Lists or Poems?
Writing a list can increase productive gardening, by setting targets, prioritising, and so on. But what if I write down a list of things I didn't do? That is sooooooo unfair! Far better to write some autumn bonfire poetry. Burn, leaves, burn underneath your silent smoke swirls...
Corokia Berry
Saturday 26th April
OK, here's what I did do. I barrowed the gum logs off the house lawn and dump them, ready to be stacked. I looked at the tiny circular garden around the gum. Tsk tsk. Disgraceful. OUT! I shouted to the big coarse Carexes. Half an hour later, one down, one to go. And I did cart two barrowfuls of gum leaves etc. over to the bonfire. I had fun. Ha! The best possible outcome for a slow, thoughtful autumn gardening day.
Sunday 26th April
The plan today is to rebuild the little stone wall around the BIG GUM tree and re-evaluate what to do with the second Carex. It's supposed to start raining tonight. That means I need to apply myself all day, get all the remaining tulips and daffodils planted in pots, plus the two remaining roses (Rhapsody in Blue and William Lobb) in their garden spots. I need to finish sorting out the Shrubbery, edge and mulch its paths, and drag all the remaining burnable rubbish over to the bonfire. Wow. That's a rather lovely list disguised as a rather stern paragraph.
Head Gardener in Blue Gardening Shirt
What happens if I fall off the pace? Don't even think about it. Just drink your coffee, put on your current this-season's blue gardening shirt, and go gardening. Such a selection of shirts, over the years...
Blue Pansy
Later, Lunchtime...
After three hours clearing and trimming around the BIG GUM and the Shrubbery, I'm having a short break for food and coffee. I've dealt to the Shrubbery - the Lavateras were on their last legs, so they're out, and I've taken cuttings. The Breath of Heaven wasn't looking so heavenly - it's out as well. The rose Corylus is suckering madly, so I've dug up some rooted pieces to replant somewhere else.
I've seriously trimmed the Escallonia (it's the pretty golden-green leaf variety with pink flowers) and all the yellow and green variegated Corokias. And in-between doing these things and raking gum leaves etc. out of the back of the Jelly Bean Border I've planted all the tulips and daffodils in pots.
OK. I'm off to fire up the bonfire. It's a biggie, with all the shrub prunings.
Some Hours later...
It feels like forever, but it's only taken two hours to burn everything. I've been thinking - it's just as well I enjoy walking, because I reckon I walked for miles and miles today. Anyway, the house lawn is neat and tidy, as is the Shrubbery path. I've taken some photographs. It probably doesn't look like much, but I know it's better. I know! It is much easier on the eye, and that's important.
Thank You John Clare...
I'd like to finish this journal page on a poetic note. It's late in the season for rose flowers, but John Clare, as usual, robustly ignores any sign of impending winter (shrugging off last night's near frost).
John Clare Pink Roses
He is an amazing rose, flowering so beautifully now. It's late into autumn, and the garden is fast losing its colour. But not this poet-rose!
All Nature Has a Feeling...
All nature has a feeling: woods, fields, brooks
Are life eternal: and in silence they
Speak happiness beyond the reach of books;
There's nothing mortal in them; their decay
Is the green life of change; to pass away
And come again in blooms revivified.
Its birth was heaven, eternal it its stay,
And with the sun and moon shall still abide
Beneath their day and night and heaven wide.
