Work Book.

Bob's a bit busy to update two blogs at the moment but if you want to keep up with his work book you can see it at GARDENER TO THE BIG HOUSE Bob.

Mowing Day

MY HADDON HALL PICTURE FOR TODAY

TODAYS WEATHER READINGS
Temp Low: 8C
Temp High: 22C
Rainfall: 3mm
Cont. Days Without Rain:0
Dry Days This Month: 8
Gust Level 0-2
Pressure: 997.3
Weather: Sunny at first clouded over later.
2009 Highs & Lows
Min for the year: -5 C (4th February)
Max for the year: 35 C (1st July)
Most rain in 24 hours: 39mm (5th June)

MY WORK BOOK

See to the sheep
Field
Misc
Fri 31/07/2009 08:00
Fri 31/07/2009 08:20
20 minutes
1) Ckecked and counted the sheep.
2) Put out some minerals.

See to the greenhouss
Glasshouses,
Fri 31/07/2009 08:20
Fri 31/07/2009 08:55
35 minutes
Watered round.

Mowing
Courtyard
Public Gardens
Fri 31/07/2009 08:55
Fri 31/07/2009 10:10
1.25 hours

Mowing
North Front
Public Gardens
Fri 31/07/2009 10:10
Fri 31/07/2009 10:30
20 minutes

Break for tea
Home
Misc
Fri 31/07/2009 10:30
Fri 31/07/2009 10:50
20 minutes

Mowing
All lawns
Main Garden
Fri 31/07/2009 10:50
Fri 31/07/2009 12:30
100 minutes
Took off two box fullls of grass.

Mowing
All Lawns
Walled Garden
Fri 31/07/2009 12:30
Fri 31/07/2009 15:00
2.5 hours
Toook off six box fulls.

Break for lunch
Home
Misc
Fri 31/07/2009 15:00
Fri 31/07/2009 15:45
45 minutes

Carted off the grass cuttings
Walled Garden
Fri 31/07/2009 15:45
Fri 31/07/2009 16:30
45 minutes

Removed the Geranium towers
Pumpend Hall & Pumpend
Fri 31/07/2009 16:30
Fri 31/07/2009 17:05
35 minutes
The Geraniums in two of the Geranium towers had developed rust so I disposed of them on the burn pile.

Set a mole trap
North Front
Public Gardens
Fri 31/07/2009 17:05
Fri 31/07/2009 17:20
15 minutes
I noticed this morning that a mole has been working on the north front lawn.

Clean and put away the tools
Potting Shed
Fri 31/07/2009 17:20
Fri 31/07/2009 17:25
5 minutes

Close the greenhouses
Glasshouses
Fri 31/07/2009 17:25
Fri 31/07/2009 17:35
10 minutes

Plan Ahead.

MY HADDON HALL PICTURE FOR TODAY

MY WORK BOOK

See to the sheep
Field
Misc
Thu 30/07/2009 08:00
Thu 30/07/2009 08:20
20 minutes
Checked and counted the sheep.

See to the greenhouses
Glasshouses,
Thu 30/07/2009 08:20
Thu 30/07/2009 08:30
10 minutes
Had a check round.

Planting
West Front
Main Garden
Thu 30/07/2009 08:30
Thu 30/07/2009 08:50
20 minutes
Planted some stray Cosmos by the steps to the pond.

Strim round
Main Garden
Thu 30/07/2009 08:50
Thu 30/07/2009 09:45
55 minutes
Cut everywhere that I can't get with the mowers.

Cleaned off the steps
Viewing Corner
Walled Garden
Thu 30/07/2009 09:40
Thu 30/07/2009 10:00
20 minutes
Cleaned off the steps.

Break for tea
Home
Misc
Thu 30/07/2009 10:00
Thu 30/07/2009 10:20
20 minutes

Shopping
Garden Centre
Misc
Thu 30/07/2009 10:20
Thu 30/07/2009 11:20
1 hour
Went for more plants for Pumpend as the lady liked the ones I got for her yesterday.

Went for diesel
Farm
Misc
Thu 30/07/2009 11:20
Thu 30/07/2009 12:10
50 minutes
Went to get diesel for my tractor, they filled all my cans plus my tractor total 118 Litres.

Planting
Pumpend
Hall & Pumpend
Thu 30/07/2009 12:00
Thu 30/07/2009 12:45
45 minutes
Put some Petunia's in the window boxes. (See Note 1)

Break for lunch
Home
Misc
Thu 30/07/2009 12:45
Thu 30/07/2009 13:30
45 minutes

Shredding
Potting Shed
Walled Garden
Thu 30/07/2009 13:30
Thu 30/07/2009 14:45
1.25 hours
Shredded a Buddleia that I cut down yesteerday.

Servicing
Potting Shed
Misc
Thu 30/07/2009 14:45
Thu 30/07/2009 15:45
1 hour
Checked over, serviced and cleaned the Allett mower.

Mowing
Rough Grass
Public Gardens
Thu 30/07/2009 15:45
Thu 30/07/2009 17:25
100 minutes
Cut all the grass around the green.

See to the bins.
Hall
Hall & Pumpend
Thu 30/07/2009 17:25
Thu 30/07/2009 17:35
10 minutes
Put the black bins back.

Clean and put away the tools.
Potting Shed
Thu 30/07/2009 17:35
Thu 30/07/2009 17:45
10 minutes
As you can see summer weather in the UK makes for very dirty tools!

NOTES
1) You're probably wondering why I'm planting up window boxes and what have you with Petunia's at this time of the year. Well I'm afraid the former lady to the big house took it upon herself to organise the flowers for their small garden even though I was growing on Geraniums and what have you for them. Its like the saying about having a dog and barking yourself, you always find that the dog is much better at doing the barking and so its turned out the same with gardening because she now finds that the plants she bought are not putting on any kind of display so I've been hunting round to find something for her. Luckily there are some Petunia's that they're selling off cheap at the garden centre. They aren't very good but they're better than what she has in and they make a display of sorts. I was accused of being miserable by somone the other week because I advised people to be planning their winter displays (or summer displays if you're from the south) if they are thinking of putting on one. What Sara said at the time is very true, you really need to be thinking at least six months in advance. It might not be nice to think about winter in July but it equals itself out because in January you get to think about summer and its this last minute planning that's landed the former lady in the mess with her garden. There was nothing wrong with her idea but she left it so later getting the plants that they were to small and this rubbish weather we've been having has made it even worse because nothing is growing. For example I stood two standard Fuchsia's outside the potting shed door five weeks ago and they didn't grow an inch. In the end I gave up and took them back in to the conservatory last Friday and they've done more in the last week than they did in the previous four.

COMMENTS FROM THE POTTING SHED
Sara Dogs that could weed, now that would be good. Tom just likes being with me in the garden and I like the company.

Jeanette The breed of sheep we have don't produce many lambs, some have two but mostly they just have the one. I suppose thats why they're a rare breed, if they had to pay their way then you would need to have the modern breeds.

Apple Thinning.

MY HADDON HALL PICTURE FOR TODAY

MY WORK BOOK
See to the sheep
Field
Misc
Tue 28/07/2009 08:00
Tue 28/07/2009 08:20
20 minutes
Checked and counted the sheep.

See to the greenhouses
Glasshouses
Tue 28/07/2009 08:20
Tue 28/07/2009 09:10
50 minutes
Watered round.

Cover the wallflowers
Veg Garden
Walled Garden
Tue 28/07/2009 09:10
Tue 28/07/2009 09:40
30 minutes
Covered wallflowers with fleece as something is pulling the up.

Feed the Petunia's
South Front
Main Garden
Tue 28/07/2009 09:40
Tue 28/07/2009 10:30
50 minutes
Fed and watered with Miracle-Gro.

Break for tea
Home
Misc
Tue 28/07/2009 10:30
Tue 28/07/2009 10:50
20 minutes

Weeding
West Shrub Border
Walled Garden
Tue 28/07/2009 10:50
Tue 28/07/2009 12:45
115 minutes
1) Weeded.
2) Fed the old Polyanthus.
3) Edged the grass.

Break for lunch Home
Misc
Tue 28/07/2009 12:45
Tue 28/07/2009 13:30
45 minutes

Weeding
West Shrub Border
Walled Garden
Tue 28/07/2009 13:30
Tue 28/07/2009 15:20
110 minutes
Finished off the west shrub border.

Weeding
Veg Garden
Walled Garden
Tue 28/07/2009 15:20
Tue 28/07/2009 16:40
80 minutes
Edged and weeded around the bottom of the fruit trees.

Thinning apples.
Veg Garden
Walled Garden
Tue 28/07/2009 16:40
Tue 28/07/2009 17:15
35 minutes
Thinned some of the apples on a couple of the best trees.

Clean and put away the tools
Potting Shed
Tue 28/07/2009 17:15
Tue 28/07/2009 17:25
10 minutes

Close the greenhouses
Glasshouses
Tue 28/07/2009 17:25
Tue 28/07/2009 17:30
5 minutes
Closed the vents and doors on the conservatory.

NOTES
It would seem that weeding the apple trees was a little over powering for someone!

COMMENTS FROM THE POTTING SHED
Sara I will put a few pics on of the inside in a few days.
Ally I'm pleased you emjoyed the link.
Jeanette Yes I would wait a little while before pruning the Fuchsia's if you're still having frosts.

Weeding The Courtyard

MY PICTURE FOR TODAY

This week my picture for today will be of Haddon Hall in Derbyshire.

MY WORK BOOK
See to the sheep
Field
Misc
Mon 27/07/2009 08:00
Mon 27/07/2009 08:20
20 minutes
1) Put out some minerals.
2) Checked and counted the sheep.

See to the greenhouses
Glasshouses,
Mon 27/07/2009 08:20
Mon 27/07/2009 09:05
45 minutes
1) Watered round.
2) Took off some dead leaves.
3) Restaked a standard Fuchsia.

Weeding Courtyard
Public Gardens
Mon 27/07/2009 09:05
Mon 27/07/2009 10:30
85 minutes
Weeding the corner beds.

Break for tea
Home
Misc
Mon 27/07/2009 10:30
Mon 27/07/2009 10:50
20 minutes

Weeding Courtyard
Public Gardens
Mon 27/07/2009 10:50
Mon 27/07/2009 12:45
115 minutes
Weeding the corner beds.

Break for lunch
Home
Misc
Mon 27/07/2009 12:45
Mon 27/07/2009 13:30
45 minutes

Dead heading
Courtyard
Public Gardens
Mon 27/07/2009 13:30
Mon 27/07/2009 14:30
1 hour
Dead headed the centre bed and the barrels.

Weeding Conservatoory
Walled Garden
Mon 27/07/2009 14:30
Mon 27/07/2009 17:00
2.5 hours
Finished weeding the cutting borders in the old conservatory. Also took off some sweet pea flowers and pruned back the outdoor grape vine.

Cleaned and put away the tools.
Potting Shed
Mon 27/07/2009 17:00
Mon 27/07/2009 17:10
10 minutes

Close the greenhouses
Glasshouses
Mon 27/07/2009 17:10
Mon 27/07/2009 17:20
10 minutes

Update my todo list
Misc
Mon 27/07/2009 17:20
Mon 27/07/2009 17:30
10 minutes
Had a walk around the grounds and checked out a few jobs that need doing.

COMMENTS FROM THE POTTING SHED
Weaver Of Grass the script was quite fancy wasn't it, just shows someone had nothing to do but mess around!
Jeanette I don't think of you as ever having a minus three, I hope you had your plants protected.