First of the gardening lists
Oenothera
Happy New Year! Remember that list that should have kept me well and truly occupied in the last days of 2014? Well, I'm starting to finish it, if that makes sense. A new year, 2015, the very first day, and my very first gardening list! Aargh! This is a scary omen. Will 2015 become the year of the totally organised gardener?
Thursday 1st January
No way! Being organised leads inevitably to being boring. Resolving not to be boring would be a great New Year's Resolution, I reckon. It would make my latest collecting craze (retro wall ducks for the cottage, oops) even more fun. I already have three sets in Pond Cottage, all flying into an oil painting of their very own pond. Not that I've lost interest in garden gnomes. It's odd that there were so few of them needing rescuing in 2014, though.
But back to the first proper garden business of 2015. Here's what I should have done last year. Not during the whole year, that would take an age to collate, and there's be thousands of items. Just in those few final hot summer days. Like yesterday, when the temperature reached thirty degrees, a bit too hot for a wimp like me.
- Filled the trailer with next winter's firewood.
- Stacked it in the woodshed.
- Repeated 1. and 2. until no wood left.
- Shifted the logs out of the Wattle Woods ready for the log-splitter.
And, wonders of wonders, I've already got one trailer full, and it only took me half an hour. Amazing! It takes longer to think about it than actually doing it, hee hee.
White Cosmos :- One of my favourite flowering annuals.
I'm going to have a quick morning tea break and then plant all the trays of white cosmos. These are left-overs from my nursery production of flowering annuals, and it's high time they were planted out. I know this isn't on my list, but 2015 can be the year of the tangent. Zooming off sideways, random as you like, whatever, whenever. Phew! That sounds much better than being 'totally organised'.
Later...
Right. I want you to know that I am now half-way though unloading the second trailer full of wood. Today I have been so good - focussed, on task, and uncomplaining. I'm about to have a long shower, and then I intend to have a glass of white wine with ice. Slurp, slurp.
Photographs of my woody activities are not necessary - in fact, allow me to add some general pictures to this page, just to show some of the latest flowers. Roses are blooming again, and the yellow hot pokers have started.
Digging in the Garden
All day Winnie the puppy has poked around watching, digging random holes, following the barrow, and often getting in the way. Rusty the mature dog, too, has kept a steady eye on things. The outdoor woodpile provides a home for little creatures like cute mice and nasty stoats - who knows what might come scurrying out?
Winnie Digging up my Vegetable Garden
Meanwhile the new kittens Buster and Tiddles have spent their first day of 2015 relaxing. They sleep, they eat, they chase a leaf, they stretch out, and sleep some more. Life is good for these kittens. For example, I've discovered that black Buster likes freshly cooked salmon. So naturally I share with her.
Friday 2nd January
Yippee! Another load of firewood stacked, and another waiting in the trailer for sun to go down a bit. How good is this? Actually, I rather enjoy stacking firewood. It's the maths? or the ancient gatherer in me? Hmm...
New Year's Resolutions for 2015
Last night, soaking in the bath, some appropriate New Years' Resolutions flashed into my mind. Yes! I will brush my hair every day, and retire to bed each night with clean fingernails. I've decided to add just one more, much less self-absorbed than those which concern my personal grooming. Each day of the year, without fail, I am going to perform at least one random act of niceness. Imagine, being nice at least 365 times this year. I might even record them all (for quality control).
Summer Herb Spiral
The act could be as simple as having morning tea with Minimus the cottage cat, or spending half an hour throwing tennis balls for Winnie the puppy. Or it could be gifting something, donating time and/or money, or cooking up surprise pancakes for Non-Gardening Partner. It just has to be full of 'niceness', and fun to do, hee hee.