Painter's blog including Residency at Creekside Centre, Deptford Quartrains, Hong Kong and China
I have planted the trees in a double quincunx with the plums in the centre. The cardboard is to keep the weeds off and I will also add mulch. Very exciting! Though planting this orchard makes me realise that essentially I am a pessimist – will they thrive? Perhaps I should talk to them, though that might just finish them off.
Home made Orange and Almond cake and coffee. Well-earned as I have been digging holes like one possessed for my orchard.
You half expect a Hobbit to be serving behind the counter here. In a beautiful setting in the hills near Bantry. I bought:
2 Williams Bon Chrétien – pear
2 Doyenne de Comice – pear
1 Czar – pear
1 Victoria – pear
1 James Grieve – apple
1 Bloody Butcher – old Irish apple
1 John Downie – crab apple
1 Bird Cherry
3 Blanc Double de Coubert – rose
Had a terrible virus over Christmas and New Year. Am doing things bit by bit in the garden so decided to clear the walls. As most of the garden will be wildflower meadow a bit of contrast will be a good thing so am clearing all the weeds and brambles from this part of the wall which will surround and give shelter to my orchard.
This is where the orchard will be. I thought at first there would not be enough sun on this side of the house – it faces east – and that the south-facing part of the garden would be better. However, it is much windier on that side of the house and the earth is more boggy and it turns out that for pollination wind is bad. The bees do not like it and the most important thing for fruit trees is good drainage. I have been watching and the east facing site gets at least 6 hours of sun in the winter and will get more in the summer so have decided this is where the trees will go.
On the way to the garden centre, Future Forests. Rach driving. Some of the stunning scenery on the way. Bantry Bay.
A lovely Christmas present – two sacks of firewood, cut small for the tiny grate. From Conor who helps with the heavy stuff – hedge trimming, strimming etc.
