The Provost's Yard 2012

Here are some photographs of this years summer display in the Provost's Yard, enjoy.

Working Together

The morning started with a rather large delivery of compost, horticultural grit and John Innes, two pallets all needing to be moved into the greenhouse for storage. Working together with wheelbarrows, a sack truck and man power, and having made the delivery driver a cup of coffee, the bags were stacked neatly away until the autumn.

Having finished with the delivery, the team moved into the Provost's Yard and removed all the plants not required for this years summer display.



The plants not required were heeled in over in the nursery for their temporary storage, then the team turned their attention to the greenhouse, which plants are going to be used in this years display?

In preparation for the new plants, some of the old, tired compost was removed and a new fresh mix added, unfortunately one of the medium pots had to be completely changed due to the dreaded Vine Weevil, not just the grubs but the pre-pupil stage too. (Click on the word Vine Weevil for more info on these creatures that hide in pots and can destroy plant displays!)

By the end of the day the display in the Provost's Yard was complete.

Shades of Pink and White

The team focused their attention to the bottom border in the front quadrangle as they continued to plant out the bedding display for the summer. Salvia, Cosmos, Panicum, Diascia, Antirrhinum, Gaura and Cleome will create a display in various shades of pink and white in addition to the perennials already planted.

Bedding Out Begins For 2012

With the rise in temepratures forecast for the rest of the week and the threat of a late frost diminishing, Ali gets the go ahead to start ripping out the winter pot displays and to start planting out the first of the plants grown for the summer display. By the end of the day 90 small plants, Cosmos, Cleome, Antirrhinum, Panicum and Tagetes have their place in the borders.

In the newly created heeling in area in the nursery, the architectural plants from a few of the winter pots have been planted for safe keeping during the summer. A robin kept her company and greatly received any bugs and worms disturbed during the digging.

Treecreepers Fledge

Have been watching a pair of treecreeper for the last two weeks flying back and forth to the old London Plane on the Nuffield Lawn. Walked past the tree this morning and all was quite, no activity or sound from within, another successful fledging over the weekend, I hope.

Mower Trial

Always open to new ways of maintaining the gardens, the team have been trialing a new mower especially for the banks. The current method can involve the whole team, two using the Flymo on ropes to cut the grass, three or four using besoms to brush the grass off the banks on to the path for collection by shovels and brooms, see blog entry 'The Banks' 17th March 2009.
This new mower is a mulching mower and quoting from the literature " the grass is cut multiple times, then whirled upwards like a fan, and finally pressed down into the ground, all in the same operation. The grass is shredded so finely that it simply disappears among the standing blades".
No ropes, besoms, brooms or shovels, the trial continues.

Fleece In Mid May

The forecast has warned us of possible frost tonight so having already started to plant out the peas and beans on the vegetable plot as well as starting to harden off the tender ferns and our cuttings, panic sets in. The cold frame lids have had to go back on to protect the cuttings, the ferns covered in fleece and the vegetables and their wigwams wrapped up, better to be safe than sorry.