Dull?
What's dull about a driveway border? Nothing should be, when it's full of pretty foliage shrubs. I've just spent four hours today weeding along its edge, and it was a very dull experience. Sorry about this!
Astelias in the Driveway Border
The dull red Astelias (that word now used in a properly descriptive sense) are beautiful if subtle. I like them! And the green Astelias are just beautiful. Of course there's nothing flowering at the moment - the spring rhododendrons are just masses of shiny greenery.
Stone Edge
So I trimmed old Lychnis, dug out any seedling plants in the driveway for replanting, and pulled out Sycamore and Tagasaste seedlings. I uncovered the little stone edge of the garden. It's so pretty! It should make driving or walking past this garden much more pleasurable.
Species Agapanthus
Later I drove past in my car. Aargh! I hardly noticed any improvements. Ditto when the dogs and I walked by - but a driveway is rather functional, after all. And my mind was on musical things (new arrangements for my Jazz Choir, learning the alto lines for the upcoming Bach concert).
A good idea...
I did have a good idea - to shift some Agapanthus from the far fence, and plant them closer to the drive itself. Ideas are easy. Following them through is often another matter...
Alas, this was the only the gardening session I did during the week, which passed in a haze of crotchets and quavers. The Bach was interesting, presenting musical challenges as well as German ones. I tried to think the meaning into the words, but at speed this got rather lost in a flurry of umlauts and spitty consonants.
My Bach Choir
The concert went well, and lovely Non-Gardening Partner mowed the back house lawns when I was out singing.
Phormium Mess
Another Phormium trim!
Came home determined to be a gardener again. Changed out of my concert clothes, grabbed the bread knife, and went off to trim the Phormiums in the Stables Garden, as one does. I think both are the tricolor variety. Both are big, quite coarse in growth habit, and the stripes on their leaves are unspectacular. Dare I say dull!
Chopped off the dead leaves and flower stalks off one and scooped them up to stash by the fence. Then I took a long hard look at the other one. It had split itself into heavy, flopping pieces and didn't have a middle any more. A Phormium without a middle! Whatever next! Decided that it had to come out. It was time for a complete removal.
But that felt like really hard work, so I left it for tomorrow. Morgen.