Write now...
Water Path Under the Gunnera
There are many reasons why gardeners keep journals, or write blogs. Some want to provide nerdy information, others to simply share their love of gardening. And occasionally a gardener might think they have something new to say...
Reaffirm, refresh, re-energise...
But sometimes gardeners just need to reaffirm, refresh, and re-energise themselves. Hence things are written down - a list of tasks, the latest gardening thoughts, perhaps plans for the coming autumn season.
Set goals?
Or - scary, this - a set of goals. And some gardeners (me, to be more precise) use the written word to tell themselves off, like comments on a report card : 'Can do better. Must concentrate more. Finish tasks. Clean up mess after making it.' Hmm...
That's me, today. I've just made the hugest mess, chopping off Gunnera leaves and throwing them onto the grass. I've piled up the wheelbarrow once, then have scuttled inside to do - what? Write in this journal. Hmm. Avoiding the hard work, that's what I am doing.
Much Later...
Ha! Shamed by the possibility of getting bad comments on my report card, I worked really hard for four hours. I cleaned up all my mess, I didn't stop until I was finished. I concentrated. The water race is now free of Gunnera traps for small visitors on their boogie boards. The reward - washing my hair - the perfect end to the gardening day.
And then I zoomed into town for a choir rehearsal, and had the most amazing evening singing Bach. Came home grinning and buzzing with spiritual energy. Bach (and gardening) does that.
Wednesday 24th March
I have a gardening rule : Notice something that needs doing? OK, ignore it twice, but the third time you see it, stop and jolly well fix it up. The dogs and I always walk past the Allotment Garden, sections of which are awfully dry. A large section has become overgrown with a spreading ground-cover violet. I must have noticed this at least three times a day (the dogs and I go for lots of walks).
Early Autumn Driveway
Today I remembered my rule. Oops. So I spent three hours slicing the ground-cover off. Horrible stuff to remove, and I reckon the matted root systems stop any rain (or watering) from soaking into the soil.
Early Autumn - Cercis Tree
I also dug out some yellow daylily clumps (they never flowered this summer) and some peonies (ditto). Then I shifted the hose onto the Graham Thomas roses and found yet more violets. Aargh! That's tomorrow's task. Rip them out.
Mrs Oakley Fisher Rose
Thursday 25th March
Have spent a lovely morning creating treasure maps with youngster grandson. The maps have all sorts of nasty surprises - mouldy mountains, eye-monsters, rubber-limbed aliens, sharks in crazy-castle moats, volcanoes spewing out rocks - and spells to help the unwary traveller get through it all. Phew! Now I am home and ready to return to the garden. How about a spell to dissolve those ghastly ground cover violets? Blast.
Later...
No spells, just lots of digging and pulling. Removed all the violets, dug out the sad two Mrs Oakley Fishers, and potted the ladies up, along with a red geranium rose (not sure of name) and the rescued peonies. This weekend I'll get a trailer load of garden mix to go on top.
Keep up the good work!
My report card now reads as follows : Moosey has applied herself well to her garden tasks this week, with pleasing results. Keep up the good work.