Swept Away...
Honesty Corfu Blue
Garden maintenance usually involves a whole lot of nothing. But late winter garden maintenance is different. I float along doing some humdrum task, and then I'm swept away in a surge of hope and positive anticipation. Yes!!!!! My improvements WILL work! This is SUCH a better idea! These new rugosa roses WILL look wonderful! Spring IS coming!
Tuesday 30th July
Today I've been tidying around the house, trimming back catmint and grasses (Calamagrostis and Miscanthus), pruning roses, weeding, picking up fallen crab-apples, and the like. I've been trying to pay attention to detail, and not tread on any peony shoots or emerging daffodil bulbs.
I've been working for over four hours, and now hope to turn my potterings into something of literary interest. Those feelings of new beginnings, fresh hope, the spring season imminent - difficult to explain how they suddenly whoosh around my head. I'll see something tiny - the Honesty Corfu Blue flowering, the big pink Azalea starting to open its buds - and stop to stare. Then I seem to do a slow-motion jump for joy. Wow. Beautiful things are happening, in my garden. My garden! I am so lucky.
Late Winter Pink Azalea
The little birds have been fluttering around their bird feeder, ignoring Tiger the cat who has been nonchalantly sunning her tummy. I guess they recognise a lazy, well-fed cat when they see one. Rusty the dog (and yes, we did go for our lunchtime walk) hasn't been bothered to keep me gardening company - he's been snoozing inside on his dog chair. The door has been open. What a disappointing dog!
Tiger the Cat in the Winter Sun
Just for the records I have pruned the label off a little lemon rose called Pimpernelle in the Driveway Border, and the old fashioned rambler which is climbing up the Locust tree has an indecipherable label. So what rose is this? Oops.
Wednesday 31st July
Yippee! I'm going for a day hike with the Triplodocus Tramping Club. Yes, there are three of us, all friends, and we are - shall we say - of mature years? At least one of us (me) tends to plod a bit.
Can we dooooooooo something?
Later...
It's been a day to blow the cobwebs etc. away. The wind was racing through the tussock as we climbed to Snowy Peak (which was snowless) above Washpen Falls. It's a great track with the scariest staircase descent into a gorge ever known to woman (well, to me, anyway). But I did it (eyes shut for two thirds of it) by watching my friend's feet in front of me and counting the steps like a number obsessive. I do know it's completely safe. Silly, really...
My Dog is Bored
Well, my dog has been in his kennel all day and he is so bored. 'Let's doooooooo something', he groans. I guess I can plod a bit more today, down the road to the bridge and back. Creak, creak...
Goodbye, July
Goodbye to July, before I forget, and well done to my garden this month. It's showing lots of promise, with exciting hints of fresh new beginnings. I reckon I've made some sensible improvements, and I haven't spent too much money either. Phew!