Why Dave was livid

The last time the gardeners came, Gardener Dave told me he was livid but, because of the circumstances, I wasn’t able to ask what had caused his lividity. Today he returned (without Lou and with Stan) and, having toured the garden and given the jobs as dictated by Mirinda, I asked him.

He was livid because of Joe. Joe was the young lad who was with him last time and who was off to uni last week. Joe came across as completely competent and able. Dave said this was all a veneer (he didn’t use the word ‘veneer’), that he was a complete idiot (he did use the word ‘idiot’ along with a few others) who had no idea what a garden was.

Apparently, when Dave told him to get rid of a bramble under our holly tree, Joe started attacking our wild rose not knowing the difference. Fortunately he only cut it back prior to digging it out and Dave stopped him in time. This was possibly the least bad thing he managed to do in his short time with the gardeners.

According to Andy (the Polish gardener who doesn’t mince his words) his brain is too far from his feet. According to Stan (who shakes his head with grimness every time Joe’s name is mentioned), Joe is scared of flies, spiders, wasps, dirt, hedges, ladders, shears and doesn’t know how to use neither a rake nor a shovel.

I asked why on earth he was working with them but I didn’t get a satisfactory answer. Dave reckons he wants to be a river fireman but doesn’t know how he’s going to climb a ladder. Stan just shook his head.

Interestingly, Emma didn’t bark at Stan even though he’s only been here once right back when we started having the gardeners. He says it’s because he has, at present, six red setters at home and all dogs think he’s one because he smells of them.

While I was organising and interrogating the gardeners, Mirinda was finishing up some documentation for Sarah before heading off to Manchester for the next few days for work. I’m rarely jealous of her work things but she getting to go on a tram then was staying on a quay…obviously I was jealous this time. She said she’d take a photo.

After they’d finished running a hose to the greenhouse, Dave and Stan bade me farewell and set off for their next job.

Naturally, I took the girls to the park and, for a change, Freya decided she wanted to run around after the ball.

She normally only does it to annoy Emma and gives up after a few runs but not today. Today she chased and retrieved many times. I would hold Emma back in order to give Freya a chance.

Being Freya, she always knows where the ball is but can’t always pick it up because her mouth is smaller than Emma’s. She has to get it in a position where her teeth can skewer the holes in the ball. She does this by turning it with a front paw (or two). It’s not always successful but she does try a few times before giving up.

Anyway, all in all, they both had a jolly good run today, which doesn’t often happen when they’re out with me.