Should have written a list?
My goodness, some days when I don't have a proper plan I diddle around in the garden picking and poking at things. Not very satisfactory. Like today. Should have written a list.
Friday 26th July
I'd decided to start cleaning up the Hump Garden, but didn't quite know where to start. Should I trim and prune, or scoop out the wet weeds? Each activity would require its own separate collection, if you know what I mean.
Part of the Hump Garden
I sat down in one of the pathes to do some weeding. Got a wet bottom and sore fingers. Switched to trimming and pruning. Oh joy. Attacked the overgrown Hebes (I've probably killed them) which should have been trimmed years ago. Pruned a few roses. Ouch! No gloves. Lost my oomph, trudged inside.
Naughty!
Felt very dissatisfied and disorganised. I should have replaced some path edging logs. And I'd left lots of little sorrell weeds in place. Was also feeling very guilty about the Hebes. And I didn't collect up my prunings. Naughty.
A pack-rafting adventure...
But now I'm showered, bottom nicely warmed up, evening meal (roast chicken and veggies) cooking. About to join a Youtube Packrafter deep in the South Island of New Zealand. What an adventure! Pity about the sandflies.
Next morning...
What a difference a good night's sleep makes! Am mentally recharged and ready to get this garden sorted. I blame those Hebes - they really put me off my game.
Miscanthus Seed-Heads in the Sun
The winter sun is shining bravely, and lots of birds are pecking at their fruit bowl (water melon, bananas and squishy pears). It's easy. I will just enjoy my gardening, simply doing what needs to be done. I will not write a list. Just one question : Is it time to trim the Miscanthus? No. The seed-heads are far too pretty
New Bonfire
Four hours later...
So I did what I saw needed doing. First of all, half an hour of what I call wet weeding, then I shifted over to hard-prune a lot of the roses. And I dealt to those Hebes - all but one are down to the ankles. That'll teach them for bugging me.
A new bonfire!
Then I carted all the prunings over to my new bonfire in the clearing at the end of the Hump. Burnt mess which I'd collected from the Welcome Garden as well. Sat on the mulch heap, took a selfie, and thought about things.
Expecting too much...
Sometimes I expect too much from spending hours in the garden. It all depends, doesn't it, on whether or not the results are obvious. Time spent on the little details is still time spent well. And this business of needing to write a list : little things mightn't even get a mention anyway.