I didn't write this...
Disclaimer : the following was NOT written by me. There is no way I would grump on and on about my neighbour's tree mess. Some other moaning Moosey-clone has infiltrated my gardening journal. Maybe one of my gnomes, bored with fishing...
Closer View of Some of the Tree Mess
Sunday 26th January
Yesterday's gardening afternoon was full-on functional, with little room for sentiment. My challenge - how to further improve the side driveway area. The neighbour's mess, so very visible, really annoys me, and I dislike having no privacy. Let's face it - gardeners spend a lot of time gazing into the distance, and a huge tree-mess is not a pleasant 'borrowed view'.
A Hopeless Problem?
It felt like a hopeless problem, so I weeded and watered and got glummer and glummer. Non-Gardening Partner was a great help, whizzing along the other side of the boundary with his weed-eater. This made things look more cared-for, but I didn't feel much better.
The Tree Mess!
OK. As one does, I tried my hardest at 3am to solve my problem. A cosmetic solution would be better than nothing, and my non-sleepy mind's eye saw a long line of trellis covered with dripping roses.
Row of Pittosporums
But I am not a fence erector. So silly to puzzle about such things in the middle of the night, anyway. I thought about building a 'fence' in-between with old bed-heads. Non-Gardening Partner would have a fit. He says I collect far too much junk anyway.
Action!
Well, this morning I am taking action. The seven Pittosporums already planted as a screen are growing well. I'm taking the watering hose over there, and I'll look for compost to further build up their raised bed. I'll make a list of shrubs from other parts of the garden to shift in.
Be Patient...
Then I promise to be patient for three years. And then - yippee! Hmm... Three years? That's a lot of gardening seasons!
Much Later...
It's all a matter of doing what one can do, and trying to do it well. I told myself to just ignore the mess next-door, and not to 'borrow the view'. I must make sure that my gardens are well cared for.
A Plan...
And I have a plan. After my potato patches have been harvested (one has been dug already) I'll get in a load of top-soil and plant more Pittosporums. These are brilliant shrub-trees, with the prettiest foliage - they're evergreen, and can be pruned or ignored. I like the variegated leaf varieties very much. Yippee for Pittosporums, the perfect screening shrub-tree.
Unknown Rose
Serious Weeding
So I've seriously weeded the Frisbee Corner Garden. The new path is clear and passable, and all raised beds along the fence are relatively weed-free. It's taken five hours, but I feel better. My side of the boundary is nurtured, yet natural.
I'm allowing the Campion and the Alkanet to flower and self-seed. Plants I can then shift in include more Agapanthus (I found a sprouting clump by the Pump House), several Coprosmas which have been far too long in pots, and a couple of Griselinias.
Bunting...
My cottage has had bunting for number of years now, so I am jolly well going to make some bunting to hang down the driveway. Why not? When something is an eyesore, one has three options :
- Completely hide it with something else.
- Remove it.
- Find a way to celebrate it, by turning bad into good.
Allow me to quote www.housetohome.co.uk : 'Whether you want to liven up your alfresco dining area or add the perfect accessory to your children's room, bunting can be a great finishing touch'. Hee hee. No mention of your neighbour's tree mess!
Zepherine Drouhin Roses
Next Day...
Aargh! I am ashamed of myself. Honestly - the neighbour's trees spoiling my view is a problem? It gives me the shivers. What a goose. My swimming friend would call this a 'first world problem'. Like I've just had the spare bedroom redecorated and now I don't like the new wallpaper... That sort of thing.
Mind you, during my sad-mood Saturday I also cried because I couldn't work our how to fit the extension on the hose. You'd think that an old-chook four-seasons gardener was made of sterner stuff, wouldn't you?
Today I feel suitably chastened - four hours of bonfire burning has smoked out any bits of my bad attitude that remain. The fire ban was lifted a couple of weeks ago, but today has been (in my opinion) the first safe day for burning. I dislike burning, so I thought it would be a good way to do penance...
Random Photographs
You might notice that two random rose photographs have popped onto this page. I definitely claim responsibility for them! Aren't they pretty? Zepherine is fully flowering for the second time this summer. She's a lovely country rose. Maybe her blooms are a bit ragged and imperfect, but she's robust.
And the Next Day...
Bunting :- No primary colours allowed, so my garden won't look like a car sales yard...
I am pleased to report the following. Firstly, the bunting is under construction and my dining table is covered with colourful little triangles. And an extremely large orange machine-thingy which looks crane-like has just arrived next-door. It came with a pilot vehicle sporting an 'Oversized' notice. Maybe it removes pine trees? Holding my breath, crossing my fingers... Ooh goody...