Misty Cuttings

One of the first photographs that was posted on here was of our new greenhouse, which at the time was filled with seedlings but its main purpose was to house our mist propagator. This is used to do all our cuttings. It is a wooden tray with sides that is lined first with sand and then has a heated cable laid on it and then that is covered with sand and then there is a layer of peat, the cuttings are placed in the peat and over the top is a mist sprayer which keeps the leaves moist and hopefully after two to three weeks we can take out rooted cuttings. I am please to say we have now got saleable plants in the nursery!!

Moth Trap

Courgette Cornucopia were the words on everyones lips this week, Lesley had mentioned it on Radio Lincolnshire last Sunday and an article in the Lincolnshire Echo on Saturday complete with photograph were all that were needed for people to come along and see what to do with them, we sold out of any spare courgettes everyday so it must have inspired customers to go home and have a go!!
We also had the Butterfly Conservation people back to put up a moth trap on Saturday night they arrived about 8.45pm and set it up, there was a really bright light and a box with a funnel that the moths fell into. My poor Dad was volunteered to get up at 3.00am to cover over the box (to stop the sun warming it up) and at 9.30am it was opened to find out what we had caught.
We recorded 30 different species amongst these were a Poplar Hawk Moth, Goldspot, Mother of Pearl and a Magpie just to name a few. I am now looking on the internet for instructions on how to make a 'Moth Trap' for myself.

Hedging our Bets

August is the month to cut your hedge if you want it to look good all winter, so here at Goltho Gardens we are busy doing just that. We have finished the yew hedges along the back of the herbacous borders and around the paeonia garden, it was the peony and iris garden but the irisies got shaded out and are in the process of being changed to clematis. We have four obelisks in there awaiting their climbers.
Do not forget that this week we have our courgette cornucopia in the teashop, with Lesley doing demonstrations and handing out gorgeous recipes to try at home.

Season of Mellow Fruitfulness

Autumn is on its way, we are now in August and it is starting to feel really 'backendish'. We have begun our own harvest, last week I said we were eating courgettes like mad but the fruit garden this year has so far been very prolific. The blackcurrents and the gooseberries were laden and Lesley has been busy making cakes and jams with alot of the produce, she has also made some piccalilli from our own vegetables so call in and buy some it will be ready in time for Christmas.
We have eaten our first apples this week, the Discovery are always the first to be ready and there is a steady stream into the orchard to 'scrump' one. The plums are just starting to turn dark pink instead of green, and the cherries have all been harvested. All the surfeit of fruit is going in the freezer ready for use during the Winter.