Monday, January 24, 2011

Well well well










This is apparently a 'bottle well' (with thanks to John from the Kent Underground Research Group for helping me with research). It acts as a cistern or a tank and collects water from the surrounding areas - hence the pipework - and is not a groundwell, which would hold water coming up from a spring.

The big worry is the ash tree that is behind it has started to disturb the surface brickwork (top photo). How on earth am I going to a. get rid of the tree and b. turn this into a feature? John tells me that it would be worth getting a pump into the well to empty it of water and then descending with a bucket to clean out the debris that has gathered at the bottom. Any volunteers?

I quite fancy putting an old fashioned hand pump on top and restoring it to a water supply for that area of the garden. Its where we want to have the Glade - a open area within the woodland where we could have a Bell Tent and firepit. A water source for washing hands, dishes, making tea might be good. Better also test the water!

Friday, January 21, 2011

A new discovery


This is the greater spotted woodpecker and, sadly, I couldn't get a photo of him. It was thrilling as I had never seen one before. At first I thought it was a magpie and then suddenly caught sight of his red bottom! I grabbed my binoculars and found him high up in a tree ripping the bark off and looking for grubs. I have often seen a green woodpecker here, but this is my first EVER sighting of this species.

I hear the tawny owl hooting often and have tried going out and to see if I can spot him, but to no avail. My son's night vision glasses are great fun and I was hoping they might help me, but I have had no success with them yet. The problem is I am often too busy laughing, knowing how completely daft I look wandering around with them on. Can't wait for warmer evenings - I am on a mission: there is so much of the nocturnal world I would like to see.

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Summer Camp

the view out from Summer Camp


















Looking in to Summer Camp - stage one clear logs!

Here is Summer Camp. Can you see it? A dappled area where the hammocks gently sway as people snooze in a shady spot away from the heat of the day. There is a level area where the table and chairs will sit.

For those who have slept out it is the place to sip that early morning tea whilst watching the sun rise, or a cool spot to have lunch when everyone is wilting in the summer heat, a refuge with an evening glass of wine at sunset listening to the final birdsong and watching the sky change.

A little outdoor fireplace will ward off the chill and boil the storm kettle. Perhaps a coolbox hidden under old logs, to keep the drinks just the right temperature.

Roll on Summer.




Oh Deer








the old exclusion zone







I am told that if you have deer in your garden you may as well give up any attachment to the plants. I rather like the deer tracks that meander through the garden, you can see the route they take through the wooded areas, and I certainly don't want to eradicate them completely, but perhaps just encourage them to keep to the aisles rather than a free for all scrum throughout the 'fresh produce' department.


















the new exclusion zone! It might just work.


Obviously the deer fencing that has been in place for a few decades hasn't been particularly effective. In some areas huge trees have grown up through the fallen sections! However, again, our human digger, Woijteck (I'll get the spelling right as soon as I've perfected the pronunciation of his name), has done an amazing job and started to resurrect the fence and clear the area for starting the hedgerow planting. I don't want to go to war with the deer, I just want to give the rest of nature a chance too.





Tuesday, January 11, 2011

The Rose Arbor


I have a dream!

There is little woodland area I call The Glade. The owl hoots there at night and it's where the deer exit to the fields. Its been a sort of bonfire area and is covered in ivy, brambles and fallen logs. The previous owner tells me there used to be a glass blowing house in there.

One dream is that this area will become a space to gather at twilight. We will have a firepit there and as the day quietens down we will be able to hear the owls hooting and witness the sparkling night sky.

There are two wells here. We uncovered one of them - an amazing brick lined beauty. The water is about 30ft down but at the moment it terrifies me and we keep it well covered with concrete slabs. I want to open it up at some point and make it a real feature (bottled water anyone?) but not yet. The other well has been filled in and we have yet to find any trace of it.
If you look behind the tree (and the slabs covering the well) you will see a pale wall - it is here I dare to dream. This is the beginning of my rose arbor. This little wall is the end of the 80ft wall that runs along the back garden. It is different stone and much shorter so I'm not sure what it belonged to. Anyway here is my second dream, I see this area rose-filled and serene......

Our Polish friend, Woijtek came in like a human JCB and cleared the area in about 3 hours. We have kept the brambles as bare rooted plants and are going to plant them along with beech, hawthorn and blackthorn on a boundary line to create a natural hedgerow. All hedgehogs welcome.

I am not sure quite how this rose arbor is going to evolve, but we're going to dig down beneath the mud as it feels like there is a solid platform underneath, tomorrow will reveal more!


Thursday, January 6, 2011

January Joy



My lovely garden is full of surprises. We moved into the house in November and the first surprise was a deer and her youngster strolling along chewing away at the roses! Now, I may learn to curse this sight as I get more attached to growing roses, but on our first morning in the house it seemed so special and sacred. We felt honoured to watch as they timidly made their way across the lawn to the woodlands and fields beyond.

No photo of them yet - but soon!

There is a 'wall' in our garden. Very Pyramus and Thisbe! It was apparently an old apple store (any advances on that theory?), now its just a ruin of a wall thats 80 ft long, 12 ft high covered in ivy. Elders, sycamores, ash and laurel are happily growing inside the old building! There is about 8" of soil on the ground inside, plus the remains of an old fireplace and lots of bricks and rubble where the back wall has fallen down. It feels like a hidden treasure and is my GRAND DESIGN project. In my mind it is a restored pavillion - but more of that later.

I have so many plans for the garden; first there is some research to do. It was an orchard to a big Edwardian house, the area of the 'apple store' also has two wells (we have uncovered one so far - huge and brick lined - photos later - the other has been filled in apparently) and I was told another area once was once a 'glass blowing' house. I want to uncover the history and bring new life to the garden - not as a formal landscape, but by encouraging biodiversity and building on the sense of enchantment that already lingers here.