Things to do...
Prunus Leaves
So many things to do first thing in the morning - feed the cats, escort Tiger (senior cat) outside, just in case, put on this week's favoured blue gardening shirt, give Rusty the limpy dog his glucosamine, soft boil an egg and make a pot of tea...
Tuesday 13th May
In autumn-winter I light the wood-burner. It won't be needed very long, for I'll be going outside into the garden. Just as soon as I've composed myself, done some serious gardening thinking, maybe written a list...
At The Folk Club...
I've had a musical weekend, culminating in a piano performance at the Folk Club. I didn't realise that folk clubs still existed. But yes - wrinkled women with beautiful long grey hair still sing Bob Dylan and Pete Seeger, and bearded grandfathers finger-pick Chet Aitkens. My singer was last on the programme, so while waiting I sat demurely by the stage writing a gardening list. Odd people wandered over. 'So what do you do these days?' asked an ancient guitarist. I explained I was a gardener. His face went a bit blank. 'No, I mean what do you do musically?' he continued. I gave him my 'Beethoven is over-rated' rant, and that got rid of him, hee hee.
Pond Cottage Through the Trees
Today I will indeed be a gardener again. I've got that list, scribbled on the back of my 'Summerfly' (nice song!) music, and I see it has nearly thirty items on it... Well, it was rather a long wait! Back soon, hopefully with much to report : 'The answer my friend.... is weeding in the garden...'
Later...
Hmm... There are lots of other lovely things to do in the house, too. It's the start of the couch-cycling season - this year for the first time I'm doing the Giro d'Italia. It's started off in Ireland. Nice! I am also making a baby-donut. Aha! What exactly is a baby-donut? This would be a good quiz-night question for blokes. And then there's Brahms...
Pink Dahlias :- I love my new spiky pink dahlias.
But I've been good. I've spent three hours gardening, clearing and tidying around the Sleep-Out. Hopefully I've removed all the Clematis montana (thug!) from the creamy white Camellia. I've trimmed the new pink spiky dahlias which have flowered so well. I've started clearing the interior of the Willow Tree Garden. A patch of Bergenias by the path has totally dead leaves - I hope this is OK, and it's not some dodgy fungus. Anyway, I pulled them out. I ended up standing in the water trimming Gunnera, bare legs getting horribly scratched and feet getting extremely cold.
Try to Remember...
Now here's a wee list of small things I have to remember to do.
- Pot up those Bergenia pieces.
- Dig up and divide Echinacea, cleaning out any grass weeds.
- Plant oak leaf Hydrangea by Sleep-Out.
Right. I'm organised, warm and dry inside, and I notice it's drizzling. Impeccable timing!
Wednesday 14th May
Dark grey, raining - this might be a good day to stay inside doing web-gardening, as soon as the first-thing-in-the-morning rituals are over. Just Lilli-Puss in her hay barn cat lounge to visit.
Rusty - Mister Limpy
Rusty the dog continues to be THE most difficult dog-patient. After inactivity he goes from Mister Hoppy, through Mister Limpy, and on to Mister Galloping-Silly in about half a minute. Dogs with arthritis have no sense. I am hoping to persuade Non-Gardening Partner to invest in a dog ramp for Rusty's car journeys. And possibly a new puppy, soon? Rusty is ten years old. Last night NGP talked about a black and white female Border Collie. Hmm...
Dear Othello Rose...
Othello Rose
Dear Othello rose, flowering in the rain by the house, thank you for just being there! Lovely rose, and blooming so late in the season. Right. The baby donut is finished, and I've couch-cycled to Dublin (didn't realise that this part of Ireland was so flat). Now I'm web-weeding the Septic Tank Garden, and sadly I see that in my early photographs the roses like Prosperity were thriving - unlike today. To balance this rather gloomy thought, I've seen some Alstroemeria below the pink rhododendron, flowering bright red in 2003. I think some small pieces are still soldiering on - I will go out immediately to check.
Blast! If they are, I've smothered them in leaf mould. It's far too wet to tinker.
Thursday 15th May
Something else I do first thing in the morning. After feeding the cats and the dog I weed the kitchen spammers out of the Moosey Forums. Great excitement yesterday - a bathroom spammer! Forum spoilers, these, and I suspect the Forums are on their last legs. No gardener wants to pop by and be blasted with new kitchens.
Autumn Garden Seats
This morning I'm going swimming. But I have to arrive home with a great gardening attitude, and some potting mix. No problem. Actually, Daughter of Moosey and I have just come up with one of 'those' sayings. Please allow me to quote it :
If you haven't got land-mines in your vegetable garden, and you haven't got cholera in your water supply, then you haven't got a problem.-Moosey Mother and Daughter words of wisdom.
Next time I get an annoying blister on my best weeding finger I could do well to remember this. I do wish our world was a better place...