No gardening in the dark today...

...because today was for erecting electric poultry netting in the dark!

Not surprisingly, there is no photo of this.  Shame, though, that I'm not able to include a wee sound track recording to this entertaining exercise - as it could be useful to students of unusual colourful language.

It probably didn't help, me trying not to laugh uncontrollably while A clambered along the gap between the hedge and the boundary fence, torch in teeth, hammering in wire clips to the fence posts to hold the lead out cable...

I had originally assumed that siting the lead out cable (temporarily running along the back of the hedge from the new outside electric socket, and then across the lawn a bit towards the netting - to be permanently located underground once the new potting shed is built and has it's own electric supply connected) would be the difficult part.  And it was fairly complicated...but the actual erecting of the poultry netting was just too much fun! (Not!!!)

I am quite glad now that I listened to my former neighbour when she advised against my original plan to have a smaller electrified enclosure and move the whole shebang around every 2 weeks to stop the grass being killed.  Instead, on her advice, we went for a 50 metre net to be more or less permanently sited in the orchard, with the intention of operating a 'paddock' system dividing the area up internally into 3 sections, each one used for a few weeks before being rested.

We didn't quite manage to finish and get it all up and running and tested - that will have to wait until tomorrow.

Fortunately while it was still reasonably light I did manage to sneak off cable reeling duty momentarily to capture a few of the highlights of the garden at the moment...

Tree peony just opened

The tree peony behind the hammock is just starting to open those hugely fat promising buds.  I have no idea what to expect from this plant as I have never encountered one before.  But I do love those enormous yellow flowers - somehow they are very 1950s - maybe its the primrose yellow colour, maybe its the way the petals are sumptuous and huge like 50s evening dresses.  It feels a shame that it is practically hidden away at the back, but I suppose originally the trees in front were mere babes and then it was the star of the show.

The luscious lipstick pink camellia discovered whilst playing tennis last weekend is in complete full flower now, and looking dazzling.  What with the yellow tree peony, it seems as if the garden is sprinkled with 1950s belles of the ball tripping daintily around looking immaculate and intimidating.

Walnut tree (nearest camera) and Horse Chestnut tree with swathes of bluebells beneath

Carpet of blubells under the rowan tree

Bit blurry these ones - sadly the light was going by this time.  But I had to capture a positive image of the bluebells, to help me when I spend the next few weeks doggedly digging the self-sown interlopers out of the circle bed, where they definitely should not be!  Any that can be salvaged I will add to the woodland border here, at the back probably to try and help me smother the weeds.  Here is their rightful domain, and they are truly lovely.  Elsewhere I intend to be ruthless!

Hopefully I may soon have chicken photos to share... x