A weekend of Gardening, Long Lies and Lists

Saturday dawned bright, sunny and warm which was a nice change, it almost felt like summer. After a nice long lie (I am very aware these will be a thing of the past once I start work at the nursery) David and I had a quick breakfast and then headed over to the nursery. The guy who is selling it to us has said we can go and potter about, even though the contract of sale isn't signed yet. He knows we as keen to get on with it as he is to sell and move forward. We figured, even if we do some weeding it's a bonus to us when we take over and will help the plants too.

Sunshine through Acer leaves

We spent five hours weeding, clearing and tidying the front of the sales shed, measuring where the shade tunnel will go, making more lists and making more decisions. We started weeding the long bed up the side of the track which is already planted. There are lots of lovely plants there and will look very striking once they have grown and spread out and especially once the weeds are gone. The plan is to put bark on the beds once cleared to help weed control, The place is a bit untidy and very weedy so it will be a bit of work to pull it back and get it off the ground, but exciting and fun too hopefully. We decided to treat ourselves to a take away on the way home. This will not become a habit, as we won't be able to afford it, but just this once we did, Chinese for us and haggis supper for Ben.

Geum 'Karlskaer' looking good in the sun

Geum 'Nordek', a pretty orange

Some shuttlecock ferns we found amongst the weeds in one of the already planted borders

After and before, we started weeding one of the previously planted beds, you can see the hold the weeds
have already, so we need to be quick before it becomes and impossible task

The nursery specialises in unusual perennials and plants that grow and survive in Scottish gardens, especially at height. The nursery is at 850 feet above sea level (the same height as my last garden!) so these plants will be tough. There are also a selection of grasses and ferns, Scottish fruit trees and I plan to introduce more plants as time goes on.

Bigger piggies having a snooze on the farm

On Sunday we cut the grass, it was long over due, so we made the most of the dry weather. I did the front lawn and David did the back. While he was doing his bit I planned to strim the boundaries and around the trees, but lo and behold the strimmer wouldn't work, frustrating. Instead I watered the greenhouses and pots on the patio and did other odd jobs. It was good to have some dry weather again. In the afternoon we went across to the nursery to put up some old signs we'd modified to let people know the nursery is re opening soon.

Walking up behind the nursery

We took a walk up the farm track behind the nursery to explore our new surroundings, and found the old quarry. It was full of wild flowers growing on the bankings and rock faces in the dappled shade of the beech trees. There were wild violets, Oxalis and golden saxifrage amongst the mosses and ferns. There is also a small waterfall trickling down over the rocks at the back of the quarry.

Wild violets

Oxalis

View from behind the nursery

Campion growing next to the chicken field

It was then home for dinner and to say good bye to eldest son as he went back to granny's and hello to youngest coming back from his dads! I have put all the lists I have been compiling for the nursery on the laptop, that way I can alter, cut and paste to my hearts content and not be scoring out and re writing and throwing out paper.