Saturday, 21 May 2016
I had the day to myself because Allan had gone boating. The unusual state of complete solitude inspired me to skip the Saturday market.
As usual, it tok me ages to get started on a day off. J9 stopped by unexpectedly just before I got outside, and we had a good natter for half an hour and then I began to plant my own painted sage.
What I most wanted was to be done with annuals planting time. Otherwise, I would have rejoiced in the rain that stopped me halfway through the planting, and would have settled in with volume 4 of the Cazalet Chronicle. I felt sorry for the vendors down at the Saturday Market; the rain was torrential. I might have kept planting in the privacy of the back yard, but in the more public front yard I did not feel like exhibiting drowned rattiness.
rain from the east window
from the porch
pelting
topping up the rain barrels
As soon as it slowed, I was back out finishing the planting.
Frosty preferred to stay in.
I reassembled my mom’s sedum table display next to the water boxes. It has gone from her own garden to Golden Sands, lived there under a courtyard tree for six years, and has now come home.
mom’s little wooden table, still sturdy. Edged with brick, piled with soil, planted with succulents that were brought home in a bucket.
potatoes growing on the debris pile
Paul’s Himalayan Musk rose overhead
Rose ‘Gloire de Dijon’; if I were retired, I’d pick off every blackspotty leaf.
Egyptian Walking Onion outside the deer fence.
strawberries outside the deer fence; before I put this mesh up, Devery caught the deer browsing them.
almost ready!
a rose across the driveway at Nora’s old house (now her granddaughter Alicia’s)
Calvin was the one who followed me around outside today.
looking south east from the back gate
the one rose that came with the house…a prolific once-bloomer
(weedy) patio with no plants to plant!
Onyx from next door came to visit.
Onyx and Frosty
front path looking west with painted sage planted along the edge
Chickadees have made a next in the circuit board bird house.
purchased once upon a time at Saturday market
If I had the patience of Mr Tootlepedal, I would get a photo of the chickadees going in and out.
I was chided from a nearby perch.
front path looking east, not raked up yet
Clematis durandii on new arbour (where wire mesh will be inserted for it to climb on).
more small painted sage plants along more edges. I had to pull some red poppies to make room, felt it was a shame but did it anyway.
I used up all my six packs of sage with not a one left to squeeze into the boatyard garden. At last, with all the plants in the ground, I had time to begin the sort of tasks that I like best in the garden.
clipping hellebore: before…
and after. I had been looking forward to that.
With all the plants planted, I can now turn my attention at work to projects, the sort of work I much prefer to planting.
Now, if I just stop buying plants, I won’t have any more planting to do till next year, will I?
Allan got home just after dark. Tomorrow’s post will be about his adventures in Portland.
Ginger’s Garden Diaries
from my mother’s garden diaries of two decades ago
1997 (age 73):
May 21: 10:30-5:00 Don and I worked about 3 hours in the garage going through the NW corner sorting stuff for garage sale. When he left, I worked in front weeding out the sweet woodruff, etc. I think I have about 4 or 5 wheelbarrows to add to the compost pile.
1998 (age 74):
May 21: I brought out all the baskets that are growing good. I managed to hang several of the baskets with rigid hangers. I worked again potting tomatoes.
Tangly Cottage Gardening 