25 May: second day off

Sunday, 25 May 2014

Unlike the first of our three days off, the second began with the good feeling of having had a really good solid sleep.  Right after our midmorning breakfast, I got out to tackle another area of weeds.

back garden, west bed: a blur of dwarf fireweed infestation

Some weeding reveals more slug and snail damage. They have had so many places to hide.

I had every intention of tackling this area immediately.

Allan helped by planting the 2 gallon gunnera.  The sky began to drizzle rain.

And then company arrived: J9 (right) and a visiting friend; Allan gave them some cookies.

We toured the garden all the way back to the bogsy wood.

At the same time, Theresa from the Planter Box arrived to check my hellebore collection for possible ripe seeds.

Teresa examining the hellebores

When I joined her after J9 and friend had departed, she had begun to weed…and she stayed for, I think, at least two hours, helping me weed even though the rain increased.

Finally, getting more and more drenched with my raincoat on, I said to her that I was continuing to weed just to keep up with her because I appreciated her help so much.  She said “I felt like I was stopping you [from weeding], and that’s not what I meant to do.”  She is the only friend who has visited and helped me weed since Sheila did so way back when she still lived on the Peninsula.

After Teresa, dripping wet, left for home, I ducked into the greenhouse to escape the torrent of rain which showed no sign of letting up.

The view was still very messy.

raindrops in the water boxes

a waterfall from one of the rain barrels

I had made a little progress weeding on my own before company came.

rainy day roses

a basket full of weeds that Teresa pulled in the front garden

In the house by late afternoon, thoroughly rained out of the garden, I would have liked to catch up on the Tootlepedal and Miserable Gardener blogs, my favourites, on which I am woefully behind since annuals planting time began.  Instead, I exerted the self discipline to spend the hours necessary making spreadsheets for billing clients for all the plants we have put in the ground since mid-May.  I keep lists on a clipboard.  I am sure I lose track and end up giving plants away by forgetting to write them down.    By the time that and a blog entry for the previous day was accomplished, it was time for dinner (ten PM!) and telly (Mad Men and then Orphan Black; the latter show failing to intrigue me even after four episodes.  I don’t like any of the characters.  But then, I didn’t like anyone in Breaking Bad and thought it was a great show.  The problem with Orphan Black is that a bunch of not very likeable characters share a problem that they could solve in an instant by going together and telling their story to a news channel!)