Far Lands

The person who invents the perfect solution to slugs will be remembered in the future in the same breath as Fleming, Jenner and Crick. We are being ravaged. These are (were) courgette plants. Better news in the greenhouse.

A few blogs and weeks back (25 April) I wrote about the strawberry gutter in the greenhouse. Here are the current pictures:- The biggest strawberries in the greenhouse are 50p sized; outside the fruit have not yet formed. Incredible difference over 1 month. And what's more, the greenhouse, is still standing. (My head has a few dents in it.)

This is a photo of Egremont Russett , a step-over apple next to the bee-hive. The blossom is some of the earliest in the garden (for apples) and is very encouraging. Especially as the tree was only planted 15 months ago. Comparing it to the Egremont Russett in the orchard - planted in 2011, never had an apple, and even now a pathetic, peculiar shape - has led me to a theory on some of the disappointing trees in the orchard. Three of them have been especially disappointing, weird growth, and little, if any fruit. All 3 were the first trees I planted, bought via the village's orchard group. Unknown rootstocks and cultivars that I cannot vouch for. A job lot, I am beginning to think. Next year, I might replace them.

I have a new project! (Re-)building a wall from one side of the orchard to the other. The ends of the wall are already there (the first metre or so next to the pear tree, and at the far end another couple of metres by the blue flowers) and my aim is to join them up. My early notes on wall-building:- 1. This wall does not have to keep back cows, or horses or sheep. Not even badgers. Just has to be chicken-resistant. I'm not aiming high. 2. Walls need truck-loads of stone. 3. I am trying to dig out the old wall; so far I have found an old fence post, some pieces of ceramic pot and a Roman soldier's helmet. 4. It's back-breaking.