on compact oregano

Hyssop, bees also love it

Borage

Sweet pea seed pods

We finally planted the grapevines, one in a corner
and the other in a large container

Nasturtiums

Tomatoes and other fruits and vegetables:

Mallorquín

Muchamiel

Cherry tomatoes

Pear-shaped yellow cherry tomatoes

The later-planted tomatoes at the back are now just blossoming.
They're growing more squat, they get more hours of sun and are less sheltered.

Curcubita garden

Woot! shiny!

The two apples :) slooowly growing

A round courgette

Few strawberries now

Snail & cherry

New growth on mispel

Potted figs

And some other photos:

Broom seeds pods

Hop!

Walnut tree

Also walnut. I think!

I got a dwarf Japanese maple (mapi-no-machihime)
a couple of weeks ago, now we need to decide where to plant it

You can see how much I use my bike :D

This is the most general view of
the garden you're gonna get ;P