Caught!
Starting the New Garden
Sitting in bed with early cup of tea, I listened to the most doom-laden half hour of world news ever. It was an accident! I didn't mean to! I got caught in a news trap.
I live and garden on an island. But I am worrying about my gardening friends overseas, where borders are blurry. We should all be enjoying rewards for being the nurturers of the earth. So how can I send my loving support over the cosmic oceans to my friends?
Aha! By starting the hardest weeding project ever seen in this wee New Zealand garden, and working tirelessly for us all. I will trick myself back into positivity, spreading gardening love (and horse manure, hee hee). And maybe cut down on listening to new bulletins? Less may be more, information-wise, at the moment.
But first I have my Silver Swans online ballet class, starting soon. Oops. Need to suit up - that is, put on black legging, black T-shirt, and cute pink ballet flats. Not quite the gardening image, is it?
And then - just watch me. I will start clearing vast tracts of the Hump. The word 'tract' should indicate the scale of this operation. Out of worry will come hope. I will create a huge new gardenable area, sunny and pleasant. Right. I am ready to do this. I am going outside with my shovel.
Four hours of gardening love later...
I dug and I scraped and I trundled barrow loads of mess out. Thought a lot about 'things'. Gardeners are sensible folk who understand how to keep themselves safe. Usually they're keeping themselves safe from stinging nettle rashes, infected thorn scratches, issues with the shovel, splinters, allergies from Euphorbia sap, and so on. Maybe using masks when opening the potting mix. Stay home and garden - the new safe!
Autumn Sunset Rose
Now this new area I've cleared looks awfully small, but hey! I didn't hurt any parts of myself. I even cleared (gloveless) around the bases of the new climbing roses (Crimson Cascade and Autumn Sunset) without puncturing anything digital. And then I resisted the urge to immediately rush around digging out and replanting things. Showed restraint and wisdom. Very pleased with myself.
Wednesday 1st April
Today's plan is to cover the cleared ground with damp newspaper and horse manure, then do more weeding. Good gardening sense, this. Right. Off I go. The sun is shining. Three hours work should make a decent impression, I reckon.
Later...
Again a very small impression, but never-the-less decent. I've used up all the newspaper. Nice work.
New Garden Area to the Left
Hope all my gardening friends are OK. Gardeners of the world, be strong. Down to earth and dirty we may all be, but please can we all stay safe.