Why on earth?
Sisyrinchium striatum
One of those 'Why on earth didn't I do this before?' moments - when pulling out forget-me-nots, I make sure I am wearing a cotton shirt (no matter how cold it is), my shortest shorts, and hide-away socks (completely hidden inside my gardening boots). Then the sticky biddi-bid seeds don't attach to my legs or my ankles...
No more ruined clothes (biddi-bids are impossible to remove from my good wool socks). Indeed, why didn't I think of this before? Such a simple solution to an age old problem. Dirty knees - a small price to pay.
Now, before I go outside, how about some more photographs? Of more roses? Shouldn't I be weeding - pulling out forget-me-nots, digging out dandelions? And planting? Tomatoes! Carrots! The rest of the flowering annuals?
Yes, I should be doing all the above, but the roses are a huge distraction in my garden at the moment. I love them. I have rather a lot of roses. About a quarter of them are names unknown, having been rehomed here.
It's super-sunny today, so the watering hoses are back on (discretely, poking into the fence-line Pittosporums) and I've been following the shade around. I've finally planted the tomatoes (they're the low acid variety 'Roma') - should have done this a couple of weeks ago.
Some of the Pink Roses in my Garden
Oh boy! My fingers seem to be buzzing inside from all their hard work. Have pulled out loads of forget-me-nots. Am actually too tired to list all the other things I've done. What a great day!
Sunday 15th November
I have worked so hard all day today, in the shade, cos it's been hot again. I've been weeding, trimming edges, and clearing forget-me-nots out of the gardens over the water race.
I've had to close off a path - the rhododendrons on either side are just too big now, and one simply does not prune these beautiful majestic shrubs. More late rhododendrons are flowering nearby, too - such a nice surprise. These gardens are nicely shrubby. And shady!