The hedges are trimmed...
Huge thanks to the hedge trimmer, who wiggled and jiggled his machine past my garden borders and around my ornamental trees (planted rather too close to the shelter hedge). Nothing trashed, damage pretty much zero (a couple of squashed Renga Renga and one small Oak tree branch don't count).
The Arrival of the Hedge Trimmer
It took him one whole day to trim everything, and my resulting hedge trimmings bonfire has been gurgling for three days now (it goes to bed every evening at dusk). Watching the greenery billow with smoke and steam, then whoosh up into flames - so this is why hedge fires in Canterbury are so dangerous! I've also been adding dry leaves and gum tree bark, and when I get a bit bored I wander off to tidy up a Cordyline and/or trim a Phormium.
The Leyland Shelter Hedge
So far I've cleared trimmings from half the lawn over the water race, and Non-Gardening Partner has scooped up mess from the driveways, filling the trailer a couple of times. Anyone (NGP, this might be referring to you) who makes fun of me watching slow train journeys (Cab View) on Youtube needs to realise that my hedge trimming bonfire is just as slow. Yesterday's was the longest so far - over six hours of raking and wheeling and dodging the smoke.
Today...
Today, not wanting to waste time waiting for the denser branches to 'take off', I plodded off to spread bags of horse manure in my new Pond Paddock Garden. This covers an area of mossy, shaded no-lawn, and is slowly getting bigger. I am very happy with its concept. Or, possibly, my concept of 'it'. Rather than trying to sow grass seed (hopeless) I've taking the hint and building a tough shrubs garden. It's already full of seedling Pittosporums, Cordylines, and Pseudopanyx (which were growing in the so-called lawn).
Fred on a Fence Post
Cats in the garden...
With this nice weather my cats have been much in evidence in the garden. Noticed Black Buster (AKA The Black Avenger) sneaking up on my cottage cat Minimus, so did the silent assassin thing myself and got her with the water pistol. She must think Minimus has a huge spitting range, hee hee. Put on my innocent cat-lover's face and raked up a barrow load of leave to help my hedge trimmings.
Finished the day standing in the water race trimming more Gunnera - cold water, spiky stems, scratchy leaves. Ouch! I was 'helped' by Red Fred, and successfully foiled his many attempts to leap over the water and onto me. Fred likes to climb - his favourite people as well as trees.
And now - another of those nights when I have to go out to take a singing rehearsal and I wish I could just stay home, continue my (slow) Youtube train journey from Basel to Brig, and slurp down some House Merlot. Oh well. Tra la la, as they say...