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Enjoying the garden
Jun. 20th, 2018 10:25 amYesterday we wrestled the cherry tree into submission and it is now thoroughly netted and the net pinned down with pegs and string. It had grown a lot in the two years since we last harvested it (we were the other side of the Atlantic when it fruited last year) so Mick used the long-handled loppers to take out a strategic quantity of high branches to reduce the height of the top we had to cover. Covering it was fine from the upper side, where the stepladder was tall enough. Unfortunately the land slopes away down to the raised beds on the other side, so Mick had to extend the ladder to its full length and - with me holding tight on to the base! - clamber up level to the upper reaches of the tree. Some fruits fell off during this process, attracting the interest of passing magpies.
My other contribution, a day or two ago, was to lather the trunk and lower branches with a foul-smelling tree-trunk grease. It is black and sticky and, as we have already observed, is deterring the local squirrel population from shinning up the trunk, perching on a branch and stuffing themselves with cherries. They have stolen a lot of the crop in previous years but, hopefully, not this year! Unfortunately the elderly waistcoat I was wearing also got impregnated with tree grease and is not yet responding to treatment - it may have to be a sacrifice for the pleasure of eating cherries.
The strawberries are also well-netted and the usual creatures have not been able to break in and steal or spoil our treats. I had a box of flexible rubber build-a-balls which allegedly help you to make handy garden constructions (such as frames for netting) with bamboo canes but it was quite a challenge. Looking at the adverts for these today, it looks as though you are supposed to buy canes which are all machined to the correct dimensions, which cost a lot more than mine did!
Mindful of losing tender green crops to the monstrous Yorkshire slugs in previous years, I have planted loads of onions around my lettuces and herbs and - so far! - they are doing well. This may, of course, simply be a function of the lengthy period of sunny weather so I will watch closely now we have had some rain. At any rate, we have been having garden salad of one kind and another every day for weeks. I really like using the young top-growths of beetroot, turnip, cabbage, spinach etc in salad, along with whatever herbs are being prolific, they add such a range of flavour to the basic leaves and onions. We rarely do a dressing, as it tastes fine with a sprinkle of olive oil and a bit of grated parmesan.
Assuming we are still in residence for the winter, there are also plenty of potatoes and brassicas for our future dinners.
My other contribution, a day or two ago, was to lather the trunk and lower branches with a foul-smelling tree-trunk grease. It is black and sticky and, as we have already observed, is deterring the local squirrel population from shinning up the trunk, perching on a branch and stuffing themselves with cherries. They have stolen a lot of the crop in previous years but, hopefully, not this year! Unfortunately the elderly waistcoat I was wearing also got impregnated with tree grease and is not yet responding to treatment - it may have to be a sacrifice for the pleasure of eating cherries.
The strawberries are also well-netted and the usual creatures have not been able to break in and steal or spoil our treats. I had a box of flexible rubber build-a-balls which allegedly help you to make handy garden constructions (such as frames for netting) with bamboo canes but it was quite a challenge. Looking at the adverts for these today, it looks as though you are supposed to buy canes which are all machined to the correct dimensions, which cost a lot more than mine did!
Mindful of losing tender green crops to the monstrous Yorkshire slugs in previous years, I have planted loads of onions around my lettuces and herbs and - so far! - they are doing well. This may, of course, simply be a function of the lengthy period of sunny weather so I will watch closely now we have had some rain. At any rate, we have been having garden salad of one kind and another every day for weeks. I really like using the young top-growths of beetroot, turnip, cabbage, spinach etc in salad, along with whatever herbs are being prolific, they add such a range of flavour to the basic leaves and onions. We rarely do a dressing, as it tastes fine with a sprinkle of olive oil and a bit of grated parmesan.
Assuming we are still in residence for the winter, there are also plenty of potatoes and brassicas for our future dinners.
