Gardening robots?
Oh crikey. I need some gardening robots! I want to do lots of things, all at once. Finish clearing the path behind the cottage and take to the bonfire. Work in the water race while the water flow is turned off. Plant the two Blushing Pink Iceberg roses...
Autumn Nerines
Finish - aargh! That word! Finish digging out the small remaining patch of the Iris Who Shall Not Be Named (Iris confuse Chengdu). Oh - I named it! So what to do first? Have another cup of tea, I reckon.
Two hours later...
The wind told me what not to do - don't light the bonfire. I cleared out three loads of mess from behind the cottage, dug out pieces of a green Phormium and replanted them in a pot, replanted some Renga Renga, and cleared the debris from the bottom of the little pond.
Pond Cottage in May
Was just about to take a lunch break when my bonfire reignited - as they do. But luckily the wind had dies down. So I zoomed back over to the cottage and collected three more barrow loads. Then I put on my gumboots and went into the water race to clean up the banks near Middle Bridge. Trimmed Carexes and Phormiums, sliced out ferns. Planted the new roses, chopped down a dying rhododendron...
Got colder, wetter, and slower...
Just tried to keep going. Got colder, wetter, and slower - it was lightly drizzling. Moved along to Willow Bridge, trimmed Carexes, dug out some Gunnera roots that were spreading across the water race.
I say with some pride that all this kept me garden-busy for five hours, with no breaks. Ended up doing everything mentioned in that first paragraph (except digging out the last of that pesky Iris). And now I am apres gardening, my feet are cosy in warm, dry socks, and I am very, very proud. Am off to take some autumn photographs.
Berberis
And I remind myself how beautiful the Berberis is at this time of the year (though it is a bit invasive).