Shameless Self-Promotion
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The Walled Gardens at Gordon Castle Howdy All! I'm still alive, but I've been really busy. I thought I'd put up a short post today to let you know what I've been doing - and promote myself a little in the process. As many of you know, I participate with the Iowa State University Extension Master Gardener's program. It is a function and a group of folks I really enjoy. In a moment of weakness, I agreed to do two lecture/presentations for the Master Gardener's Spring Conferences this year. Soooooo, I've been putting together my lectures and slide shows for same. It is amazing how a few minutes worth of slides can take a winter's worth of time. But it can, and did! The first presentation is this weekend, Saturday, March 25, at the Lakin Center in Malvern, Iowa. I think you can just show up at the door, but I'm sure they would rather have you pre-register so they'll know how many are coming. Here is a link to the info. I'll be talking about the Walled Gardens that go along with the English Country House Estates. They were the source of food and flowers for the 'Big House' during their heyday. They were converted and abandoned during WW 2, but now fortunately many are being restored. Walled Gardens are a study in micro-climates, and we can adapt and use many of the centuries old gardening practices right in our own back yards.  Back Yard Orchards for Everybody The second presentation will be the following weekend, Saturday, April 1, for the Pottawatomie County Spring Conference held on the Iowa Western Community College campus in Council Bluffs, Iowa. This one's topic is backyard orchards. My goal in this lecture is to remove all excuses as to why you can't have your own backyard orchard! I'll cover conventional fruit trees, of course, but I'll also add some info on apple varieties you can't find in stores, special purpose varieties custom tailored to wine and cider production, plus rootstock selection choices, 'how-to' grafting instructions and non-conventional growing systems like wicking pots and espaliered trees. No excuses - you can do this! Again, I think the folks producing this series would really like it if you registered before attending. Lunch may be involved.... Here is a link to their info. This is possibly my shortest post ever. (Am I hearing cheers in the background?) But, I wanted to let you know I haven't gone stiff in some corner of the Oakdale House. All is well. Some seeds are up, others are on the way. Lettuce is growing in the greenhouse, and it was 10F three nights ago. Spring will be here, and it will 'FLIP' seasons on us this year. That's pretty much my life anymore - no easy glide paths, just BAM, and I'm met headlong with another set of jobs to do. Cheers from Annie Oakley and me. O.J. says 'Hi' too; obviously he hasn't been so busy. I'll write more next time.  |
Wish I lived close enough to attend; I've never heard of the walled gardens before. We lived in a Pottawatomie County but it was in Kansas. Such a fun word to say! – Michelle
ReplyDeleteWalled gardens become more interesting the more you learn about them. BBC produced a series of shows about them in the late 1980's. Some are on Youtube, etc. Victorian Kitchen Garden was the first series. I can link for you via email. Every estate had one. Google maps makes it fun to find them. Pottawatomie is fun; so was Oconomowoc when we lived in Wisconsin!
Deletehttps://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5mpc6t This is the link to get you started viewing the Victorian Kitchen Garden series.
DeleteI love walled gardens and have even toured a few in England and France. Wonderful old world design. My version of walled gardens is less formal garden rooms which I've created on my own property in Massachusetts. Regarding fruit trees, my 2 pear trees are finally producing lovely fruit. My question to you is: How do I prevent wildlife from climbing the trees and eating the majority of the pears? This seems to happen overnight and I do not actually see the wildlife enjoying my pears. If I lived closer, I'd attend your lectures.
ReplyDeleteDisappearing Fruit: Been there, done that! For me, it is usually raccoons that come out in the night. One year, my Absolutely Beautiful Apricot crop was completely destroyed in one night. I am still in a rage about that. They didn't even leave a pit on the ground. Gone! Disappeared! What to do? Electric fence!!!! But with a twist. Instead of a fence all around the orchard, I just put a little baby fence around the base of the tree in question. Actually, I put baby stinger fences around two or three trees - and carry my charger in a bucket to hook up a different one each night. We play, "Guess which fence is hot tonight!" It is the only non-lethal, and very effective tool I have found to stop the thievery. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteRaccoons are prolific in my area. A neighbor found an entire family living in his attic a few years ago. Another neighbor with a compost pile tells me they rummage in the compost. They must be the culprit with my trees! Thank you for the solution...I will install a stinger fence before the trees produce their pears. I would not mind sharing a few pears, but these raccoons take everything. A good zap hopefully solves the problem. How many volts works well on your system?
DeleteRaccoons do NOT share, ever. What size fencer? Really any little old fencer will do for my 'per tree' trick. Fencers are sized in how many miles - MILES - of fence they can power. For this, you'll only have a few feet. Get all the horsepower voltage you can stand, but any will work. No need for an expensive charger for this. I usually put 3 or 4 little fencer posts (rebar actually) around the tree a foot or so away from the trunk. Then charge 'er up! They learn quickly.
DeleteI'd love to hear your presentation on walled gardens. But, as with the other comments, you're too far away for me to attend. Waaaah, I want a walled garden! (Well, I can dream, can't I?) ;o) Raccoons! Our daughter has reported she saw two together a couple of days ago. I'm getting worried!
ReplyDeleteDarn. I showed up as "Anonymous" in above quote. I've got to remember to change that each time I comment now.
ReplyDeleteA rose by any other name.... Gotcha on the Anon bit. Happens to me, too. Walled gardens are just amazing. Here is a link to get you started watching an absolutely incredible series of programs the BBC produced in the late 1980's. You'll love it. 3 of the 4 different series are available on Youtube. The first one is not. It is available here: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5mpc6t. After the Victorian Kitchen Garden, the next series was The Victorian Kitchen, The Victorian Flower Garden, and finally, the War Time Garden - which shows the destruction of the walled gardens. Cheers!
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