Needed: A New Garden Project...
A tiny idea is twinkling and itching in my mind, involving finding a new garden project to work when Non-Gardening Partner goes back to work. While the cat's away the mouse will build something outlandishly silly in her garden? It's my friend's idea initially - she who listened to my tales of my brick herb spiral, week by week, brick by brick. In her opinion it's now time for something new. Oooh, goodie!
My Brick Herb Spiral
Sunday 13th January
I've finally solved a topology (Maths) problem that has been puzzling me for days. Retired full-time gardeners puzzle easily, and can easily lose confidence in their academic ability (which might explain why they go bed-adventuring each evening with Enid Blyton and the Secret Seven). Phew! I am not a failure, maths-wise. I knew that?
Percy Cat on Middle Bridge
Much More Pleasant...
And another good thing - it's still hot but there's cloud cover, making outdoor conditions much more pleasant. And so I've done two and a half hours of good gardening so far, doing a circuit with the wheelbarrow. A load of firewood is stacked in the woodshed, then on the return trip I collect a load of weeds and rubbish (I'm cleaning up the gum tree bark from the house lawns).
A New Project?
So I've been thinking about the Hen House Gardens and Duck Lawn. Dangerous signs - I even sketched a little map earlier, complete with question marks and little arrows. The Hen House Gardens are functional, but lacking in character (apart from the rustic Hen House itself).
And I never spend any time on Duck Lawn. Nor do the ducks - so why is it there?
+5
+5I wandered over to the general area before breakfast with the ginger cats to see if I could 'see' anything. Well, I saw weeds, and gaps in which to plant my bags of (spring) bulbs, but nothing of a project nature sprang to mind. Not yet. That's a pity, because this area needs an injection of inspiration...
Much Later...
I've finished my day in the garden with a tingling cold swim in my pond. I dog-paddle around the edge, past the agapanthus (flowering) and the arum lilies (they've finished), then the variegated Phormiums, say hello to the fishing gnomes, around past the Elegia, another species Phormium, then past the decking back to the start. Young Minimus sits here watching, fascinated - she thinks I'm rather potty, but miaows encouragement as I slither past.
Summer Red Rose with Agapanthus
The water (sooooo cold) is clouded and silty, and dragon-flies hover over the surface. I'm so pleased with my working day - at least eight loads of firewood stacked, lots and lots of mess pulled out (like old Lychnis plants), old roses dead-headed, thirsty roses watered...
Monday 14th January
About that new project. There's a gorgeous, ridiculously heavy table and bench set up for auction online, and I wonder if spending lots of dollars on such constitutes a new project? No, I didn't think so! So I'm heading off to the Hen House, with my wheelbarrow and Fluff-Fluff the gardening cat - oops, should I say 'Sir Fluff-Fluff', all my hand tools, the rake and shovel, my saw and nippers, and maybe all the bags of bulbs. I sense this garden is calling out for some sort of remake or improvement. OK, I promise to listen carefully...
Rose Lichfield Angel
Later...
OK. En route to the Hen House gardens I stopped and worked solidly for three hours weeding and clearing Middle Garden. This garden now looks very beautiful, although the Golden Hop is creeping everywhere with no particular place to go. Would Non-Gardening partner 'plant' a telegraph pole for it to climb up? Probably not - I won't even ask.
Realistically Thoughtful...
Then I wandered over the wiggly Hen House Gardens paths and thought deeply. I've come to two rather sad gardening conclusions. One, I've lost confidence in my ability to 'pull off' a new project, and secondly I haven't got any money to spend on garden furniture anyway, so why am I squinting, trying to visualise it in my garden? This mood is not gloomy - it's more that I'm realistically thoughtful.
I finished the day by weeding the herb spiral, alongside which I notice a new rose flowering, David Austin's Lichfield Angel. What a beauty! And how can I be so precise in its identification? The label has been left on! Finally I've learnt something...
Fluff-Fluff the Cat
Tuesday 15th January
Refreshing rain, so good for the garden. But Fluff-Fluff the cat isn't well, and is at the vet as I write. And Rusty the dog is off-colour, too. It can't be the same issue - cats are so fussy, while dogs will eat anything. Hmm... I hope my animals are OK.
An Evening Animals Update...
Rusty is improving, drinking water, much happier (an upset tummy, probably caused by eating bones). But dear Fluff-Fluff is quite sick. He's just had an operation to remove bladder stones, and is now in recovery.
He'll be at the vets for two or three more days. Thankfully I took him to the vet immediately - my large (7.4kgm) fluffy cat was in serious trouble. Now he is in the very best of places, having very best of care.