Watering the dandelions?
Serve me right! Like to pretend that I don't use weed killer. Have just spent ages secretly squirting unmentionable stuff on the all the dandelions in all the garden borders. Very thorough, I was. Non-Gardening Partner has just told me the bottle was filled with water.
One Wall of Wood
Thursday 17th March
So what have I done today, apart from water the dandelions? So far have broken up a cat-fight (the two Freds) and slipped oh so gracefully off a wet stone path and into the Daphne. Not exactly exciting outdoor news! What I should be doing is stacking the next trailer load of firewood in the woodshed.
Gardening memos to self :
The potato vine has completely smothered a low spreading conifer by the driveway. Sort it out. Dig the dahlia out of the path to the woodshed. Foolish plant! Dig out the Sally Holmes roses at the end of the driveway and pot them up. How many more years must they suffer? Best not answer that last question. A number of my rehomed roses do poorly - maybe the reason they were donated to me in the first place? They really have to take their chances here.
A bit later...
All good. Sunshine, the trailer empty, ready to refill with more wood. Potato vine out, dahlia shifted. I've been sitting in the grass, dragging myself along, clearing the garden behind the Stables. I've chopped down some naughty bamboo stalks. I've weeded. I've taken ages to trim the Phormiums.
Tidy Behind the Stables
Now I've lost my scissors, and I have the wettest and muddiest gardening bottom known to woman. Nothing to worry about, this - as long as I don't sit down in the house...
Hump Garden Dahlias
Friday 18th March
Today I'm at home all day - no social coffee meetings, no swimming or ballet class, not even a visit to the library. I'm having a big day out in my garden.
Already I've stacked another whole trailer load of firewood in the woodshed. I've squirted proper weed killer (checked with NGP) on the dandelions around the Herb Spiral. Have to do this - can't get the roots out.
Then I went into the Hump Garden to deal to the runny thistles. Bit of a mistake, this - after an absence of some weeks, and lots of drizzle, rain, and hot sun, there are so many weeds! Decided (wisely) to ignore them, hunted for rogue potatoes to fill a bucket. Ha ha. This spring-summer my spud growing has been a complete failure. Just like my strawberries. Not really sure why. Usually I have squillions of potatoes.
Much, much later...
Yeay for me. Seven and a half hours gardening, and the improvements to the path and gardens behind the Stables are so noticeable. The dogs and I have walked through here a number of times, while I've admired the results of my hard work.
Tidy Behind the Stables
Finished the day by burning all my mess, adding huge pieces of gum bark collected from the Lavender Garden by the dog kennels. Feel very proud and smiley. Not too achy, nicely tired.