The Dappled Shade Planting Comes Back Inside

The forecast rain arrived today, for which team were already prepared. Numerous tender plants were dug up from the borders yesterday ready to potted up today, see blog entry 11th June 'Planting In Dappled Shade'. As the rain eased, the largest plants were potted up outside, whilst the smaller ones were taken inside. By the end of the day the greenhouse was almost full, with more plants to come in over the next week, it is going to be a tight squeeze. 

One Person's Compost Is Another Person's Food Wrapping

The team very much enjoy talking to the many visitors that come to see the college gardens. Occasionally the conversations that they have take on a surprising turn, Ali had one such conversation today.
This week the team have started to take the tender plants back into the greenhouse for winter storage, and, to get the banana plants into greenhouse, their tops have to be cut off. Whilst taking the huge banana leaves to the compost heap, she was stopped by two visitors and asked where the leaves were being taken? One of the visitors, it turned out, was from Burma and she hadn't seen a banana leaf since she had left the country. She asked if she could have one of the leaves, but not the whole leaf, just small squares, which she duly tore off. Excitedly she explained that these pieces would be used as a food wrapping! Apparently in Burma, the leaves are used to serve food on and to wrap food up in, the perfect biodegradable food packaging. This was a conversation Ali could never have imagined having whilst working in the college gardens, the use of banana leaves in different cultures, one person's compost turned out to be another person's food wrapping.

From Summer Bedding To Spring Bedding

Yesterday Ali, Kieron and Callum started working on the border at the bottom of the quad. The summer display is now past its best and needs removing ready for the spring bedding display, for the summer planting see blog entry 'Tranquillity At The Bottom Of The Quad' dated 23rd July. 

Working along the border they cut down the perennials and remove the summer display plants, some of which are to be kept as stock plants, the rest are taken to the compost heap.

By the end of the day the border is cleared, weeded, levelled and mulched, leaving it tidy and ready for today's planting of the 240 Wallflower 'Sunset Primrose' by Graham and Ali.

Adding The 'Royal Blue' To The 'Sunset Orange'

The Myosotis 'Royal Blue', pricked out on the 22nd August, are now ready to be planted out in their winter display position. Today they have joined the Wallflower 'Sunset Orange', adding the 'Royal Blue' to this year's theme, all that is left to be added is the yellow, which will be provided by the Tulip 'West Point', still to be planted.

Gone In Just 40 Minutes

The night time temperatures have dropped between 5 to10 degrees centrigrade causing a slight panic due to the potential damage to the tender plants that are creating the summer displays around the college. First to be removed to the safety of the greenhouse is the display in the Provost's Courtyard, for photographs of the display being planted up see blog entry 3rd June 'A New Central Display'. 

Having taken many hours to create, the display is gone in just 40 minutes. The majority of the plants were taken to the greenhouse and potted up for use next year, some were potted up as stock plants, in case the cuttings fail, and a few were taken to the compost heap.

By the end of the day the display is in a new form, all separated but in the warmth of the greenhouse.

Making Fresh Apple Juice

As the apples were being picked in the orchard, a demonstration, on a much smaller scale than the press used at Waterperry, was given throughout the day to show the process from fruit to juice. First apples were cut into pieces and placed into a crusher. 

The crank handle is turned crushing the fruit by a series of serrated rollers and hooked blades, dropping into a tray below.

The crushed apple is then tipped into the oak pressing cage. Pressing plates are then placed over the fruit and secured in place with a large iron nut.  

The iron bar is turned, pushing the plates down, squeezing the crushed apple and causing the juice to flow out into the base plate , then into the bucket or a waiting cup.

Graduates from the MCR (Middle Common Room) were shown the process at the end of their garden tour along with receiving samples of the fruit used and the juice. Passing students were given the refreshing juice as they passed the demonstration.

Apple Picking 2013

It's time to start picking the apples that will be part of this year's 'Worcester College Apple & Pear Juice', just apples today as the pears aren't quite ready yet.

Varieties picked were 'Newton Wonder', 'Spartan', 'Chiver's Delight', 'Golden Spire', 'Blenheim Orange', 'Orleans Reinette', 'Peggys Pride' and 'Luxton's Superb'. In the next few days these apples will be taken to Waterperry Gardens for storage until the more apples can be picked and the pears are ripe. Once all the fruit has been picked, the juicing will commence.