Spring weeding...

 By Pond Cottage.
Cleaning Up

Spring weeding. It's very hand-tiring and finger-consuming, the way I do it. The fun part comes after the weeding's done - the mulching, the planting, the admiring - that is if one still has any energy left to mulch, plant, and admire! I'm back from a heavy-duty session weeding my friend's garden - different soil, different weeds, quite tough going. Now I'm going to do some light weeding in my own garden, around Pond Cottage. Trouble is, my hands are a bit achy, and my fingers feel like they're buzzing. OK. I can do this.

Much Later...

Camellias in the Pond Paddock Garden - Gay Baby and Roger Hall - are flowering. I've weeded around the cottage, and bucketed water on the shrubs - the soil seems very dry. I've divided and replanted some miniature Agapanthus, and popped in Stachys in some gaps.

My heart hasn't really been in this weeding session, though. My hands are now even more achy - time to rub in some Birthday Hand Cream, grab the camera and take some photographs. Aargh! Old skin, old hands, old gardeners. Mumble, grumble, stumble...

Beautiful spring. Marshmallow colours of blossom and bright shrubby colours join with the beautiful greens and browns of winter. I am so blessed.

Thursday 10th September

So blessed! Have a selection of hose fittings, was going to fix up my little watering hoses first thing. Then was going to water, water, water - all day. And guess what! Mother Nature to the rescue - it's gently but solidly raining, with no wind to tip over the daffodils.

 Never alone in my garden!
Me with a cat and a dog

And Mother Mary to the rescue - one of the Fred cats arrived, drenched, with the tiniest wax-eye bird in his mouth. Time for my sweet-as-honey voice, the slow approach, the congratulatory chin tickle, spare hand ready to quickly scoop up the poor birdie. Phew! Got it, took it outside - and up, up, and away it flew. Now a bit of gushing : Awwww fred! Clever cat. Well done Fred, what a great hunting cat you are! Hee hee.

 A New Zealand variety.
Roger Hall Camellia

Later, early afternoon...

The rain has stopped, so I'm off outside. There's so much to do! Memo to self - don't forget to clean the glass panes of the glass-house. Asked Ms Google how to best do this. She gives me this link... Hmm... Should have done it in winter, apparently. I knew that.

Three hours later...

Humph. I need a step-ladder to clean the glass-house, and I don't go happily up such things. So I put the hoses on, then I carted horse manure over to the Pond Paddock Garden, with a wee interlude to wash dark green slimy duck poo off Winnie the dog. Plodding back and forth with the bags of manure took ages, but I spread them all. As a reward I am allowed to go down the road and pick up some more. Hmmm. Rewarding hard work with more hard work? Great for the garden, though - well-rotted, odourless (unlike my dog), and full of wriggling worms.

Actually I smell a bit like Winnie did. Oops. Better have a shower.