Triple Width Diagonal Lawn Pattern

The wavy stripes mowing pattern seen in April on the the quad lawn didn't last long, see blog entry for the 17th 'Creating A New Pattern On The Quad Lawn'. The replacement triple width diagonal stripes have now embedded themselves on the turf and the waves have disappeared from view.

Today Joss set about adding a further set of triple width diagonal stripes across the existing pattern. Using a guide line he mowed along it to create the first straight stripe, working off these first stripes to create the others. It is not the cylinder cutting deck that creates the stripes but the forward motion of the roller that cause the blades of grass to bend in that direction resulting in a stripe. For these wide stripes the mower is pushed in the same direction three times.

 The quad now has its new pattern for summer 2015 'triple width diagonal'.

The Swan Is Still Incubating And The Goslings Are Growing Up Fast

The pen had laid three eggs by the 17th April but had lost one by the 21st but today three eggs were spotted beneath her again. When the third egg was laid is unknown exactly but she has been seen on the nest incubating for a number of weeks now, let's hope she is successful this year.

4 Weeks Old

The two Canada Geese goslings are 4 weeks old now and are growing up fast. Wing feathers can now be seen on the wings and small black tail feathers have begun to emerge on the tail. Over the next week the flight feathers will grow and by 4th/5th July they should be able to fly, fully fledged by the 11th/12th unrecognisable from their parents.

4 Weeks Old

Great Tit V Blue Tit

Blue Tit Nest Site, The Old Apple Tree

The Great Tit's have always nested in an old, hollow apple tree in the orchard, but this year they have moved to the more modern accommodation of a new wooden nest box in the neighbouring large pear tree. However, their previous nest site didn't remain vacant for long, a pair of Blue Tit's moved straight in.

Great Tit Nest Site, New Wooden Box

Over the last few weeks Ali spent some time recording the activity for both sites comparing the visits to the nests by both pairs. With young in both nests the activity recorded as follows:

Thursday 21st May 18:10-18:40pm (30 minutes) Great Tit 17, Blue Tit 40
Friday 22nd May 13:25-13:55pm (30 minutes) Great Tit 18, Blue Tit 61
Tuesday 26th May 13:21-13:51pm (30 minutes) Great Tit nest box empty, fledged, Blue Tit 45
According to the BTO (British Trust For Ornithology) Great Tits breed slightly earlier than Blue Tits, on average about a week so the Blue Tits are expected to fledge on 2nd June!
Wednesday 27th May 13:24-13:54 (30 minutes) Blue Tit 62

Having visited their nest to feed their young brood, on average between 640-1000 times a day, the Blue Tit young finally fledged this morning on the predicted date and the hole in the tree has gone silent.

Blue Tit Visiting Their Hole In The Apple Tree

A New Porous Hose And A New Display For The Summer

Yesterday Ady and Graham started working on the border at the bottom of the quad preparing it for the summer plants. They began by clearing out the wallflowers and polyanthus that provided the winter display.

Having cleared out the winter plants, all of which were taken to the compost heaps, they removed the old porous hose, weeded, scattered Growmore, a granular fertiliser, and forked it in.

This morning they returned to the border to lay a new porous hose that will water the plants through the summer, should it be needed!

Once the hose had been set in place the plants, grown from seed and cuttings for the summer display, were brought over from the greenhouse and cold frames. Simon placed them out and the team planted them in to their final position. The plants used this year are Antirrhinum majus 'Royal Bride', Ammi visnaga, Salvia 'Penny's Smile', Diascia personata, Cleome spinosa 'Colour Fountain Mixed' Plectranthus argentatus 'Silver Shield', Lavatera trimestris 'Loveliness Mixed', Daucus carota 'Dara', Scabiosa atropurpurea 'Burgundy Beau' and Cosmos bipinnatus 'Click Cranberries'.
The structure is provided by the permenant planting, the perennials and shrubs, Hemerocallis 'Catherine Woodbery', Artemisia 'Powis Castle', Zantedeschia aethiopica 'Crowborough', Rosa chinensis 'Mutabilis', Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple', Hydrangea paniculata 'Pinky Winky', Geranium x oxonium 'A T Johnson' and Indigofera gerardiana

"Ton Sur Ton" (In Matching Shades)

Two days ago the team began working on changing the display in The Besse Courtyard (Provost's Yard). The seven oak planters were emptied off all the winter display plants; the wallflowers placed on the compost heaps; tulips put in trays to dry out; the ivy potted up and the evergreen shrubs planted in to the healing in border.

Before the planters were topped up with new compost they were moved from their central position within the yard to the side, building work in this area during the summer months influenced the need to relocate them. Using a pallet truck each planter was careful manoeuvred to its new position.  

By the end of the day the planters had fresh compost in them and were ready for planting.

This morning Ali and Simon had the pleasure of creating the summer display in the seven oak planters. The plants used are Salvia 'Amistad', Salvia microphylla 'Cerro Potosi', Salvia curviflora, Anisodontea 'El Rayo', Plectranthus coleoides 'Variegata', Actaea matsumutae 'White Pearl' (syn. Cimicifuga) and a rich pink pelargonium (variety unknown, but a real favourite of the gardeners). Thank you to a college Fellow who gave a name to the display upon seeing the shades of pink and purple,"ton sur ton", it's French for "the matching shades". 

In a shady corner of the yard three lead planters were also planted up for the summer, completely different to those just a few metres away but so much fun to create. 

Marvellous, Magnificent, Majestic Wisteria

Since the blog began in 2009 the Wisteria has featured in many posts at this time of year. Blessed with several around the college gardens, visitors in May are amazed by their stunning display (only once have they disappointed the visitors, in 2011 they flowered in April, one month early, see blog entry 27th April 'Wonderful Wisteria'). Running out superlatives to describe this marvellous, magnificent, majestic display, here are a few photographs for you to choose your own.

 

Appying A Liquid Grass Growth Regulator And Fertiliser

With a new long hose attachment on the 60 litre pedestrian sprayer Joss can now apply liquid fertiliser safely to the banks. The previous method meant that Joss had to carry a full 15 litre piston pump knapsack sprayer on his back to accomplish the same task, filling it up 4 times!

The liquids applied today were a mix of 'Primo Maxx' and 'N Sure', a liquid formulation grass growth regulator and a slow release nitrogen fertiliser respectively.  According to the labels here is what they do!

"PRIMO MAXX inhibits vertical growth and diverts plant growth downward into the root system to produce increased lateral stem movement. This results in a thicker, healthier sward that better equips turf to withstand temperature extremes, moisture loss, traffic and wear and even helps in the management of Poa annua, Annual Meadow grass."

• Reduces grass top growth, improves sward and root mass
• Improves colour and appearance
• Cuts down mowing frequency
• One application can cut grass clippings by 50% 

"N SURE A liquid fertiliser that contains the unique slow release nitrogen source -triazone- a mechanism proven in the UK climate. The slow release properties of Triazone provide gradual nitrogen availability to the plant, reducing the amount of clippings produced and producing growth characteristics - even when comparatively large amounts of nutrients are applied."

Having safely completed working on the banks Joss detached the long hose from the pedestrian sprayer, unfolded the 2 metre 4 nozzle boom, and applied the remainder of the tank's contents to the quad lawn. Notice the foam dots on the lawn, a foam TurfTracker that tells Joss where the liquid mix has been applied, harmless to the turf and soon disappears.