Working in the Stumpy Garden...
After a couple of really rainy days (nice for the garden, maybe not so for the gardener) the sunshine is back. Am enjoying the lighter look of the Stumpy Garden now that those silly Oak trees have been removed. The big rhododendrons that grow there are flowering now, and they are so beautiful.
Today I am going to continue cleaning up this garden. Spread some horse manure, have a think about new plantings. Shrubs! Not roses. Why not roses? Not sure. Will take the dogs for a walk and have a long hard look at things. Will check how much more sun there is now.
Back from looking...
Now this is interesting. Sometime over the last few days (when I've been out) my neighbour left some unwanted dug-out roses for me. Have only just seen them. Yeay! Where, oh where to put them? In the Stumpy Garden? Why not? Serendipity or lazy gardening decision-making? Both.
The New Stumpy Garden Area
Four hours later : I cleared most of the edges, and separated out the forget-me-nots for mulching. Then I scooped up the mess. Took a load to the bonfire, returned with one rose, one bag of compost, and one bag of horse manure. Planted three roses - two whites and a red (colour labels only - my neighbour is not a rose person). Chopped up the forget-me-nots to go on top. Very nice.
Wednesday 10th November
Have been putting off talking about Speckles the stray cat, because I hardly seen him these days (actually, these nights). I assume he swings by the cottage in the night to drink his milk - I only leave dried food out for him (too easy to be visited by a hungry dog, or a Fred cat). And just when I think he's gone forever, he reappears.
Speckles the Stray
So for the last three nights he's had a proper meal, given me a few hisses, and one fairly lame smooch. This morning he was even waiting in the cat basket, requiring a top-up. And when I stroked the top of his head he shut his eyes. What a hopeless, dead-loss cat. Sorry, Speckles, but you are!