I love my garden. Not to do gardening in - I do it, but sometimes it can feel chore like (unless I am majorly hormonal, and then ripping weeds out is fantastic therapy), but to sit in and read books or drink drinks. My garden is my refuge from housework. If I sit in my garden I can't possibly be pushing a hoover round.
My garden is nothing special. The house we live in is fairly new, in that its 6½ years old and we moved in to it from new. My husband went away on the Monday after we moved in, and I was left to organise turfing the back garden. This is did, and not knowing anything about turf, he was horrified when he came back and pointed out that it had all come out of a field and wasn't lawn turf. Hubby, bless him, has been trying valiantly for the last 6½ years to turn it into a bowling green lawn, but it ain't gonna happen.
We live up a little slip of a road that has just three three houses in it. We garden to make it look nice and then leave it a while and then tidy and then leave a while - we are those sorts of gardeners, but compared to our neighbours, we are Alan Titchmarsh and Charlie Dimmock.
I do our hanging baskets, always have, and I have to do 11 every year, and, although I say it myself, they are pretty fab. Neighbour to the right has a gardener, and does absolutely nothing himself. Neighbour to the left has good intentions and then can't be bothered, you know the sort, buys plants then then leaves them lying around because putting them in the ground would be too much effort.
However, when all is said and done, I like where I live, and I like my neighbours and I really like my garden. However, it needs weeding and that I hate, but like the bathrooms and the dusting a polishing and the hoovering, it has to be done.
Either that or I could pour another G&T and go and sit in the greenhouse with my book!
11 comments:
Well, I think you know what my suggestion would be!
It sounds like you have already worked hard enough - time to enjoy the fruits of your labour.
I think you have things pretty well sussed Secretary!
Compromise. Garden for an hour, then reward yourself with a G&T and a book for the rest of the weekend.
How are the GCSEs going? So glad to be through last week. On the downhill slope now, and we're still talking. Just.
Marianne - GCSE's are going fine. Last week this week - Maths, Geography, Business Studies, Chemistry and Physics. Then the week after, Philosophy paper 2 and then the week after his Maths Module One resit. Keep reminding him that he never has to have an English or Biology lesson again, ever! How are your sons going?
the weeds will still be there when you've had your G&T, or two, secretary, dear. There is really no hurry
I'm not sure. He's still playing computer games like there's no tomorrow and spitting blood if I so much as look at him, never mind mention the R word. Only a week more to go and I hope he might become human again.
Amazingly enough for me, I've found gardening very enjoyable this year. Spent a whacking great fortune on tubs and plants, had some eaten by pet lambs, some soiled by the cat and others battered about by the Northumberland gales. However, nice to sit back and admire your handy-work.
I'd go with the G&T and the book.
Have you discovered Cistus? These shrubs grow to oh, a metre in diameter. They're amazingly tolerant, especially of dry conditions. Around this time of year they're typically covered with 5cm dia pink, white or yellow flowers. After the main flush they usually have a few flowers on until the autumn. Dense foliage shades out all weeds trying to grow through them.
And they can be easily grown from cuttings.
I forgot to say the crucial thing - they need zero maintenance once established!
will purchase some immediately!!!
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