Standing and staring...
Flowering Cherry Blossom
I've spent a lot of time lately standing and staring in my new garden area (the Hump). The theory is that design inspiration will suddenly 'blossom' (hee hee), overwhelm me, and I'll know exactly what to do, and where to do it.
Tuesday 12th September
In practice, I stare up and down, back and forth, and sideways - waiting for something - anything. A suggestion from the contours of the land, a vegetative vision. Nothing happens. Except blossom! It's springtime, so all I can visualise are blossoming flowering cherries, the tree of the month, very noticeable and very beautiful.
I am far too influenced by the plants and flowers of the moment. Last month I would have been thinking of mass planting Camellias. November will probably have me planning swathes of huge country roses. And a rustic little summer house? Hmm...
Tree Stump Chainsaw Graffiti
Path between the stumps...
Yesterday I re-routed the first new path. It now rises gently between two large stumps, does a trendy little curve, and then leads out to the driveway lawn by the mulch mountain. This took me took hours.
Today - more improvements. I dug a rectangular potato patch on the top of the Hump, edged it with logs (as one does - logs are plentiful, hee hee), and planted some Jersey Benne and Purple Passion potatoes. Then I poured myself a cup of tea and drew a rough scale diagram of the Hump's garden shape. On the area lower down near the hedge I have boldly written the word 'Pittosporums'.
I sat staring at my piece of paper. The area is sooooo big. My ideas (and my budget) are soooooo small. I felt very close to a garden sulk, and this will not do, so I went back, shovelled more mulch off the mountain and onto the garden, and lengthened the path.
Pink Blossom in Driveway
Here's the latest plan, in lieu of a plan, if you know what I mean. Tomorrow I shovel much more mulch around. I will do more thinking and more staring. Something will come to me.
Wednesday 14th September
Avoidance tactic - I have been weeding all day, small scale, mesmerising, and annoying. I've written in more details on my plan. I'm thinking coloured pencils might be a good look. But weeding? Get real! Stop weeding. With pleasure.
Paper Plan for The Hump
Thursday 15th September
Screws up nose. I blame my paper plan. These last days there has been too much pondering. This is not my style. I am a 'doer' : a wheel-barrow trundler, a mulch spreader. I must stop visualising blossom trees. Better to think with my hands and feet, and upper-arm muscles. Digging another potato patch would be a better use of time than colouring-in scribbly shrubs with ten shades of green...
Later...
I worked hard all day. I dug a second potato patch and edged it with logs. I lengthened the path, and spread heaps of mulch around. I planted five Lemonwood Pittosporums.
One of My Mulch Mountains
Finished with a wee lie down on the lawn. But this really upset my dogs. Aargh! Our mother is dead! Lick her! Rake her arms with our paws! Breathe in her face! Leap on her tummy and bark fortissimo! Oh look - she's not dead. She's sitting up. That's funny - she looks cross. Oops.