New Cuttings

We have just made some new friends from south of the river.  As soon as we found their home we could see they were keen gardeners.  Our friendship is blossoming with the exchange of fresh cuttings.  So far we have presented a primrose/cowslip (from the supermarket, but it really was a good and healthy specimen) and one of the pinks my husband has propagated with a lovely scent ('Memories').  They in return have provided some tomatoes further ahead than our own, chives, a small hydrangea and two plants I forgot to identify which are now establishing themselves in pots by our porch.  We also both enjoy cut flowers and came back last night with sweet peas to complement our first summer red rose.

Cuttings are delicate at this early stage.  One of the ways to establish a  friendship is to know how to offer, receive and decline.  They already have plenty of golden thyme and golden oregano and have said so. 

Cuttings and competition do not mix.  We cannot match a plant every time we meet.  So as long as we give what we can and receive with gratitude we shall do well.

Am I developing the habits of an older gardener?

At the weekend I found myself down on my knees pulling up clumps of forget-me-nots.  And I remembered we had a customer who liked us to do this before they had quite finished flowering.  So am I developing the habits of an older gardener?  Here is some evidence for and against.

• The forget-me-nots came out.  But so did a yellow flowered weed that would fill the borders if left unchecked.  The saddest thing I have observed in a very elderly customer was a desire to convert her borders into lawn.  I remember us removing all her day lilies.  I pray that will never happen to us.
• The raspberries now occupy one of our raised bed sections along with three new raspberries from my family.  We tried to reconfigure the arrangements but it was not possible.  I concluded that after this year we do not have the space to grow broad beans.  However, the raspberries will not be permitted to spread any further.
• We have netted the kale and summer cabbage properly (I mean, of course, my husband has done this), after planting them to the correct space apart and thinning out weaker plants.  I no longer crowd plants into beds or have sympathy for 'borderline' seedlings.
• My husband has not mowed the lawn for some time.  This is the sign of an environmentally-friendly gardener not necessarily an older one.
• Likewise our hedge has grown taller but will be trimmed regularly once the nesting season is over. 

In conclusion I would say that priorities are changing from growing in bulk - our allotment experience - to growing selectively, growing well and, as always, growing with wildlife in mind.

PS  Since posting this I have decided not to allow the raspberries to spread into the raised bed.  Space is too precious.  So, reluctantly, out they all came to be replaced by a sowing of beet spinach.

PPS Netting the cabbage worked.  However, this season they failed to heart up properly so have been harvested for 'spring greens'.

Bumble Bees Under the Eaves

I have often blogged of my affection for bumble bees and the need to ensure their survival in a world of changing climate, insecticides and vanishing habitats.  We have never created a 'bee hotel' but now find ourselves hosting a 'bee hostel' as bumble bees have decided to nest this year outside our front door under the eaves of the porch.  Now they are in residence, buzzing in and out of what we presume is a gap in the woodwork.

Of course we can't get rid of them or remove them to another location.  They do not sting.  It is handy to have them close by to pollinate our fruit and vegetables; they appear to have gone for this option rather than the opening of the kitchen extractor fan, which is a relief; and they stay several feet above our heads circling and entering their nest and not causing annoyance to postmen or visitors.  

We are hoping for the best as regards this entry crevice, but will not be investigating further until they have all gone over the winter.  Then I think it will be appropriate to get the old bird box out of the shed and fix it somewhere enticing.  Our birds nest in the hedge.  Our bees are welcome close to the house, but not actually in it.