Getting ready

George has been busy in the garden in my absence. Now we just need a good frost, much soil improver and the rotovator. And I'm down there now starting to muck out other beds.... But the field is so wet we can't even bring the tractor across with boxes of plants yet.

Nail biting day as plants are on the motorway as I write, I sped down this morning wondering what was inside every single curtain sided trailer, I'd never thought of it before.

Oh, and here is the new addition to the family! Mouse's granddaughter Maddy.

Going, going, going.....

This is what was happening here first thing this morning. I was almost tearful at first, seeing all my babies leaving home!

So many thanks to Will and Tom Davis who came up from the farm to help when I know they are frantically busy, and to Sparky who came up with a second (necessary) trailer for bags.... Meanwhile, the haulier delivered the trailer unit to Will's farm, and plants will go down the motorway on Monday. All rather major!





And then Annette arrived with Imogen and the gorgeous 3 week old Florence, all of whom got stuck into digging up a trailer full of plants for their cutting gardens. It was lovely to see them, and to see more plants going off to a wonderful new home.

And then, to restore my faith in human nature further, a lovely creative couple came back for a second viewing here, who knows where it will all lead but it was lovely to meet them and talk to some likeminded people who just may end up here, or may not. But all positive anyway.

And to cap it all, Mandy arrived with Posh Dogs mobile dog clipping parlour (brilliant service!) so Mouse is now rather more presentable, although it is now impossible to argue that her rather overfull figure is due to her generous coat!

Bulk plants still on offer

Anyone with plenty of space needing flower filling?
I still have stacks of Rudbeckia Goldsturm, Solidago rugosa, Crocosmia lucifer, Alchemilla mollis, Aster andenken Alma Potschke, Campanula Loddon Anna, Miscanthus sinensis and Calamagrostis Karl Foerster. And white michaelmas daisies perfect for filling space and for filling bouquets. Also buddleja mint, purple and green sages, rosemary and blue and white savory (or is it hyssop, I can't remember.....)

And for strong people with serious spades - we broke two last weekend including my favourite ever long handled bronze/copper sharp spade - there's a quantity of guelder rose and dogwoods.

Big Dig Thanks

Thanks thanks thanks to those who came this weekend and gave such amazing physical help, moral support, or just came to buy plants. Particular thanks to the two Carols who were here all day, Carol the Tuckshop Gardener from Birmingham took loads of amazing photographs ( a few below!) to record the occasion as well as helping move and shift plants, and Carol from Tewkesbury barrowed hundreds of plants and dug hundreds more. Also lovely to see Emma again who came and WWOOFed here for me two years ago, then worked here, and is now working very successfully in the area and since yesterday planning her cutting garden on a new patch with some treasures from here. And great to meet Clare from The Flower Field in Devon who came the very very long way round to avoid the Severn Bridge, but still managed to be sane and smiling - I hope the echinaceas flourish as well for you as they do here against all received wisdom!

We now have 10 very full potato boxes and 30 completely stuffed dumpy bags (thanks also due here to my neighbour Ruth for swapping plants for dumpy bags from her family's incredibly helpful FJ WIlliams builders merchants). Also a selection of trees that were only planted this year so will be quite happy to make a move. I rather wish I'd got hold of more potato boxes, I suspect they'll become compost bins and raised beds one day. Finally I had a use for the roll of hessian that has been sitting in the corner of the shed for years - perfect for wrapping the roots of roses and trees we lifted.

You could see snow all over Hay Bluff from the garden, but here the sun shone for most of both days which was an unexpected bonus. My great friend Annette worked like a Trojan all weekend, and also provided Dominic and I with delicious bacon and sausages, and Dominic was unbelievably helpful and brilliant as ever. He has worked here this summer, coming down for two or three days at a time to sort things out, he works unbelievably hard and fast and efficiently, and I'm hoping he may be interested in taking my tunnel to start a venture with his gorgeous partner Chloe as it is too large for my new site and I would so like it to go somewhere where it really will make a difference, I can still remember my extreme excitement when I first put it up and would love that to move on - and I have to get lower tunnels for the new field as I do not want to start off by upsetting the neighbours who live with their view across my field. And of course I have an ulterior motive, hopefully Dominic will continue to help from time to time!

Seller beware - of completely mad time wasters?

http://buyingthedream.blogspot.co.uk/

OK, having put me through the mill for weeks, the prospective buyer of this lovely home and land said last Friday she would exchange contracts this week as long as a drainage survey was OK. Drainage survey was done today. It was fine. She has now pulled out completely.

So, tell your friends as this place is very definitely on the market. And very definitely lovely. At least it is now available to the right person.

http://buyingthedream.blogspot.co.uk/

And if any one out there is ever selling a house beware of Dr Fiona Goodwin!

Plant boxes

All very exciting, some plant crates arrived today. Now scattered as we had to tip them off by hand and they're a bit hefty for me to shift on my own.

At the same time as guys arrived to survey my drains as the (apparently) last question from the prospective purchaser, and big Phil came to service the Rayburn. Yes I know I'm leaving but it seemed a good idea to leave things in good order as far as I can.....

An odd job, surveying drainage systems, I got the impression they weren't entirely impressed with my offerings! And not particularly impressed with wading about in the reed bed either!

end of season

Last bunch went out....