Last Thursday was one of the BIG JOB days at the Priory. Like the beech and mixed-hedge cutting days (and the eat as many plums as you possibly can before feeling a little bit very sick day), mowing the meadow usually takes at least a whole day and must be planned in advance. It is … Continue reading Shaving the Meadow
Grass Snake
I was strimming the banks of the east pond the other day and disturbed a young grass snake (Natrix natrix). Angrily, he reared up at me like a king cobra; would have been pretty damn scary too - if he'd been any bigger than six inches long. Fearless little chap. A little later I came … Continue reading Grass Snake
Priory Picture Post # 13
At the back of the Priory, in a corner formed by two walls, is a manhole cover. Not a thing of great beauty - it's not like it's a 16th century manhole cover. But what it is, is an excuse to bring out some of my cacti and succulents from the greenhouse and give them … Continue reading Priory Picture Post # 13
New Beds 1, 2 and 3
Recently, I've planted up three new beds at the Priory. None of them are particularly big and one is really only an extension of a larger border. The only truly new one, and the last one to be planted up, is called the um, er, the er (thinks furiously) Kitchen Bed (it lies directly outside the … Continue reading New Beds 1, 2 and 3
Composting the Priory
I like making compost bins. I can't seem to stop. Stick me in a garden and before you can say, "Sticky Toffee Pudding," I'll have knocked up a range of 'bins. Whether you want me to or not - I just keep on building them: whether at the other garden I tend; in my … Continue reading Composting the Priory
Priory Picture Post # 12
A couple of months ago, I was in a well-known DIY shop (starts with B and ends with Q) and, as is pretty much always the case , I felt the urge to rescue one of their plants. (Have you seen how they treat their tree ferns? Very big, very old Dicksonia antarctica's left out … Continue reading Priory Picture Post # 12
New Life and Poppy’s Triumph
A while ago, Margaret (the farmer whose land surrounds most of the Priory) bought a cow in calf, and the other day, long, long after all her other calves were born we had a new arrival. He's a very handsome chap and I can't but marvel at how clean he is. He looks like he's … Continue reading New Life and Poppy’s Triumph
The Anxious Gardener 