Hello! It's a new year and I am almost scared to think how this year will unfold. Normally I am really excited to get started to a new year, get back to work and get on in the nursery. Tidying up the gardens and nursery, planning and getting ready for the year to come. This year I don't, after having the rug pulled from under us last year when we had so many plans to take the nursery forward and then witnessing how 2020 unfolded, I almost feel like I am inviting more trouble by being optimistic.
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| Views from the Southern Upland way behind the house |
What are your plans and hopes for 2021? I'm not sure what mine are, to keep working hard at the nursery, improving it and developing it, hoping that it will become even more successful. Personally I've not really made any plans, they often go awry. But I hope to work more on living in the moment, enjoying the small things, appreciating that what I have is wonderful and having more doesn't necessarily lead to peace and contentment. I'd like to see more, experience more and see my young men grow and make their own lives. But I feel this might be more cautious an a lot of things I'd like to do might not happen or not until later in the year.
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| Looking towards Innerleithen |
We had a quiet New Year, just David and I, the dog and the cat, with all our youngsters living away from home and all the covid travel restrictions in place. So on New Years day we had a long lie and leisurely breakfast before heading out into the hills. We are so lucky that the Southern Upland Way passes just two fields away above the cottage. We walked along to Kirkhouse, up the Southern Upland Way and back down to the house. Great weather, great views and then home for coffee and cake
On Saturday we popped up to the nursery to drop some things off, there's been more snow there than at home! With the temperatures set to be below freezing or just above, I don't think there will be much gardening happening in the next week or so, but I do have a lot of admin to do so that will keep me out of mischief Hope you are all well and making plans for your own gardens in 2021.
We have lots of plans for the nursery and gardens in 2021 and hope we will be able to carry them out. New borders and gardens, especially the woodland garden and finishing off the bottom terrace. As in every year there are lots more plants being added to the stock list, seedlings to be potted, cuttings to be done and seeds to sow. Weeds to be dealt with, its non stop right from the start.
Sunday was a day for indoors with sleet, drizzle and snow showers. Bracken and I managed out between showers for a quick walk along the river. Lots of sitting in front of the fire working and eating biscuits, too many. Back to work and healthy eating next week.
So it’s your first day or two back at work, and we’ve been put into tougher restrictions, and you’re probably thinking ‘Do you know what would help me? To find out how to get the best out my garden this year and also, what plants should I be growing in my garden? And also where is my secret stash of emergency chocolates?’
Well I can help you with two out of three of those things- and let’s face it, I probably ate the chocolates!!!
Keep following our page, like our facebook page if you haven’t already for lots of informative gardening and plant posts through the year. Our website wwwquercusgardenplants.co.uk is packed with lots of helpful garden and plant info as well as our current stock list.
You can also find us on Instagram (Quirky Bird Gardener) and our blog is to be found here : www.ronaquirkybirdgardener.blogspot.com
You can also email me at quercusgardenplants@gmail.com for enquiries
Monday and it was still snow and freezing conditions, so we got about the many many ash seedlings taking over the cottage garden. Though we are only renting, I feel a responsibility to get rid of them as they have ash die back. Sadly this is pretty much country wide now and the best way is to remove and burn on site. So we spent the morning sawing down all the saplings, regenerated small trees where they have been cut down before and had a huge bonfire. I then tidied up the boundary beech hedge which had been cut top and road side a few years ago, but not the inside. It was becoming tree like. So about 50 feet of hedge cut back, 10 foot lengths of branches removed at a time,burnt and a whole section of ground reclaimed! We ended the afternoon with marshmallows, well deserved after a hard days work.
Well back to work on Wednesday, two months have flown by. I have to admit neither body and mind are enthralled at the idea this year. Normally I'm raring to get back, get on with tidying the nursery and gardens, ready to start again and get all our plans and ideas under way. But I feel a certain amount of reluctance this year which I think comes from the uncertainty of where this year will go. There are always plenty unknowns when running your own business, but an ongoing pandemic, none of us have any control or say over that. The weather isn't helping, snow and ice might be pretty to look at but restrictive for gardeners who need to get on with the endless task list. I've also had to cancel and refund our willow weaving workshop due to the lock down so we are already on a financial back foot. Still I will attire myself in plenty layers tomorrow morning, pull up my big girl pants and get on with what ever comes our way, what choice do we have after all?
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