Wednesday 18 July 2007


Well, I went for my manicure, but the beauty salon was locked up tight. Seems no one had bothered to enter my appointment in the computer. I was quite annoyed, but when I finally got hold of someone, she was so apologetic, I couldn't stay mad. And it meant I got to work in the garden for most of our day of sun.

So much needs doing after all the rain. The shrubs have loved the moisture and have burst beyond their boundaries so I had to cut some back quite hard. Probably the wrong time of year but oh well. I inspected my project at the back to see what further changes I can make. We used to have a gigantic leylandii hedge that was dead at the bottom and was starting to look hideous. Two years ago while I was visiting my family, hubby had it chopped down. No problem. We still had some huge trees -- a pine and a willow. Well, the storm in January nearly uprooted the pine so it had to go and the willow was rotten in the middle so it had to go. Which left a lot of roots and not a lot of privacy. We planted a cherry tree, a magnolia, and a huge rhododendron last year, but it's still quite bare and I can still see the lady at the back in her bathroom. But in the bareness, I can see what I want to do with the border. A couple more trees, possibly birch or rowan. More rhododendrons, some ferns, some Japanese anemones. Just have to get rid of the tree roots and these lily-type things that must be from prehistoric times because they have such huge bulbs.

I also inspected the blackcurrent bushes. They are bursting with fruit and need to picked NOW. But what do I do with all the blackcurrants? In the past I've made jam (quite runny but good) and cassis, but I never drink enough cassis. Does anyone have any ideas? My lettuce is also loving the rain and cool weather, but other vegetables aren't looking so good, like the courgettes (zucchini). The tomatoes and cucumbers in the greenhouse are progressing slowly.

I love being in the sun and tending to my garden. I could spend the entire day doing it but can't. And I must watch it because I did my back in a couple of weeks ago trying to dig out the lily-type things.
And isn't it a good thing I didn't have the manicure, which no doubt would have been ruined by all the work in the garden? Sometimes things work out for the best.

7 comments:

Fire Byrd said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Fire Byrd said...

I made so many spelling mistakes in that last comment even by my standards it had to go.

So to repeat myself....
I envy you the day in the garden, closest I came to enjoying the sun was the two minute walk between office and car park!
And I bet it's raining on Friday when I get a day off!!
And to think we have all this and then winter to look forward to.
px

wakeupandsmellthecoffee said...

I guarantee October will be a lovely month. When I first moved to this country, we had a lousy summer. My husband kept saying Whatever Month can be a lovely time of year in this country. Finally, in October, it was.

laurie said...

is that your garden? really? holy moly it's gorgeous.

i like to putter in my garden too. but after looking at your picture i realize i can't really call mine a "garden." weedy patch. smattering o' plants. something other than garden.

wow.

(october is my favorite month. bar none. and not just because it contains my birthday!)

J said...

Do you have a way to dehydrate the black currants? We like dried fruit of all types in our oatmeal in the winter, and in scones all year round. I also use dried currants in the stollen I make at Christmas.

I was hoping to get into the garden today during my daughter's nap, but it rained all day. I am so behind on my weeding. I envy that you had a day to work in yours!

DJ Kirkby said...

you have garden soil and sun?! We have mud and cloud...*pout*

wakeupandsmellthecoffee said...

Laurie: I must confess. That picture is not of my garden as it is, but how I picture it looking in a few years' time.
J.: If I lived in a country that was actually having a summer, I probably could dehydrate the currants. But alas, we are only have a day here, 10 minutes there of summer this year.
DJ: Don't know where you are in the UK, but yesterday where I am was glorious. I totally understand the meaning of make hay while the sun shines now.