Laying The Soaker Hose

The soaker hose was removed from the herbaceous border in November, see blog entry 11th November 2014 'Cutting Down The Herbaceous Border', to protect it from the frost. If left out any water inside the pipe, during freezing conditions, would turn to ice, expanding, and then in warmer conditions, would turn back to water, thawing, potentially causing the pipe to crack. The hose has been kept in the greenhouse during the winter but today it has been returned to the border and carefully relaid, snaking its way through the plants. Additional lengths have also been added to increase to the total area of seepage, delivering water directly to the roots of more of the plants on the border.

Feeding And Weeding

Under a beautiful blue sky Ali and Graham spent the day working on the herbaceous border. Having scattered Growmore, a general purpose fertilizer, over the soil they had to fork it in, digging out the weeds at the same time. Growmore contains equal amounts of Nitrogen, phosphates and potash, (NPK 7-7-7), perfect for leaf growth, root growth and flower growth respectively.

Renovating The Path In The Quad

Yesterday the team began the project to renovate part of the path in the quad. They started by breaking up the section of the path at the base of the banks which had gradually worn away over the years. Unlike previous path renovations, when the surface was broken up using the New Holland tractor with the grab attachment, due to its location and accessibility, the quad path had to be broken up by the team using forks.

Following the preparation of the path yesterday, three deliveries, totalling 10 tonnes of 'as dug ballast', arrived today. The ballast had to be transported from its delivery site to the quad in order for it to be used to create the new path. First the New Holland, with the front loader attached, was used to scoop the ballast up and load it in to the trailer. Once full, the trailer was towed by tractor round to the archways of the quad where its contents were emptied. 

The ballast was shovelled in to wheelbarrows which were then wheeled in to the quad and tipped on to the broken path. 

Raked to create a slight camber, the 10 tonnes of ballast was then compacted using the wacker plate. The path will be allowed to settle overnight and be compacted again in the morning.

(L-R) Ady, Graham, Callum, Ali behind the camera (The wheelbarrow team)

Disaster For The Waterfowl

Gale force, northwesterly winds battered many parts of the UK today, doing their best to knock the gardeners off their feet as they swept through Oxfordshire. The damage, however, was limited to the island in the lake, blowing one of the two duck houses from its pitch into the lake. When it was retrieved from the water its contents were revealed,  a clutch of 24 eggs, a very sad sight to behold, and a disaster for the waterfowl. The Aylesbury duck and a Canada Goose have been spotted by the house fighting over it, so it is unknown as to which one they belong to. Hopefully, as it is still early spring, there is plenty of time to lay another clutch. 

Verticutting and Aerating

The quad lawn was heavily scarified last year, see blog entry 8th September 2014 'The Scarifying Of The Quad Lawn Begins', ripping out the thatch that had built up over the previous three years. Today Joss, joined by Callum, began the spring maintenance of the quad, verticutting and aerating. The process of verticutting is less harsh than scarification, penetrating the top layer of turf removing dead grass on the surface rather than reaching deep in to the thatch layer. The aerating makes holes in the turf enabling water and air to reach the roots of the grass.

The Chiffchaff Have Arrived

On a beautiful warm, sunny spring day, the first Chiffchaff has been heard in the college grounds having made the long flight from the Mediterranean and western Africa where they spend the winter. Six days later than last year's arrival date, 21st March, the Chiffchaff was seen at the top of trees at the far end of the broadwalk singing its wonderful song that heralds the arrival of spring and the first of the summer migrants.

Additional Note:
The Chiffchaff was last heard in the gardens 21st September 2015

Moving Out, Hardening Off And Potting On

A Full Greenhouse

Space is at a premium in the greenhouse, the seeds have germinated and need to be pricked out but the cuttings are taking up the all the room on the benches.

Peach House

To make room the cuttings that were taken in September, potted up in October and potted on in February, are moved out of the heated greenhouse and in to the colder peach house. Acclimatising these plants to the harsher outdoor conditions is a process called 'hardening off', they will have to ready by the beginning of June when they will be planted outside as part of this year's summer display.  

Space On The Bench Waiting To Be Filled

Now that space in the greenhouse has been made the second lot of cuttings, the more tender plants, are potted on in to bigger individual pots and moved along the bench to where their predecessors one sat.

Potting On

The Space Filled

Sufficient room has now been created on the bench for the seedlings, but this won't be empty for long as the pricking out starts next week.

Ready For The Seedlings