Blurred?
Creamy White Camellias
Why do gardening days sometimes get blurred? Because one often does exactly the same things each day. And gardening years? Yes, they get fairly blurred, too. Time plays sneaky tricks on gardeners.
So today I am spreading horse manure and doing weeding. Hang on a minute. Didn't I do this yesterday? Yep. And last month? Last year? Yep. Repetition, the spice of gardening life.
Wormy horse manure...
My latest batch of horse manure is very well-rotted and very, very wormy - much more than usual. And so I am providing much needed calories for the bigger birds in my garden. Dive down, worms! Hide, quickly.
Three hours later...
I now have a long periwinkle-free garden running alongside the far Hump Garden path which is dahlia dedicated - have shifted in all of the pink dahlias which were stuck under the large Miscanthus grass. Have spread manure over it, and am very happy, because this item was on my longest list ever, written back on March 1st. Crikey - that's a season away. Good things take time, yes?
Rewards...
And now for some rewards : slices off a fresh loaf of bread (which Winnie the dog will NOT steal off the bench), lamb chops and a salad, and a large glass of House Merlot (the non-alcohol version). Plus some new library books, and a Schubert Sonata I bought at the Op Shop for one dollar.
Plantation Pink Camellias
By the way, I did my hour of piano practice first thing this morning : Albeniz and Schumann. Decided that because some of my fingers are a bit crooked, I am always going to make mistakes (i.e. see the right notes but hit the wrong ones). So I might as well choose really difficult pieces. Hmm...
Saturday 19th August
Swimming first, then who knows? Probably will be doing the same as Friday. Wonder what I was doing today last year? Aha! 'I delivered seven barrow loads to the bonfire and burnt the lot.' And I was doing piano practice, playing Albeniz' Rondeau on the piano. Am now playing the very same piece exactly a year later. Crikey - nothing changes!
Later...
I have house visitors, so I only did half an hour, trimming ferns and assorted plants in the wee Laundry Garden. The mint has yet again become a real nuisance. I left all my mess on the stone pathway.
White Daphne
Earlier my friends and I went around the garden looking at the daffodils and the flowering shrubs. We picked loads of Daphne for the house. What a beautiful smell!
Sunday 20th August
Yeay! Spent the morning singing a delightful Palestrina Mass (not quite as 'radiant' as the programme notes promised). Had a lovely lunch with my singing friend, then zoomed home and into the garden. Spent three hours clearing very, very tenacious Periwinkle from the edge of the cultivated Hump Garden. Just a wee strip, the smallest of garden extensions. And Periwinkle that absolutely refused to be dug up. Crikey! Spread three barrow loads of horse manure around the newly planted dahlias. Now there's room for more of the big pinks to be shifted in.
Winter in the Hump Garden
I've had a great week. It may have been a bit blurry, but it's been full of garden surprises and wonderful music.