Pump Quad

The Pump Quad, an important social space for the students, has been gradually losing its gravel over the last three years. Raked up a few stones at a time by the gardeners when removing leaves and everyday rubbish, and walked out on the bottom of trainers, the area has become rather bald in patches.

Ady, Josh and Graham fill up the truck with gravel from a recent delivery and bring it down to the nearest pathway to the quad. Using wheelbarrows, they ferry the gravel into the quad and empty it into piles for Ali to rake level.

Tomatoes 2010

The tomatoes in the tomato house are ripening rapidly producing a large crop of deliciously sweet, juicy fruit. This year we have grown Harbinger, Ruby, Sungella, Harlequin and Tumbling Tom.
Harbinger, a traditional English variety, medium sized fruit, a very good flavour.
Ruby,a high yield on very long trusses of sweet, succulent, current sized fruit.
Sungella, a huge yield of orange skinned, sweet, juicy, golf ball sized fruit.
Harlequin, our favourite from last year, long trusses of sweet, juicy, plum shaped fruit.
Tumbling Tom, a trailing tomato, cherry sized, juicy fruit.

Making Space

Our order of compost arrived today, ready for the hundreds of cuttings that will taken in September and their subsequent potting on through out winter and spring. Once the phone call came to let us know the delivery van was on its way, the compost bay had to be emptied to make space for it, the 25kg bags were then neatly stacked.

Outside on the Nuffield Lawn, the arborist team from the Unversity Parks, spent the day thinning out the large evergreen Holm Oak, Quercus ilex. The tree has been casting a large shadow over the herbaceous border and was becoming very top heavy, the team have been removing branches creating space for any new growth and for the sun to shine through.

All Scrubbed Up

Ali, Simon and Ady, with the help of Joe, returned to the garden mentioned yesterday, to clear the remainder of the rubbish left over from yesterdays clearance. To complete the job, Simon power washed the patio removing years of dirt, grime and moss.

On the outside

Ady and Ali spent the morning weeding the nursery area and tidying the coldframes. Joe and Kieron continued their hedge cutting, this time outside the college boundary, a hedge opposite the Provost's drive entrance on Walton Street.

In the afternoon, continuing a tidying theme, Simon, Ali and Ady moved their focus to a college property in need of attention. Greeted by an overgrown Laurel and Ceanothus as well rotted leaves from the last few autumn's and ivy covered walls, they set about their task.

By the end of the afternoon, the previuosly metioned shrubs had been cut down, ivy removed from the walls and leaves raked up. Power washing the patio would have to wait until tomorrow.

New Path

This blogger has been on holiday visiting gardens, Arley Hall and the Tatton Park Flower Show, hence the lack of updates on the blog. Whilst away, the guys have had an extremely busy week, with one of their achievements being a new path leading to the compost heaps and a storage area for the wheelbarrows and trucks by the machine sheds.

They also spend a number of days in the Provost's Rose Garden preparing it for the second Old Members Garden Day held on the 25th, weeding, mowing, edging the beds and dead heading the thousands of faded roses and early flowering perennials. The day, as with the first one, was a tremendous success and the gardens looked wonderful.

Britain's Best Family Days Out

The college gardens have been mentioned in the Daily Telegraph newspaper this weekend in an article 'Britain's best family days out' mentioning great family days out around the British Isles. St John's, Corpus Christi, Worcester and Christ Church Meadow are all recommended.