No rain but plenty of bees and apples

We have not had any proper rain for a couple of months now. Although the grass and the Michealmas daisies are dead, most things are doing fine on their own. The apple tree (now about 10 years old) is completely covered in apples and their weight has dragged the branches down to the ground. The result is a nice shady cave.

Apple tree at allotment

At home, their is still water flowing in the stream (the Riedsbach). The local bee population has obviously been forced out of other options and now spends all day commuting back and forth across our "lawn" to drink at the stream.

Hedge trimmed, but should still keep cows out

One edge of the allotment now has a freshly cut hedge. I can only reach the inside edge and up to about 1,80m (6 ft). In principle I have to keep it to 1,70m but despite my efforts, that whole edge has gone crazy and is about 4,00m high now. I have no idea what to do about that - maybe if I just ignore the problem, it will go away ...

Meanwhile, the sunflowers are really enjoying the hot dry weather. They are around 2,00m and most have three or four flowers. The bumble bees are enjoying them.

Competition marrow and sun flowers

This year's competition is focused on growing the best marrow. 2018 is the 10th anniversary of the Horticultural Society and so there is bound to be some extra enthusiasm for the coveted "Special Prize".

One of the competition marrows

It will be up to the judge to decide what makes the "best" marrow, but I will be doing my best to win.

There are also a dozen sunflower plants growing at the allotment this year. Right now they are about 2,00m high, and I have brought the first vase full home.

Sunflowers at the allotment

I look froward to more sunflowers over the next couple of weeks or so.

Update on the orchard

Orchard at mid-summer

The orchard has had a couple of years to settle now, and it is starting to take shape. The apple trees are doing okay and this year will have their first small crops (Pilot will probably be the best). On of the pair of pear trees has six or seven fruit but somehow the other has none; at least the orange spot was not bad this year. The mirabelle is covered in fruit and the quince tree is also doing well. But the peaches are rubbish - they but get a hideous leaf-curling disease every year and need to be swapped out. And one apple tree just died.

The bank of the stream gets cleared back to the surface of the soil each November (once the birds have finished whatever they are up to in the brambles), and then happily grows back to wilderness through spring and summer. It was home to a weasel/stoat/ermine for a while.

And if you ever wondered what the garden proper looks like, here's a part of the border.

Garden border

First Spring in the orchard

Over Easter the rain let up long enough to pull the docks out of the orchard.  Due to the way the contractors dumped the new top soil over the ploughed up and leveled old soil, there are dock and other perennial roots really deep down.

Brook running along the edge of the orchard

The docks do come out but it is really hard to get down deep enough without destroying the surface.  As of the end of today, all the visible dock plants are out but some root got left behind.  From now on it will need to be a regular job to get the docks out as the appear.

I can't decide whether the dandelions need to come out.  It is meant to be a meadow/orchard after all - not a front lawn.

Equinox triggers activity

Now that the equinox has passed and the longer days are here again, work can begin in earnest in the allotment.

The ground is basically ready in the main bed, just the sweet William and herbs have been over wintered there.

Ready for planting one the ground warms up

The leeks, turnips/swedes and beetroot have also made it through the winter in a passable state.

The apple tree is now in bud - its a pretty late fruiting variety so this is normal.  I expect the blossom in early May.

Apple tree

Meanwhile, in the orchard, the peach trees are in bud.  There are a couple of self planted crocuses (one of which is a miserable silvery grey colour) and a snow drop.  We have added a few fritillaries for good measure.

Orchard pretty much complete

On Friday, the last parts of the main work on the orchard were completed.  The trees are planted and the grass is seeded.

View along longs side or the orchard.  The brook is on the left pf the picture

The weather is really warm (almost 20 degrees) so if we get a little rain the grass could germinate before the winter.

View from corner of the footpath and Ringstrasse.  Our house is on the right.

Today we planted some twigs from the fallen willow low down on the river bank.  Maybe they'll take.

All that's left now is to clear the picnic glade by the brook and then wait for the grass to grow and the trees to fruit.