Lovely Day!
0 comment Monday, July 7, 2014 |
I've done my garden duty today and pushed it further than I should have. Halfway through transplanting one of my mints to the herb bed, and ripping the grass and weeds out, I realised that the strength was going from my hands. There really wasn't much warning, one minute was going along well, the next, my blood sugar levels crashed so hard that I wondered if I'd have the strength to walk down the steps without collapsing. This has happened off and on throughout my life although the diabetes tests are "fine". Basically, I self-care with this - a bit of orange juice tends to perk me right up, and that was today's remedy, although much hilarity ensued as I tried to get tremor-filled hands to peel oranges to go into my juicer. Nevertheless, all done now and I am much steadier for a glassful of dark red orange juice.
I managed to set up the second growhouse though I note with some dismay that I'll need new covers next year - there's a few rips and things which I've tried to patch up just to last this year but this will really need doing if I'm going to have any success with these. They're now arranged on the other side of the outbuilding to fully catch the mid-late morning to mid afternoon sun. Will that be enough for toms and peppers? Less worried about this than whether or not they will cook as the outbuilding is a white background, and white reflected through plastic makes for an oven. So maybe the rips in plastic - or accidental ventilation - are no bad thing!
Also was working on the herb beds before the Crash and Burn got its hooks into me; the bergamot and mallow, chamomile, thyme and lavender are all yawning and stretching and showing a bit of interest in the springtime. I've spaced the plants out about as their growing requirements are all a bit different, but right now the fight is getting all the weeds and overgrown grass to give over. Getting there, although it's hard to see when reduced to haiku gardening sometimes. I even managed to harvest spears of fresh sage from one of my two purple sage bushes which has been going strong no matter the weather. It's bundled and drying in my house and I have the windows open today to let the spring-time in.
The birds are in full song outside, squabbling for territory and reminding me that if I'm going to trim back the snowberry hedge for the year, now is the time. This is further evidenced that my found peony is starting to sprout in the back garden, and it is again threatened with being choked out and lost under bramble and so forth. However that is a thoroughly backbreaking job which I struggled with last year and honestly doubt I could accomplish at all this year, so now I am considering the merits of trimming to allow the peony some light, then moving the rhizome once the season is passed. Probably the least labour intensive option! I can just move it down into the second flower bed and that should be that.
The fruit trees are budding, and I'm looking forward to seeing whether or not the cherry tree will see fit to send forth some blossoms this year - we had a few (very few!) but sprog was so excited by these he ripped them off the tree to show me (*sigh*). Still, such is a wump and I wasn't expecting productivity last year anyway, so fair enough. It would be nice to see some flowers on these this year even so. I'm keeping an eye on my strawberries and I've already done a very heavy topdress of farmyard manure for them, though they'll need some compost later on in the year to give the best berries. I haven't seen much of anything in my raised bed but seeing as it's surrounded by concrete blocks I've always found it's slow going for it to warm up. I've got a fleece which I think I'll cover the bed with for a while and see if that helps to get the soil warmed and the seeds I have managed to plant to show a bit of enthusiasm.
Indoors, the three squash seeds I've planted are starting to root, and the tomato seeds are also germinating. The peppers tend to be slower so no rush there, but I'm having to keep in mind I've yet to get the leeks started! I will do that tomorrow, hopefully sprog will show some interest in that task (He's been somewhat ambivalent about the garden these days as his computer is much more interesting but I think having the sandpit sorted will help, and that is Monday's task).
Another monumental shop for garden supplies is planned for more soil, as well as some lawn feed and some weedicide later on. Yes, I know...not a step I want to take but I cannot fight the bindweed and prickly plants this year. I need a bit of help and I'm afraid it's going to have to be rather nasty help! Heigh ho :/ Hopefully won't have to do it too often, if at all from here-on-out. The hazel and elder tree-lets I planted last year are also budding out in the front garden and seem content where they are. I am still debating moving them though I haven't the foggiest as to where. They're tiny right now and therefore now would be the best time if I'm going to do it, but I think for the nonce they will stay put.
And what of the wumpy-garden? Well to be truthful I haven't been up in that part of the garden space in a few weeks. It's a shame a hundred yards has suddenly turned into a long way, but that is the way of it! I'm hoping to get back in there tomorrow and have a look at the holly hocks, strip the lounger covers off and give them a proper wash, check the rest of the "wumpy beds" of perennials and see if perhaps I can tempt child to play in his wee house for a bit. However I think I may be getting ahead of myself a bit there as if weather is this nice today chances are it's going to be rubbish tomorrow! So maybe we'll wait and see whether I can get him away from the computer this afternoon.
The bluebells are blooming like mad, even though I'm sure in other climes they're already reaching their zenith. The microclimate in my garden is quite behind other areas due to being a somewhat higher altitude, but we'll get there eventually.
All in all, energy crashes or not, the day so far is lovely, and I sip my hibiscus/cinnamon tea and watch the Halloween cats stalk the birds from the windows, and anticipate the gardening year with more and more excitement every day.

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