Not garden-specific...
Hee, hee. Since my New Year's Resolution is not garden-specific I don't feel terribly guilty that I still haven't weeded behind the pond, or trimmed the edges over the water race, or tied up the beautiful bamboo by the garage (which shimmers in the wind), or finished dead-heading the roses and started on the dahlias. Ha!
New Pink Spiky Dahila
It goes like this : I hereby resolve that in every single day of 2014 I will try my best to do a bit of everything. I'm the sort of person who always tries their best, so no matter what happens (or how hopeless the result) I can always give myself a big fat tick, hee hee.
Bee on a Dahlia
Monday 6th January
In 2008 one of my New Year's resolutions was to 'harvest and eat all beans produced'. To connect with my earlier gardening self I've been checking them in the vegetable garden. So far I have an abundance of the prettiest purple flowers. Please let me remember they are there. Beans are so versatile in cooking.
On this lovely day in January 2014 I've already cut out day pants for my trouser-less teddy bears, watered my tomatoes in their patio pots, and as for the Schumann - well, I'm feeling pianistically very positive. Surely if I practice it every day it will get better and faster? And easier to play? Not that faster is always better, but when one's violinist races on like the wind...
Later...
Aha! I've done the following :
- Played Schumann and Mozart on the piano.
- Worked for half an hour on the jig-saw.
- Cleared two barrowfuls of garden mess.
Time for a cup of tea. I deserve this!
Nepeta and Queen Annes Lace
Then I'm going straight outside to paint the new obelisk a subtle lime green colour. I bought a huge tin of this paint from the recycling store for less than the price of a paint brush. Recycling is so groovy, isn't it? It restores the balance so well. Perhaps it also puts things into perspective?
The Obelisk :- The obelisk is painted a rather soft limey green.
It's later, and it's done! Well done, me. The obelisk is painted. I have also painted rather a lot of my arms, but with some gentle soap and the wonders of water-based paint all is well. It goes into the middle of the Island Bed, after I've prepared the ground in there. The Sally Holmes roses in there are ready for dead-heading, and there's some of that awful 'Cleavers' weed hanging about.
Now I am about to test a co-ordination theory. I will drink a bottle of cold beer before playing the Schumann, to see if it gives me the 'courage' to go faster. My violinist has been busy trimming suckers and limbing up the Hazelnut trees, and he intends have a bath before joining me. Should be interesting.
Minimus
Tuesday 7th January
Wow - another brilliant day, doing my best, with little bits of everything. Chamber music first, Bach trio sonatas with flute and violin, then a short session with the jigsaw (3000 pieces is rather a lot). Then, the piece de resistance - I did three solid hours gardening in the shade, I finished clearing the middle of the Glass-House Garden and started on the little garden opposite, underneath the variegated Elm tree.
Thank You, Minimus!
Young Minimus kept me company, climbing up and down the rambling rose which covers the woodshed. This garden and the nearby woodshed represents the very beginning of our relationship, and we both remember this place fondly - well, I certainly do! Dear Minimus, my woodshed kitten, thank you for turning yourself into my cottage cat, and bringing me such joy and friendship.
Sometimes I'm Sensible...
Sometimes my garden ideas are really sensible. I'm glad I mass-planted hydrangeas underneath the tree - they are looking gorgeous, and suit the summer shade. I'm not so glad that I planted the tree, however. It sends up suckers, the prettiest variegated ones, such nuisances to trim off.
Hydrangeas underneath the Elm Tree
More dahlias are flowering, and I remind myself how much the bees love these flowers. Not that I am ever likely to rid my garden of dahlias. In fact, I was given some bags of tubers last winter, and I'm loving the soft purply spiky blooms. I've planted them in the narrow water race border, in full sun.
Bright Red Dahlia
Later...
I've done some Schumann piano practice, cooked a scrumptious gourmet pizza for the evening meal, drunk some of Larry's home-made wine, and now I'm off to bed to read my Enid Blyton book. I also have the Booker prize winner 'The Luminaries' on stand-by, just in case - but this probably requires a clearer and less tired head.
Bed-Adventuring...
Better tonight to go bed-adventuring (in the lightest possible way) with the Five Find-Outers and Dog, though their attitude to the resident policeman makes me feel uncomfortable. Ha! This proves I do have a mature, responsible, law-abiding side.
However, I need to confess to buying a knitted policeman-doll for Escher the dog to 'play with' next time he visits. Hmm...