Some is better than none...
Have had an enjoyable 'some is better than none' gardening week. It's cold until at least mid-morning, so my winter gardening hours are a little restricted, but only for reasons of comfort.
Monday 25th May
Used up the colder morning time : a nice coffee catch-up with a friend (important, these), a visit to the local library (real books!), and then to the landscape garden supplier to buy potting mix. Then went outside.
Phormium tenax
Three hours later...
I pulled old Carexes out of their pots. A pot should house something special, rather than this go-to foliage plant which always gets big and scruffy far too soon. Pottered away happily, mainly planting bulbs.
Tuesday 26th May
Have a small window of opportunity today, but that's OK. Even one hour makes a difference. I returned to the Dog-Path Garden to dig out the remaining Iris confusa Chengdu. Uncovered a lovely low stone wall, such a beautiful feature. Cut the dead leaves off a Phormium tenax, which suddenly looked magnificently sculptural.
All the time the water in the race burbled away - sometimes humming, sometimes making conversation with watery syllables. Very friendly!
Wednesday 27th May
Am making progress. Just one hour, started at the lawn edge, have almost reached the water's edge. Yeay!
Thursday 28th May
Am just back from my consult with the dental surgeon. Eek! Surgery scheduled for the end of July. I've had a soothing cup of coffee and am about to slice out more iris. Being outside in my garden will make me feel better. Dentists make me very nervous.
Three hours later...
Oh boy. Hard work. Have come across masses of tangled iris roots which are impossible to use the spade on, so it's been hard work with the kitchen steak knife. I could have worked for longer, but I got a very cold, wet bottom sitting in the mud etc. near the water.
The Water Race
Now I'm inside, apres-gardening, clean hair, warm log-burner going, and the outside temperature is dropping steadily. Equilibrium is restored, and all is well.
Friday 29th May
Had to continue the iris clean-up from in the water race. Spent two busy hours wearing my waders. Trimmed a lot of mess off the bank : more creepy iris roots, a large Carex grass, scrappy ferns. Worked until my feet got too cold. Excellent progress, should have lit my bonfire, but that's just too bad.
Lichfield Angel Rose
So that's my week of 'some is better than none' gardening.