What Jobs Are We Doing In The Garden Today 2019

I spent 3 hours on my knees in the garden digging out Couch Grass roots in a section of the Walk Around Border. As my soil is soft and sandy Couch Grass roots will travel up to 3' just below the surface so you start at one point and end up pulling up somewhere else in the border. I also dug up long runners of Saponaria (Soapwort) which also sends runners just below the surface of the soil.

It has lovely small white flowers but it now lists among the few plants that I regret putting into the garden as it loves my soft sandy soik and has run rampant in this particular border. I filled two big garden sacks of it and there are still runners hiding in the soil The Saponaria runners and the Couch Grass Roots get put in the same sack while other stuff goes in to another sack so that the first sack ends up in the Council Wheelie Bin and the second goes on the compost.
I discovered one or two plants that I had forgotten I had planted years ago as I shuffled on my knees through the border so that was a bonus. Another plant that I regret planting is Acanthus
Spinosus (Bears Breeches) as it too loves my soil and explodes into growth every year which crowds other plants nearby. It's not easy to get rid of, as if you leave one tiny bit of root behind then it will be back!!


After three hours of being on my knees, completely asborbed in what I was doing I discovered that getting down on my knees was a lot easier than getting up. Getting up on my feet was a major feat (pun) and I realised I was done for the day and I headed for a Mug of Tea and a session on the Sofa trying to get rid of the inevitable pain.......still, I got something worthwhile done in the garden so that was some compensation.

 

Yes, but think of the money,Paulo, and the Christmas card you will get from the Tax Man

 

Not done a lot in the garden today due to the frequent brief smatterings of rain and drizzle that's been the main feature of the day. So I sat out on the patio with Jenny and the inevitable Mug of Tea and watched the Butterflies fluttering around the Observatory, Trellis Entrance and the big blue Buddliea at the West end of the patio. It's the first time I saw, this year, Red Admirals and they were there in quite a few numbers, while also watching two, what I think were, Buzzards flying together and mock fighting each other with moves such as turning upside down with their legs and claws extended and then flying happily together before mock fighting again......lovely to see