Sheep...
The Ram Newly Shorn
Herding sheep? Herding cats would be much easier. One of us always wants to go the 'other way'. Charge! Past the super-sized humans (me and Non Gardening Partner, holding long sticks). A couple of us try to follow. Most of us don't know where we want to go. But where do we NOT want to go? Aha! Through that scary open gate. No way.
Tuesday 23rd October
Shearing today, by the way. Another beautifully hot day, and the sheep (finally herded) have been taken down the road to the shearing shed. Another unplanned lamb was born last night - dear little thing. Later this afternoon I'll go down and help. But in the meantime I've been very decisive. Oops. I was trimming the edges of the house lawns, pulling out forget-me-nots to add to the mulch in the Hump. Suddenly I had a thought (more like a vision). I grabbed the shovel and instantly dug out a Cercis and a flowering cherry, planted three year ago in a less than successful, not visible, and rarely visited part of my garden. Three years of sulking - this is no good!
What could be worse?
Now the trees are sitting in a huge pot of water, and I'll plant them in the Hump when it's cooler. What would be worse? Fading away on your own, ignored and poorly nurtured, or sitting out in the open, watered madly, encouraged to live and prosper? Let's hope these trees see sense.
Flowers by the Patio
Wednesday 24th October
A lovely list of lovely things in my lovely garden today. Early morning cup of tea on the house patio. Cloud cover - nice. Looking up to the house - Wisteria. John Clare rose an early bloomer in the patio garden. Dogwood in the Island Bed - flowering brilliant white.
White Dogwood Flowering in the Island Bed
Pink Campion - surely the prettiest weed in the world! Lettuces growing in pots. The house lawns - green, and freshly mown. Bees up and about (fatty bumbles and slim-line honeys) The coolest pink rhododendron, accidentally planted in THE most perfect place.
Back from Shearing
Shearing went well, and all the sheep are back in their paddocks. The ram's fleece was huge! Littlest lamb survived the day (Mum not the most attentive mother in the ovine world). My hands are still smooth with lanolin.
Watering...
And guess what I'm doing today? Watering in The Hump. I've finished planting the two trees. I've scattered loads of forget-me-nots around. It's hot. I've trimmed the edges and done a bit of weeding. But mainly I've been shifting the hoses around and bucketing water on the new plants. Fair enough!
Flowering now - the earliest big bearded irises, a scattering of roses, the first coral peonies, and my patches of Lily of the Valley. More rhododendrons. More of everything! So pretty.