Dead-heading dahlias...
There's a delightfully mindless aspect to dead-heading dahlias. It doesn't require too much thought - just enough to keep the fingers well away from the secateur blades, and to dodge the bumble bees.
It's a good task to be doing while pondering something else. For example, should I shift the new rhododendrons I planted last year, before their roots become too established? Because early autumn is the right time for changing things around, fixing little mistakes, and digging out things that are too silly. As well as dead-heading the dahlias.
Shady Garden Seats
Yesterday I spent three such hours working my way around the front lawn. The monotony was oddly enjoyable. Then I planted the two Claude Monet standard roses alongside the main Hump Garden path, in the sun. Hope they like it here.
Look a bit younger, please...
Today I severely pruned a rhododendron which arrived here last year, an old, woody shrub, very late flowering. I'm not sure it was worth the effort of shifting. Have told it that it needs to try and look a bit younger to stay in my garden.
Red Phormium in a Pot
Monday 10th March
And another of those stretched-out autumnal days. A time when gardeners should be at their most thoughtful. A wonderful time to be blessed with a garden. As soon as I've organised my music charts (I have a Folk Club gig this coming weekend) I'll get outside and trim more Anemanthele grasses. That's the plan.
Late lunchtime...
Spent an hour and a half in the blazing midday sun trimming grasses around the driveway lawn, dead-heading more dahlias, and weeding out clover from my new iris patch. Am inside to have some water and a wee break.
Later...
Oops. And a wee snooze, waking from which I did NOT feel like returning to the garden and clearing up my mess. But I made myself. Feeling so much better, I then sat down in the dirt and created another barrowful. Cleaned it up and dumped it, too. And now the evening meal is cooking, and I'm off to wash my hair and put on clean clothes. Yeay!