Tess wants to open her presents.

Tess has been on all day wanting to open her presents. She even knows which are hers some how, must be because they have ‘Tess’ written on them.

20th December (working on the dog runs passage).

1. See to the dogs - Fed and watered. Cleaned the kennels. Left in the garden.

2. Tidying - Cleared leaves from the dog runs passage. Trimmed some Ivy growing on a wall and removed some that was growing on the game larder. Removed weeds from dog runs and swept out.

The dog runs passage.

3. Collected three house plants from the hall and took to the greenhouse.

4. Break for tea.

5. See to the sheep - Took across some hay. Checked and counted the sheep.

6. See to the greenhouses - Checked and watered round.

7. Break for lunch.

8. Tidying - Tidied the conservatory. Threw away any unwanted plants. Swept the floor. Planted two potted roses in a gap in the rose garden.

The old conservatory.

9. Packing up.

10. See to the dogs - Fed and put away the dogs.

19th December (Leaf Clearing).

1. See to the dogs - Fed and watered. Cleaned the kennels. Left in the garden.
2. See to the sheep - Took across some hay. Checked and counted the sheep. Messaged Richard for more hay to be delivered so that I don’t run out over the holidays.
3. Carting off - Carted away to the new leaf pile some of the leaves I raked up on Monday.
4. Break for tea.
5. Carting off - Finished carting off the leaves raked up on Monday.
6. Sweeping leaves - Swept the leaves from the main drive and North Front.
7. Break for lunch.
8. Clearing leaves - Cleared the leaves from around the potting shed.

9. Packing up.

10. See to the bins - Put out the black bins for collection tomorrow.

11. See to the dogs - Fed and put away the dogs.

18th December (A wet day).

1. See to the dogs - Fed and watered. Cleaned the kennels. Left in the garden until the rain came.
2. See to the sheep - Took across some hay. Checked and counted the sheep.
3. Cleared a space by the compost bins for a new leaf pile.
4. Break for tea.
5. Seeing to greenhouse work - Did some watering. Tidied up some plants.
6. Seeing to the logs - Went to the hall and filled the log box and buckets.

The log box.

7. Break for lunch.

8. Office work - Planned out some jobs for after Christmas. Looked through some plant catalogues as it was still throwing it down.

9. Packed up.

See to the dogs - Fed and put away the dogs.

17th December. (Time to remove the mower deck).

1. See to the dogs - Fed and watered. Cleaned the kennels. Left in the garden.
2. See to the sheep - Took across some hay. Checked and counted the sheep.
3. See to the greenhouses - Checked round.
4. Servicing - Removed the cutting deck from the tractor.
5. Break for tea.
6. Servicing - Cleaned off the cutting deck and put to store in the potting shed. I will need to oil the underneath and grease the bearings when dry.
   
7. Break for lunch.
8. Clearing leaves - Cleared leaves from the garden house steps. Cleared leaves from the Daffodil banks.

9. Packing up - Cleaned and put away the tools.

10. Seeing to the dogs - Fed and put away the dogs.

13th December. (By some miracle it started).

1. See to the - Put down fresh water. Cleaned the kennels. Left Blondie in the garden. Willow was away with the boss who fed them before leading. 
2. See to the sheep - Took across some hay. Checked and counted the sheep. 
3. See to greenhouses - Checked roundabout. Prepared some plants for the hall. 
4. Servicing - I couldn't get the leaf blower to start the other day so I cleaned it up a bit as I was going to call the repair shop and book it in for some work to be carried out. Luckily I decided to give it another try before calling them and amazingly it started as normal so I don't know what was matter with it the other day. 
5. Shopping - Went to Markham Grange garden center for some Algon to treat the slippery paving. 
6. Break for tea. 
7. Spraying - Treated any slippery paving with Algon. 
8. Break for lunch. 
9. Orchard work - Cleared up any apples lying in the grass. Cut the grass. 
10. Packing up. 
11. See to Blondie - Fed and put away. Willow had not returned. 

The Orchard. 

12th December (Finished off the long border).

1. See to the dogs - Fed and watered. Cleaned the kennels. Left in the garden.
2. See to the sheep - Took across some hay. Checked and counted the sheep.
3. See to the greenhouses - Checked round.
4. Forking - Carried on from yestereday forking over the long border
5. Break for tea.
6. Forking - Finished off forking over the long border.
7. Break for lunch.
8. Tidying - Carted off all the rubbish from the long border jobs.
9. Pruning - Remover a branch from a conifer that was separating from the main body of the tree.
10. Packing up.
11. See to the bins - Put out the recycle bins for collection.
12. See to the dogs - Fed and put away.

A conifer branch needing amputation.

11th December. (Forking The Dahlia Border).

1. See to the dogs - Fed and watered. Cleaned the kennels. Left in the garden.
2. See to the sheep - Checked the sheep and took across some hay.
3. See to the greenhouses - Checked round.
4. Working on the long border - Collected up the Dahlia supports and took to store in the mower shed. Cut the grass edge to the border as I wasn’t able to cut it for a while due to overhanging plants. Edged the border with edging shears. 
5. Break for tea. 
6. Forking - Made a start on forking over the long border.
7. Break for lunch. 
8. Forking - Continued work on the long Border. 
9. Packing up. 
10. See to the dogs - Fed and put away the dogs. 

The Long Border partly forked over.

10th December. (Pear Tree Pruning).

1. See to the dogs - Fed and watered. Cleaned the kennels. Left in the garden.
2. See to the sheep - Took across some hay. Checked and counted.
3. See to the greenhouses - Checked and watered round.
4. Pruning - Made a start on pruning the Pear trees on the east side of the east wall.
5. Break for tea.
6. Pruning - Finished pruning the Pear trees.
7. Break for lunch.
8. Cutting back Ivy - Cutting back some Ivy that was growing over the road.
9. Packing up - cleaned and put away the tools.
10. See to the dogs - Fed and put away the dogs.

A young Pear tree being trained.

Ivy over hanging the road.

7th December. (Work In The Church).

1. See to Blondie - Fed and watered. Cleaned the kennel. Left in the outdoor run as it was raining.
2. See to the sheep - Took across some hay. Checked and counted. Bagged up more hay for the weekend.
3. See to the greenhouses - Checked round.
4. DIY - Fixed some insulation that had come lose on the roof of the potting shed.
5. Break for tea.
6. Moving the Dahlia pot from the stone masons yard into the grotto.
7. Pruning - Pruned some long shoots from a Holly tree. Bagged the shoots for people to use for decoration.
8. Break for lunch.
9. Erected the church tree - Took the Christmas tree and erected it in the church. Also took the cribb and put in place.
10. Watering - Watered round the greenhouses.
11. Packing up.
12. Seeing to Blondie - Fed and put away. Willow has been away with the boss and had not returned.

The one and only tup.

The stone masons grotto.

6th December (Working on the Fig trees).

1. See to the dogs - Fed and watered. Cleaned the kennels. Left in the garden.
2. See to the sheep - Took across some hay. Checked and counted the sheep.
3. See to the greenhouses - Checked round.
4. Pruning - Made a start on pruning the fig trees on the east wall.
5. Break for tea.
6. Pruning - Continued to prune and tie in the fig trees. Also removed immature fruit and encroaching Ivy.
7. Break for lunch
8. Pruning - Finished off the fig tree's. Pruned the rest of the Pear trees growing in the long border.
9. Packing up - Cleaned and put away the tool.
10. See to the bins - Put away the rubbish bins.

Two of the Fig trees before being worked on.

4th December. (Work On East Wall).

1. See to the dogs - Fed and watered. Cleaned the kennels. Left in the garden.
2. See to the sheep - Checked and counted. Took across some hay. Broke the ice on the water trough.
3. See to the greenhouses - Checked and watered round. Move a few plants from the conservatory to the hot house.
4. Pruning - Made a start on pruning the first Pear tree by the east wall.
5. Break for tea.
6. Pruning - Finished pruning the first Pear tree and made a start on the climbing roses growing in the long border.
7. Break for lunch.
8. Pruning - Continued to prune the climbing roses in the long border.
9. Packing up.
10. See to the dogs - Fed and put away.

The roses pruned and tied in.

3rd December (Removing Dahlia tops).

1. See to the dogs - Fed and watered. Cleaned the kennels.  Left in the outdoor run. 
2. See to the sheep - Took across some hay. Checked and counted.
3. See to the greenhouses - Checked and watered round. 
4. Clearing up - Picked up and stored the crash barriers etc used at the wedding on Saturday. 
5. Office work - I am having trouble with a delivery so needed to get in touch with someone to leave further instructions. 
6. Break for tea
7. Office work - Made out my monthly list regarding expenses and such like for the estate office.
8. Office work - As it was raining I spend some time looking through catalogues to get some ideas for the gardens next year.
9. Break for lunch
10. Border work - Removed the supports and cut down the Dahlias in the long border.
11. Packing up - Cleaned and put away the tools.
12. See to the dogs - Fed and put away the dogs.

The long Dahlia border.

Notes - I am going to leave the tubers in the ground this year. It's quite a sheltered border so hopefully they will be okay.