With all the wet weather we have been having, Stewart and the team have had to work round the challenges of saturated clay soil by using paths, stepping stones and small boards to keep up with the garden tasks!

Some volunteers just don’t know there own strength!

But the hard work was worth it. Thanks to J and L for transforming this flowerbed, near the entrance, the bed has been planted up with helebores and snowdrops. Close by catkins quiver in the breeze, their lime yellow in brilliant contrast to a fresh, blue spring sky.

The Garden team have also been turning their attention to the Orchard. There are over 30 different varieties of fruit tree in the orchard. Spartan, Worcester, Russet, Egremont Russet, Worcester Pearmain, Ellisons Orange, Conference and Williams are some of the apple and pear varieties. There are also Fig (Brown Turkey), Damson and Plum trees all producing plentiful and delicious fruit in the summer. At the centre of the orchard is a magnificent Mulberry (Morus nigra) tree. Sadly, we lost our medlar tree in the wet weather this year. In it’s place a new plum tree has been planted.

 

You can read more about gardening with Stewart and Jean’s top gardening tips for March, in this article which has just appeared in the March issue of Harborne, Edgbaston & Moseley Life (see page 24).