Swans Abandon Their Nest

16th June, Swan last seen on her nest

The swans started rebuilding last year's nest during the third week in March and a week later the first egg had been laid, see blog entries 21st March 2014  and 27th March 2014 respectively. Six weeks earlier than the previous year, it was hoped that cygnets would be seen on the lake sometime in early to mid of May, but the time came and went and still she sat on the nest incubating her seven eggs. She sat for ten weeks, one week longer than last year, before abandoning them. However, the pair have stayed on the lake rather than flying away, as was the case last year, see blog entry 12th July 2013 'Swan Nest And Eggs Abandoned'. The centre of the nest now holds just three eggs, one can be seen teetering on the edge and another in the water, two have disappeared. A sad sight, hopefully next year will be the year that cygnets are finally seen on the lake.

18th June 2013, Nest abandoned

Fertilising The Quad Lawn

With the Tercentenary Ball less than two weeks away, Joss has fed the quad lawn with another dose of  'Marathon Sport Spring', a slow release fertiliser that will keep the turf supplied with nutrients for the next few months. With no rain forecast for the next 48 hours, Joss switches the watering system on during the day, as well as at night, to wash the newly applied fertiliser into the turf.

Bladder Nut (Staphylea colchica)

Bladder Nut, Staphylea colchica

Planted  a few months ago in the border at the bottom of the quad, the Bladder Nut, Staphylea colchica, has started to produce unusual bladder shaped, greenish-white capsules. This upright, deciduous shrub produces panicles of fragrant white flowers followed by these 'Bladder Nut' capsules, another great addition to the college gardens.

Bladder shaped capsules

UPDATE: 5th December 2018

The shrub is now 12-15 foot tall and producing numerous capsules that turn brown in the winter, contain small bladder nuts that rattle within the dried capsule as the wind blows.

Brown capsules

Capsules containing nuts

Edible Bladder Nuts

Weeding and Planting In The Tomato House

Before

The tomato house had remained untouched since the tomato, pepper and cucumber plants were removed at the end of last summer. This year's plants have been ready to be planted for a few weeks now, waiting for the two beds to be prepared for planting. Kieron and Danny spent the day removing all the weeds and self sown tomato plant seedlings, digging leaf mould into the beds and planting this year's plants. The varieties for 2014 are: Tomato 'Gardener's Delight' and 'Brutus', Pepper 'Heatwave' and 'Padron', Cucumber 'Bella'.  

After

Cut Flowers For The Summer

The Sweet Peas were planted in the cut flower bed at the end of April, see blog entry 29th April 'Sweet Pea Juliet, Anniversary and Apple Blossom'. Other plants have now joined them, but not before the bed had been thoroughly weeded by Emma, our Tuesday volunteer. Once weeded the following plants were planted: Sunflower 'Irish Eyes', Sunflower 'Teddy Bear', Zinnia elegans 'Giant Double Mixed', Antirrhinum majus 'Apple Blossom', Antirrhinum majus 'Royal Bride', Antirrhinum majus 'Orange Wonder' and Panicum elegans 'Frosted Explosion'. The Sweet William are still flowering so will be dug up and replaced by other plants for summer cut flowers once they have finished.

Trimming Yew Columns

The 20 yew columns in the Provost's rose garden are usually trimmed once a year from late July to late August, only once before have they been trimmed in June and that was in 2012 in preparation for the Encaenia garden party, see blog entry 13th June 2012.

With the Tercentenary Ball being held on Friday 27th June, the 20 yew columns are again being trimmed early. Joss, unable to use the petrol hedge trimmer to cut them due to the loud noise it makes and their close proximity to the examination rooms, trims all the columns using hand shears. By the end of a very warm day all the columns have been trimmed and the preparations for the ball begin.

The Central Display In The Pump Quad

It started with the large ornamental plants being taken from the greenhouse and being placed into the centre of the Pump Quad, see blog entry 3rd June 'Hiding Large Plant Pots'. Next pallets were cut up, lined and planted up to create a shield to hide the pots, see blog entry 4th June 'Plants In Pallets'. The display has now been completed, all the pallets have been planted and the gaps behind them have been filled to create this year's summer display in the centre of the Pump Quad.