Slept very well last night after a wonderful ham, neeps and tatties and creamed asparagus dinner. I woke up and rose at 5:45. Had my breakfast and made a lunch as usual and headed off to work early, arriving at 7:00. Lots of time to write up my journal and talk to the other workers. I was able to get a couple of plants identified that I had photographed. There are lots of resource materials and Anne is particularly helpful. One thing I had forgotten to mention last night was that I had seen a pair of kites circling over the college. They have been reintroduced to this region and as far as Sarah is aware, the Estate is the only area where they have been successful. They are large birds and often waft on the currents.
Today I am assigned to work on planting plugs. These are plants such as primrose, cowslips, clover and others that are planted in specific lawns to naturalize. A plug is the soil and plant after a seedling has started to grow and leaves have established. The process to plant them is to use a dibble which is a tool made of iron, about 3 feet long and a pointed metal end. It has two foot bars near the bottom for pressing the dibble into the ground. The result is a hole about 2 inches deep and about 1 inch square. Into this hole is placed a plug so that the top of the plug is at or slightly below the surface. It is best done with one person using the dibble followed by another person planting the plugs which are carried in a pail. We used this process today with 4 people, Chris, Rob, Steve and myself. It was a beautiful sunny day likely 20 degrees and I worked in shorts and a t shirt in the afternoon. Jim and Sarah were taking the plugs from plastic planting trays, putting them in the buckets and then wheeling them down on a yard bicycle, the standard form of transport for them and very practical indeed. I have a couple of pictures today of my three partners plugging and one of Jim, his first day in shorts. They are a short version of the overalls he wears daily as seen on the West Dean Gardens website.
We have about 25,000 plugs to plant before Friday. Earlier this year Jim, the Head Gardener had previously surveyed the lawns to be plugged and sprayed the grass. This has two effects, it turns the grass brown to show the dibber where to put the hole and kills the grass to take away competition from the new plant, giving it a fighting chance to succeed. Today we were able to put in the full allotment of plugs in three different areas. We finished up right at 4;00 and it was a very enjoyable day with a lot of good humour from everyone. As is my usual practise I picked up my computer and headed back to the college to update this blog. I am writing this at 6:15 enjoying a Guinness. The wisteria on the pergola is starting to leaf out and I have included a picture of it for your viewing pleasure.
Today I am assigned to work on planting plugs. These are plants such as primrose, cowslips, clover and others that are planted in specific lawns to naturalize. A plug is the soil and plant after a seedling has started to grow and leaves have established. The process to plant them is to use a dibble which is a tool made of iron, about 3 feet long and a pointed metal end. It has two foot bars near the bottom for pressing the dibble into the ground. The result is a hole about 2 inches deep and about 1 inch square. Into this hole is placed a plug so that the top of the plug is at or slightly below the surface. It is best done with one person using the dibble followed by another person planting the plugs which are carried in a pail. We used this process today with 4 people, Chris, Rob, Steve and myself. It was a beautiful sunny day likely 20 degrees and I worked in shorts and a t shirt in the afternoon. Jim and Sarah were taking the plugs from plastic planting trays, putting them in the buckets and then wheeling them down on a yard bicycle, the standard form of transport for them and very practical indeed. I have a couple of pictures today of my three partners plugging and one of Jim, his first day in shorts. They are a short version of the overalls he wears daily as seen on the West Dean Gardens website.
We have about 25,000 plugs to plant before Friday. Earlier this year Jim, the Head Gardener had previously surveyed the lawns to be plugged and sprayed the grass. This has two effects, it turns the grass brown to show the dibber where to put the hole and kills the grass to take away competition from the new plant, giving it a fighting chance to succeed. Today we were able to put in the full allotment of plugs in three different areas. We finished up right at 4;00 and it was a very enjoyable day with a lot of good humour from everyone. As is my usual practise I picked up my computer and headed back to the college to update this blog. I am writing this at 6:15 enjoying a Guinness. The wisteria on the pergola is starting to leaf out and I have included a picture of it for your viewing pleasure.
This has nothing to do with what you wrote, but wanted to let you know the Flames have tied the series 2-2 so we are still alive! Next game is Saturday so I'll keep you posted!
ReplyDeleteSo Columbus is out in 4! I only mention it because now Calgary will at least go to 6 - and as the bumper stickers say "I believe" so really we have MANY games left before we win the cup. Go Flames Go!
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