Monday, 26 May 2014
Taking a three day weekend off feels unusual, even over a holiday, unless there is a garden tour involved. We are increasingly determined to somehow cut back on work and enjoy life more. We may have decreased our schedule to almost the perfect number of jobs to make this happen. If the Really Big Job sells, we will, I think, be all set for the perfect work/leisure balance….at least till we get older and maybe tireder.
My Day
Even though I meant to weed, I got started planting because I first felt inspired to look for the fig tree that Garden Tour Nancy had given me. I’d moved it to behind the greenhouse, and there I found it…UNDER a five gallon bucket of water that Allan had unknowingly set on it. Amazingly, it was still alive and got a new home in an old garbage can.
Then it took a ridiculously long time to fill four big pots halfway down the garden and put Salvia ‘Hot Lips’ into them. A mix of old potting soil and new involved much bucketing.
And then I had all those cool North Carolina plants and about ten hellebores that I had not planted this spring.
By the end of the day, these were the only North Carolina plants I had left to plant.
I had only this many plants left for jobs:
And only this many left for me:
The epimidium and the polygonatum collection from Todd in North Carolina went here, with green tags to mark the spots so I don’t lose them.
By the trunk of the former Danger Tree, I thought Todd’s Viburnum dentatum ‘Golden Arrow’ would go well with a golden leafed hydrangea. (The latter does not show right now, thanks to slug damage. ) Some hellebores complete the picture, along with some perennials from Back Alley Gardens that I had finally got planted a few weeks ago.
I am very fond of gold and of variegated foliage and may use it to excess, according to some arbiters of good taste.
Then I felt too tired to do any weeding…until:
I also dug out a boring rose from the area above. I’d rescued it from a client’s garden, and waited to see if it would be special or if it had died back to root stock. Root stock it was, probably the dull magenta Dr. Huey. Poor Huey…half dead anyway and out he went.
My weeding frenzy continued throughout the big west bed.
I dumped two heaping wheelbarrow loads of dwarf fireweed and thin thready horsetail and left two big piles hidden in the middle. Will I haul them out or leave them there as an experiment? I might just leave them. I am so glad my garden is not on any tours this year.
The patio is still a mess.
Allan’s Day
Allan wheeled his boat out through the garden.
and took it to Black Lake.
Our Evening
During Sunday’s rain, I would not have thought we had any chance of having a campfire, and yet…we could. Allan got the fire going while I took a last late evening garden photo stroll.
And then we had our campfire and instead of a proper blog, I did a phone blog by the fire.
What an interesting garden you have, I loved looking round with you.
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Thanks so much, Susan!
Sent from my iPhone
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Glad to hear you’re on the verge of finding a suitable balance to your work and leisure. Sure hope it all works out! And as beautiful as I find your yard & gardens, can I say the most reassuring thing to me (a definite amateur) is seeing your patio and knowing that even the pros have unfinished business! Seems that is the nature of gardening to me – everything ALWAYS in flux….
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I think many garden photos that we see have been carefully composed to leave the bad parts out! Or there have been days of clean up before a shoot. Or there is a staff.
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I am envious of the boating opportunities and admire your indefatigable weeding.
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beautiful garden Tangly I love looking at your pics, And yes as gardners there will always be things undone. Not bad just shows a busy person.
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Thanks, Janis. Found out today the REALLY BIG JOB (you know where) is not about to sell after all 😉
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I was hoping to see an answer on the white “iris” looking plant. I am stumped and asked a few others if they knew, no luck from this end.
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If it is unusual enough that you don’t know it, I had better post it to a plant idents page on FB. It looks so iris-y in foliage but more orchidy or something in flower.
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