Ducks and daylight saving...
Duck!
Ducks. Ducks! For three weeks now an irate mallard duck has been splash-landing on my pond at 5am. It then announces itself loudly : 'Darling I'm home!' On and on, insistent, noisy enough to wake up a slumbering gardener (me) in Pond Cottage.
Minimus the cottage cat eventually jumps out the window to check. Aargh! Duck consternation, irate flapping and even noisier squawking. I think about getting out of bed and hurling something at it - a stone, even. But that would be so naughty! I love the critters that share my garden...
Aha! Daylight saving, and all our clocks and time-keeping devices go forward one hour. And my duck gets it wrong. On the first daylight-saved morning it arrives at 4am. Oops. Went the wrong way, supposed to spring forward. The next morning it over-compensates, arriving at 8am and catches me sitting in bed reading my book on Roman Britain. Very civilised...
Buster the Black Cat
Over the Weekend...
If one varies the tasks one does over a damp, coolish spring weekend, then everything works well. Superficial mud on clothing is OK, and feet might feel a little chilly. But one tries not to wipe wet dirt all over the face or in the hair. Simple.
First a huge clean-up in the Island Bed, and thoughts about buying some replacement Lilacs. Not sure why two I planted here previously have died, though. Miscanthus grasses which are nicely fattening out - trimmed. Old Anemanthele grasses - dug out. Again I've pulled out swathes of iris confusa. I'm finding them in all the garden borders - these scruffy go-to plants, only useful when not feeling creative enough to think of anything else. All out and burnt. Buster, my young cat who is training to become a spy, kept a sneaky eye on me.
Later on I went to work in the glass-house, doing seeds and seedlings. My other young cat, Tiddles the tabby, tried her hardest to get through the roof windows to keep me company. But Tiddles has too many toes, and consequently huge paws - my seedlings do not want her stomping all over them. Dear Tiddles the tabby!
Spring Blossom
I took some photographs of the blossom trees. Oh so pretty, these flowering cherries, and both were planted by the previous owners. Good thinking!
Corylus rose :- Corylus is a rugosa hybrid, with very pretty pink flowers.
Then I weeded the Shrubbery courtyard. And thought about the ever-suckering rose Corylus, and whether I actually appreciate it growing in this alarming fashion. Also the sweet little periwinkle which grows in the so-called wilderness area has naturally crept back into the main bit. But so pretty! Will I allow this?
I did my best, scraping and raking and pulling out weeds. Then a first - I pruned the Blush Noisette roses. And another thought : I don't like pruning the rugosas. But maybe they would like me to? As long as I waited until the buds were visible. Some sulking Scabrosas are looking rather spindly and forlorn, and this could well be my fault. So I did a tiddly prune.
Monday 26th September
Damp and drizzling. We have already been to the dog park, and been for a garden walk with the camera. Actually I am now wondering about having a garden-free day. I'm thinking coffee, TV soaps, housework... Housework?
Spring Rhododendron
Later... Hopeless. I've cleaned the laundry floor, and watched an air crash programme on TV. Hopeless! Perhaps I could go online and source some Lilacs? No. I'm going to do the vacuuming. That's what lazy-bones gardeners do when they're having a day off.