HIGHER MORWELL GARDEN DIARY
30th April 2019
The month started badly. We went away for a couple of days and deer came in in numbers. The webcam caught six inside the protected area at one time, and several young trees and shrubs outside were damaged. On a more positive note after major delays from the suppliers all the fence parts for the east boundary arrived and were put in place over a few days, the weather was very kind.
Trampling of the onions and on the right the potato bed, where several just-planted potatoes were dug up. Some of the onion shoots were eaten but all seem to have recovered, and the potatoes are now all showing leaves. The deer returned twice during the month and caused more damage, the best guess is that they were jumping the gap beside the pyracanthas in the background. Stakes now in place to deter them!
The east border fence has been replaced as far as the protected area, just short of 50 metres. The opportunity was taken to remove as much of the wretched brambles which keep encroaching from the field. Any roots found in our garden have been dug out as have several in the field. Hope it makes a difference! The nettles have settled in instead but aren’t as invasive. Yet. And all the old leylandii stumps on the east border have now gone.
Contrasting fortunes. The transplanted prunus moved from an overcrowded bed in late 2017 has flowered really well this year in its new home by the pagoda. Unfortunately a large part of the rhododendron in the north-west corner showed serious distress this month, and proved to be rotten at the root. We hope it is nothing more serious than old age