Friday, 22 March 2013

Weather, apples and signs!

What awful weather the country has been having- we occasionally get a day with sun, and don't the bulbs and new Spring growth look great then?  But today the weather is most un-Springy again and we have heavy snow in the north and floods in the south west. Here in London it is dry (at the moment) but rather dull and cold. I've been hardening off sweet peas, peas and broad beans, but how long will it be before we can plant them out on the allotment without fear of frost and snow?

So, considering the weather, I don't feel too bad that we didn't get Mum's apple tree's pruned till a couple of weeks ago. But how about this for squirrel damage? The orangey colours are where the bark has been stripped.




You can see the tooth marks here!

I don't know the answer: but when Mum and Dad had a cat they never got that sort of damage! I went a bit crazy with the chicken wire, to try to protect the main trunk, but whether it'll work....

In other news...... I am  thinking about my Museum work/ dissertation on signage and interpretation in museum gardens. I'm thinking about how to link object collections and gardens....  I like the idea of taking an old object and using it in signage, like these spoons squashed and stamped to be used as plant labels.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/47728331/5-antique-spoons-garden-markers-set
This isn't necessarily what we'd go for, but it's given me something to think about!

Hope the weather isn't too horrible wherever you are today!


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4 comments:

  1. Fraxexcelsior24 March 2013 at 16:32

    Since seeing the squirrel damage at your Mum's, I've seen it in loads of other places too, although not to the same extent on one tree! I've never noticed it before, which is probably just me being unobservant, or are they doing it more this year for some reason - lack of nuts last year?

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  2. e17jlh28 March 2013 at 16:10

    I can't account for nuts, or lack of, but in the 40 odd years I've known those trees they have never suffered squirrel damage. I am sure it is squirrel damage not deer, as the tooth marks are exactly the same as that on my stag's skull and horns that I have seen the squireels knawing (for calcium I thought). Ho hum, hope it doesn't kill them.

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  3. Sue Garrett29 March 2013 at 14:19

    What about wooden spoons suitably protected from rotting? Won't the spoons rust?

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  4. e17jlh5 April 2013 at 12:08

    I think the metal spoons would also be extremely tempting to steal even if they were protected from rust. Wooden spoons could be fun, and may provide a much needed link to the museum that is attached to the garden , which used to be a workhouse: "Please sir, can I have some more?" ......

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