Burning Up.

MY WORK BOOK

See to the sheep
Field
Misc
Thu 29/10/2009 08:30
Thu 29/10/2009 08:50
20 minutes
1) Checked and counted the sheep.
2) Put out some minerals.

See to the greenhouses
Glasshouses
Thu 29/10/2009 08:50
Thu 29/10/2009 09:30
40 minutes
1) Did some watering.

Had a walk round the grounds
Misc
Thu 29/10/2009 09:30
Thu 29/10/2009 10:00
30 minutes
Had a walk round to see if anything was hurting.

Took potatoes to Pumpend
Pumpend
Hall & Pumpend
Thu 29/10/2009 10:00
Thu 29/10/2009 10:20
20 minutes
Pumpend being where the former lady and gentleman to the big house live.

Break for tea
Home
Misc
Thu 29/10/2009 10:20
Thu 29/10/2009 10:40
20 minutes

Burn rubbish.
Burn pile
Misc
Thu 29/10/2009 10:40
Thu 29/10/2009 11:40
1 hour

Started a bonefire
Veg garden
Walled Garden
Thu 29/10/2009 11:40
Thu 29/10/2009 12:40
1 hour
Have acquired quite a few pruning’s so burning them on one of the veg plots so as to add potash to the soil, (for next year). (Note 1)

Break for lunch
Home
Misc
Thu 29/10/2009 12:45
Thu 29/10/2009 13:30
45 minutes

Burning rubbish
Veg Garden
Walled Garden
Thu 29/10/2009 13:30
Thu 29/10/2009 14:25
55 minutes
Cleared away all the rose pruning’s and other rubbish. (Note 2).

Pruning
Middle Shrub Border
Walled Garden
Thu 29/10/2009 14:25
Thu 29/10/2009 15:20
55 minutes
Reduced the Buddleia’s to stop them rocking around in the winds, I will prune them back properly in February.

Pruning
East Shrub Border
Walled Garden
Thu 29/10/2009 15:20
Thu 29/10/2009 16:00
40 minutes
Made a start on trimming the Laurels

Clean and put away the tools
Potting Shed
Indoors
Thu 29/10/2009 16:00
Thu 29/10/2009 16:10
10 minutes

See to the bins
Hall
Hall & Pumpend
Thu 29/10/2009 16:10
Thu 29/10/2009 16:20
10 minutes
Put out two recycle tubbies.

NOTES
1) I’ve spent a lot of time this week pruning the climbing roses. This is one of the jobs to be done now that will add to the show next summer. You can of course not bother and you would still get some flowers but gradually the plant would become old and not put on a good show. Pruning out some of the old wood encourages new growth which in turn makes for a younger plant and a better show.
2) I don’t really like bonefires – horrible smelly things but I figure if I have to have one then I might as well have it where it will do some good.

COMMENTS FROM THE POTTING SHED
Jim There is an operator on each of the engines to work the winch and also they have to keep moving the engines forward. I have footage of the horses working too, I will try and put it on sometime for you.

Sara I will let you off, I know it isn't easy to get enthused about gardening in winter, especially the sort of winter you have there.

Kimmie I guess the same applies to you to, by the way I thought you and the kids might have been able to tell me that the little stream engine at the show is being used for!

The Weaver of Grass I know I'm being very confusing doing two blogs. I like the work book format but I also know that a lot of people like the way I present this blog but I don't have time to do both so I will be just writing in this one and not the other.

Anonymous For sure Sheigra is a magical place as are many of the places in that part of the country - I wonder if you too the trip to Sandwood Bay too? Thanks for your comment anyway.

HAPPY NEW (gardening) YEAR!

Hello Everyone, I intended posting this before now but I've been having some technical problems. Anyway for me this is the start of the new gardening year so HAPPY NEW YEAR! I am looking forward to sharing another year’s work with you. Hopefully I can show you something new to make your gardening experience more enjoyable and perhaps even help you along the way. I guess some of you will be saying to yourselves, ‘what is Bob talking about!’ I realise you’re probably still tidying up after last year’s party and it’s a while until you can enjoy next summer’s flowers and what have you but really this is where it all starts, this is where you begin getting things ready for the next summer. As we go along I will tell you of a few jobs that you need to do now, you never know, as the list grows you may even begin to see why this and not January or even March is the start of Bob’s gardening year.

Festival of the Plough (Balance Plough).

Here is another look at something from the Festival of the Plough. This plough is called a balance plough and is used in conjunction with two stream engines, one at each end of the field, the plough being winched back and forth between the two. You will see one at the far end winching the plough towards it, the other engine was behind me paying out the cable and waiting to pull the plough back after its run down the field. I know what you mean Matron, I think it will be a while yet before we go back to this way of farming, even having worked on farms or been around them all my life I still find it awesome how much work the modern farm machinery can do. I did see the balance plough on the TV and it was interesting, especially having only just seen one in the flesh so to speak. You’re right about the weather too Fireweed, the great British summer was a wash out but the autumn has been as dry as a bone, hardly a drop of rain for six weeks.

Festival Of The Plough.

One Sunday during my break we visited a local showed called The Festival Of The Plough. My parents were staying the weekend so it was nice for us all to go out for the day, especially as it was really nice and sunny. As you will see from some of the pictures the show is a mixture of things, mostly from the past. Apart from agricultural equipment there are all manner of other old machinery such as cars, trucks and motor cycles. There are a couple of marquee selling crafts, one hosting a chicken show, another with models (the non human kind), there was even ferret and terrier racing, not in the same location I might add. Anyway take a look at the pics below.

Here and old guy is dancing his heart out.

It was a great day out for dogs, there being almost as many dogs as people!

Here we see a thrashing machine at work being powered by a stream engine.

There were donkey rides too.

My dad, mum and Vicki (In the big hat).

One of the big stream engines.
And a little stream engine being put to good use, can anyone spot what that good use might be? There is a clue in the picture.

Greenhouse Painting.

Hello Everyone,

I’m pleased you enjoyed the pictures of the big houses yesterday, as I say I will post more pictures of them shortly but this week I am just going to be showing you what sort of things I got up to during my break. I must point out of course that I haven’t had six weeks off work, I just had the one week off and the rest has been working on projects that I don’t have time to do at other times of the year. I don’t fuss over things so much at the moment as there is little point with leaves falling off and things dying back. Thankfully we have had only a damping of rain during the whole six weeks so one of the jobs I was able to get on with was painting the outside of the greenhouse, I’m sure when you see the pics below you will see it was well worth the effort. I gave it a coat of undercoat and two coats of gloss so that should keep it looking bright for a few years.

Before and after pictures.

Holiday week.

Hello Everyone,

First of all I would like to thank everyone who wished me a happy bloggin’ break, your thoughts were much appreciated. This week I will show and tell you about some of the things that have happened and what I’ve been up.

During the first week me and Vicki took a week’s holiday/vacation – whatever you want to call it. We visited lots of big house gardens and took some pictures to show all those who are interested.

Here are some pictures of the houses that we visited.
First of all we have Chatsworth House in Derbyshire. This is the first place I worked when leaving School and is where I learnt a lot about gardening. Of all the houses we visited I think Chatsworth was the best value for money by far. You can spend all day just looking round the gardens and still not see everything.


Another one of our favourite gardens is Newby Hall. We had already visited this place in the spring but decided to pay it another visit later in the year. This is not a particularly big garden but is divided into small individual gardens all packed with interesting things for the gardener to look at so it actually feels a much bigger garden than it really is and it’s not hard to spend the whole day there walking round or even just sitting.

For the first time ever we visited Scampston Hall. The main attraction for me was the walled garden although there is a nice way marked route around parts of the main grounds too. I’m not sure if I would visit these gardens again except maybe in passing.
This next place is called Duncombe Park near Helmsley and is not really a gardener’s garden. There is a nice walk around the grounds with a few surprises but there are no plants to mean anything, it’s mostly about vista's, follies and trees.

This next garden is also at Helmsley and can be combined with a visit to Duncombe Park as they are close and also Helmsley itself is a nice place to spend some time. Anyway this is Helmsley Walled Gardens I like walled gardens and this does actually still retain the feel of a walled garden, especially with its lean to greenhouses which you are allowed to walk though. So although quite small this garden does have quite a lot of interesting features and so is one that I enjoy visiting.