A fresh start...
Baby Pink Camellia
Right. A fresh start to July is needed. The winter solstice is now in the past. Hopefully there'll be less drizzle and grey gloominess in the weather. And hopefully I can crank up my gardening volume (which has been rather muted of late).
Here's the idea. As long as I do at least two hours each day I will be getting somewhere. And somewhere is much better than nowhere. I can't get too cold in two hours, surely? I'm thinking trundling, spreading horse manure, weeding...
Three hours later...
A jolly good afternoon's work, with more weeding than trundling. The beginning of the narrow Driveway Garden border is now fixed up, ready for horse manure. I shifted a couple of Choisya shrubs out into the open, and planted spring bulbs by the edge. I weeded madly. The Wedding Day rose against the fence line looks pretty with its coloured rose hips.
Hot shower, clean clothes, hot cup of tea - easy rewards. Add in a library book in front of the log-burner, the evening meal gurgling, the electric blanket on medium in the cottage (lucky Minimus), another good book in there waiting... Have had another quick practice of Schubert's Mass in G major (singing in it tomorrow morning - such sweet, pretty musical lines). One of the nicest things about gardening in winter is the afterglow, when one is inside, warm and clean.
Sunday 5th July
Woke up thinking about the daylilies in the Driveway Border. Asked Ms Google. They need about six hours sunshine. I think I need to shift and divide them. Just in case, asked Ms Google again. 'To divide daylilies, cut a large clump in half. Set the clumps in a wheelbarrow...' I can do that! My trusty green wheelbarrow is still going strong. This morning it is helping with cleaning out the gutters while I sing Schubert.
Polyanthus and Pukeko
Much Later...
Schubert sung, daylilies dug up, divided, and replanted in the Hump, my sunniest garden. I also started scraping weeds off the Hump paths. I'm sure I did this just a few weeks ago. My goodness, how time flies - and how weeds grow! Pruned the very first rose. Saw another which is far too fat for its position by the path. Tomorrow I'll dig it out and replant it somewhere with room to spread.
Actually, I'm going to spend the next few days in the Hump sorting out all the paths, transplanting all the forget-me-nots which are growing happily therein, pruning all the roses, and generally weeding. The Hump Garden has been my willy-nilly dumping ground for rehomed plants, mainly roses and dahlias, and could make more sense. And mid-winter is the perfect time to shift things around.
Next day...
I'm off to the Hump to shift whatever I see needs shifting. Except that beautiful Scottish rose, Rosa Woodsii Fendleri, which obviously adores its location. A wonderful country rose.
Two Hours Later...
The fat red rose is out. A creamy-white rose nearby must have that same rambling parentage, so I've pruned it snd will dig it tomorrow. These two large nuisance roses can be planted further down in the garden, well away from paths.
Erigeron - Mexican Daisies
I've weeded - will need some weed killer for the sorrel (can't get all the roots out). I've trimmed all the large clumps of Erigeron (the so-called Mexican daisies). I've cleared more paths - so far they look OK, but I will dig out a couple of the Choisya Sundance shrublets and curve the path around that species rose. Tomorrow.
Rosa Woodsii Fendleri
Non-Gardening Partner said something awfully nice to me yesterday : my garden is in great shape, looking much better than it usually does at this time of the year. The results of all my hard work are obvious, he says. Yeay!