Well. I told you about the clay. Not sure what you imagined but, yes, you can make pots with it! And you can grow fabulous roses.
Your soil can be improved with the addition of some well rotted horse manure. There are bound to be horses and stables about. The only problem is that your dogs will eat it.
Close the holes in your fence if you can and stop your lovelies from getting into the sheep field. Farmers have absolutely no sense of humour. And they do have a firearms licence.
I used to live not far from North Nibley, in Upper Cam. I loved it! Odd names, I know. Go and visit Hetty Peglers Tump (a barrow).
You won’t be the only Londoner around and you’ll find other shops (Waitrose is my favourite though)…
Welcome to rural UK where deliveries are inexplicably delayed or go missing :) The "we've got your parcel" emails are sometimes completed by us with "and you will never see it again", ha-ha.
The clay will be fine. Mine was like potters clay (really, I could have made dinnerware) when I moved in. Mulch is the answer - (usually free) green waste from the council, manure, whatever you can get. No dig (add a good layer of mulch and then plant straight into it) or raised beds (the same but with a frame) will sort you out in no time.
Yes, be careful with the dogs. The barking / chasing motions ("worrying" as it is called) can make ewes spontaneously abort their lambs and is serious issue for farmers. Sorry, not sure how you get them used to the farm animals and wildlife (I have cats - they don't bark, strangely) but I am sure some kind person can advise!
Disproportionately excited for you. It looks LOVELY. Also clay is fine esp for roses and anything that hates it can go in a pot. PS as I'm sure you know, you need to make very very sure that dogs can't get to sheep/lambs.
I know. It's really tricky. Currently the only thing between the sheep field and my garden is a gate and the ha-ha (though it can't be seen in the photos, it is there between them and us). Mostly the sheep were far from the house at the other end of the field, but they came right up in the afternoon, possibly curious about the new-comers. Aside from blocking up the hole in the fence by the gate, I think I'll need more defences. Possibly a fence, or a deep, deep mixed border with a lot of spiky plants...
Your roses will adore the clay, and with a lot of help, the soil will be ok… do check out Julia’s soil-improving tips. I’ll message you the link. Welcome, Honoria Glossop, to The English Countryside. (Messaging you separately about 🐑)
When I moved to Norfolk from Brixton I didn't anticipate the clay soil! Roses love it and it does improve - eventually- with compost. But it will be great fun!
Don’t be sad about the clay just add manure etc on top and plant into that. I have VERY heavy clay. As a novice I had deeply dug 8 large raised beds and filled them with tones and tonnes of the crème de la crème of compost. It rained heavily for days and they turned into a swamp. I had created clay baths. Out came the compost, drains went in and compost back in. Lesson learnt. The next beds were totally no dig on cardboard and all has been perfect. If you don’t have any or many then buy some worms from wriggly wrigglers and they will do the breaking down for you. At least the ground will add the nutrients in it for you and everything will thrive 💚
I was planning a bus ride to Old Sodbury tomorrow but have to postpone it. We,in Bristol forget how close to Cotswold country we are. Have a happy Easter in the countryside.
Yey! You're less than an hour away! North Nibley used to be The Place for buying roses. Lovely nursery there.
Ha - I gardened on clay in London. And, indeed, we had an area of it here. Which got sorted by my piling bark on it from a local fencing company, for whom it was waste. Didn't dig it in, just dumped it on top. Planted stuff. It worked, got loamy.
Well. I told you about the clay. Not sure what you imagined but, yes, you can make pots with it! And you can grow fabulous roses.
Your soil can be improved with the addition of some well rotted horse manure. There are bound to be horses and stables about. The only problem is that your dogs will eat it.
Close the holes in your fence if you can and stop your lovelies from getting into the sheep field. Farmers have absolutely no sense of humour. And they do have a firearms licence.
I used to live not far from North Nibley, in Upper Cam. I loved it! Odd names, I know. Go and visit Hetty Peglers Tump (a barrow).
You won’t be the only Londoner around and you’ll find other shops (Waitrose is my favourite though)…
Good luck!
Whoah that fireplace! ❤️❤️❤️
I am a very amateur/ time poor gardener on clay and there are definite advantages! Very rarely having water anything is the main one :-). Good luck!
Welcome to rural UK where deliveries are inexplicably delayed or go missing :) The "we've got your parcel" emails are sometimes completed by us with "and you will never see it again", ha-ha.
The clay will be fine. Mine was like potters clay (really, I could have made dinnerware) when I moved in. Mulch is the answer - (usually free) green waste from the council, manure, whatever you can get. No dig (add a good layer of mulch and then plant straight into it) or raised beds (the same but with a frame) will sort you out in no time.
Yes, be careful with the dogs. The barking / chasing motions ("worrying" as it is called) can make ewes spontaneously abort their lambs and is serious issue for farmers. Sorry, not sure how you get them used to the farm animals and wildlife (I have cats - they don't bark, strangely) but I am sure some kind person can advise!
Disproportionately excited for you. It looks LOVELY. Also clay is fine esp for roses and anything that hates it can go in a pot. PS as I'm sure you know, you need to make very very sure that dogs can't get to sheep/lambs.
I know. It's really tricky. Currently the only thing between the sheep field and my garden is a gate and the ha-ha (though it can't be seen in the photos, it is there between them and us). Mostly the sheep were far from the house at the other end of the field, but they came right up in the afternoon, possibly curious about the new-comers. Aside from blocking up the hole in the fence by the gate, I think I'll need more defences. Possibly a fence, or a deep, deep mixed border with a lot of spiky plants...
What an amazing fireplace, and a beautiful view. Lots of compost and it will be great, and not need as much watering in a dry spell as some.
Your roses will adore the clay, and with a lot of help, the soil will be ok… do check out Julia’s soil-improving tips. I’ll message you the link. Welcome, Honoria Glossop, to The English Countryside. (Messaging you separately about 🐑)
When I moved to Norfolk from Brixton I didn't anticipate the clay soil! Roses love it and it does improve - eventually- with compost. But it will be great fun!
Don’t be sad about the clay just add manure etc on top and plant into that. I have VERY heavy clay. As a novice I had deeply dug 8 large raised beds and filled them with tones and tonnes of the crème de la crème of compost. It rained heavily for days and they turned into a swamp. I had created clay baths. Out came the compost, drains went in and compost back in. Lesson learnt. The next beds were totally no dig on cardboard and all has been perfect. If you don’t have any or many then buy some worms from wriggly wrigglers and they will do the breaking down for you. At least the ground will add the nutrients in it for you and everything will thrive 💚
Just laughed out loud at the wheezing hag bit. Oh and the fucking plates x
I was planning a bus ride to Old Sodbury tomorrow but have to postpone it. We,in Bristol forget how close to Cotswold country we are. Have a happy Easter in the countryside.
Yey! You're less than an hour away! North Nibley used to be The Place for buying roses. Lovely nursery there.
Ha - I gardened on clay in London. And, indeed, we had an area of it here. Which got sorted by my piling bark on it from a local fencing company, for whom it was waste. Didn't dig it in, just dumped it on top. Planted stuff. It worked, got loamy.
Know the area well - spent lots of time at the quarries while researching habitat restoration!!
I also have a dog and a haha but with cattle on the other side. The farmer has fenced it but a patch up of chicken wire is a 5 minute job.