I was going to pop into Woking today and buy some much needed jeans and runners but yesterday left me drained and tomorrow is my first time as a presenter at the Talking Newspaper so I just worked in the garden instead. I’m also back at the Science Museum on Friday. It’s been a busy week.
Last year we planted our usual sweet peas around the obelisks but, for some reason (bad batch, maybe) they didn’t actually grow. This year we couldn’t find any (already sold out, maybe) so Mirinda thought it would be nice to plant black eyed Susans around the obelisk instead. It’s true, we’ve had very good luck with them in the past. And they are lovely and bright and proficient. So I planted four of them around the obelisk in the hot border.
I then re-weeded the new bed in front of the compost bins which was previously a nettle bed and now contains some healthy plants, inserted not that long ago. This took a while. When you leave a bed to the nettles, they form a huge tangle of roots which just keep returning. I’m pretty sure I posted about it at the time but just to reiterate…it’s a PAIN!
Mirinda announced on Monday that she’d planted everything. I pointedly glanced at the patio table which contained a whole host of plants. She followed my glance and laughing her light tinkling laughter, replied: “Oh, they’re for you to plant.” This was the black eyed Susans and a whole bunch of snap dragons.
My next job was to clear a space where we planted last years snap dragons and put them in it at the intervals suggested on the plastic information things. There was a lot but I managed with the help of the dogs who have a habit of inspecting any gardening work once it’s completed. Very closely inspected. With paw and nose.
Mirinda potted up three dahlias (we love dahlias) which I had to transport to the front garden. She suggested I use the wheelbarrow which was an excellent idea had the car not been in the driveway, blocking any egress. I carried them. It worked for the Egyptians and worked for me too.
Suitably exhausted, I called it a day.
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This evening, dusk-ish in fact, I was standing at the back door watching Day-z, trying to figure out what she was doing, when I heard a lot of high pitched clicking. Sort of like those clicker things we had as kids that sounded like crickets. This, however, was very, very fast. It seemed to be coming from the holly tree. Odd, I thought, we don’t have crickets. I quietly and carefully approached and suddenly could also hear some high pitched chirping.
A robin then flew out of the holly tree and I realised what it was. The adults where doing the clicking and the baby robins were doing the chirping. I stood listening for a while and listened as the chirping ceased every time the adult returned to the nest with some insect goodness and, almost immediately started up again when they left for the shops to get more.
I don’t mind doing the gardening, feeding the birds and encouraging insects to the garden when I can go out and witness that.
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The park was looking very green today when I walked the dogs, so I took this photo, just to make everyone jealous:
What a wonderful world. CLAIRE
It sure is Claire. How are you doing? Won’t be too much longer I hope for you to get back to normal. Fred doing better. How are you making out Bob? Love to you both Josie xx
Farnham Park looks lovely. Have a happy presenting day love mum x