A new time trick...
Baby Pink Camellia
So much to do, so much time. All the time in the world? Today I'm trying a new time trick : going backwards. I'll write a list of today's achievements first, then go outside and do them all.
Achievements :
1. The seven new Camellias I picked up yesterday have been planted carefully in the Septic Tank Garden and I've spread horse manure around.
2. I've cleaned up the Hump Garden : laid new logs to edge the path, pruned nearly all roses and the Miscanthus zebrinus grasses.
Three hours later...
Right. It's lunchtime and I had to come inside because I was too cold. And I had to shower and have a complete change of clothes because I was too muddy. I've planted the four larger Camellias. Have also taken some loads of burnable stuff to the bonfire, a load of log edges over to the Hump Garden, and weeded out a whole new patch of Lamium underneath the baby pink Camellia.
Zephirine Drouhan :- A beautiful clear pink rose with a muddled old-fashioned flower.
Am allowed to choose a rose suitable for training along the fence in the Septic Tank Garden. Aha! 'Zephirine Drouhin would love a fence to climb and should do very well with 4 hours of sun.' Sounds great. She's available at my local rose nursery. And she's pink! Perfect.
Much, much later...
In my lunchbreak I bought two Zephirine Drouhan roses for the fence, and a small climber, Tess of the D'Urbervilles, for the archway. The name is familiar. Tried Tess before, back in 2006. Apparently she succumbed to rose rust and I threw her on the bonfire. Oops.
Then I worked for nearly three more hours, until it got dark. All but one new Camellia is planted and surrounded by rotted horse manure. I also made a start in the Hump Garden. Not my finest hour - left a lot of weeds untouched, and only pruned five roses. This garden looks rather bleak in winter.
Red Camellia
Complicated!
OK, so I didn't quite achieve everything that I'd already said I'd achieved. Complicated! But I had an amazing day, and am very proud of my efforts.
Tuesday 12th August
Hey, rain! Where'd you come from? Was hoping to plant the last Camellia and spread lots more horse manure this morning. Went swimming instead.
Later today I'm off to chamber music. Must remember to stop on the way and buy a big bag of seed-raising mix for all my Pelargonium cuttings. So much to do, but yes - all the time in the world, as long as I organise myself properly!