After nearly a week of winds, intermittent rain and pockets of glorious sunshine, I’m finally making headway with the fruit pruning. Gooseberry and blackcurrants were finally attended to, with the black currant cuttings being taken up to the kitchen for Chef Darren Broom to use with his open fire cooking and for making skewers. I was surprised at the strong sweet smell of the wood - smelling of course, of black currants!
The pear and apple trees were next on the agenda. There are over 12 varieties and some 40 trees to prune. Cox, Egremont Russet, Quince, James Grieve, Pippin, Blenheim Orange, Bramley, Beurre Hardy and Conference - to name but a few. Pruning of these fruits are always done in the dormant season - November -March, in order to produce a strong branch framework, capable of carrying heavy crops of fruit. This involves shortening or removing any dead, diseased, broken, crowded and crossing branches, keeping the centre clear and controlling the height and spread of the tree. It is slow work, but rewarding and I feel at the end of each tree’s pruning, they heave a sigh of relief for their tidy and spruce up.
Yesterday, I sowed the aubergines - a pin-stripe variety, loaded with Vitamin A, C and potassium. This is a first trial for me, and I’m excited to follow their growth progress. Due to harvest in July - Oct. I also sowed some Leek Tadorna, an extremely winter hardy veg - cropping from Nov - March. Early sowings, such as these will be ready for transplanting outdoors in April.
I still haven’t taken the broad beans out yet. The weather has been quite unsettled and I’ve decided to wait a wee bit longer for (perhaps a week?) a nice warm day.
In mid-February, I shall be sowing under glass - spinach, lettuce, salad onions, parsley, coriander, dill, cucumber, sorrel and feverfew. Fever Few is a flowering plant in the daisy family. Traditionally used to treat fever and headache, but also used in topical skin care, reducing the appearance of facial redness and skin irritation. I try to mix as much traditional medicinal herbs and flowers into our growing season as possible, as Sophia then forests these for use in her botanical lotions and potions that are sold from our little shop.
The snow drops are out with the new moon! Little clusters of delicate nodding heads are starting to cover the ground around our apple trees and bordered beds. The snowdrop is native to Europe and the Middle East. It was brought to Britain by the Romans and contains a small genus of about 20 species of plants. It’s Latin name - Galanthus, means ‘milk flower of the snow’. The white of the snowdrop symbolises innocence and purity. Because it is the first flower to bloom at the end of winter and the beginning of spring, it also symbolises hope.
Hope. Every gardener thinks, as we make plans, sow and work the land with Mother Nature’s patient guidance, lending us visions of a garden that provides us with sustenance, beauty, productivity, calm and reflection.
I wish you all a beautiful February, as Winter gives way to Spring’s glorious birth.
Annie