What’s in our hedge?

Cutting through the layers of the front hedge, there are peculiar discoveries. What has been planted and what is something that has seeded? There are spiky spindly ones and boy there are multiple fronds of mares tail.

A few Rowans (not Romans auto correct!) have seeded themselves and as our road section has a lot of rowans as part of the garden city plan, that’ll be the reason. If I had known how lovely the roads with cherries look, maybe we’d be living on one of those instead! Things you learn in living in a place…

This is certainly easier to trim with my new gadget, which could have been a birthday present if I’d waited, but I tend to be impulsive like that? I didn’t think it would arrive overnight either? Post and courier delivery is happening quickly again. You just have to pick the right things. Possibly the larger distributors are reacting to the shortage of couriers fastest?

This one has pretty little flowers. I must look it up?

I will keep posting my garden musings as long as there is something I am discovering – like my oldest suggested the front grass needs watered. Hmm another job for the to-do-list!

End of strange Halfterm?

It’s been lovely but I don’t think I want a half term like this again. Can I get a job after this? The hedge has been cut but the amount of rowan saplings is alarming.

The garden bin is out for collection (today) but we can fill it twice over. I have my new trimmers/clippers and I know they will help exterminate! Exterminate! Lots of things I don’t want. The shed conversations are continuing as hubby needs a place to work, but I’m not sure the discussions are coming out in my favoured directions. A big shiny home office is turning out to be not in our budget… well we haven’t finished the second bathroom so that is not surprising! House is getting overlooked despite the things needing plumbed/tiled/painted/floored and needing finished.

Life isn’t easy when you can’t flick a magic wand! Hence my turning back to my plan for working hard as I can this year… hey I never thought I’d be furloughed (and I don’t know whether I have rules for that!) and now being asked medical history for the first time in one job… again MS may put me into a strange category. Who knows?

Charged and raring to GO!

That hand-held hedge trimmer got my oldest into the front and onto the front strip to help me with the hedge! Result! Came ever so quick too! Must hunt for a wheelbarrow in similar ways…

These have bloomed again! And my slab area is cleared… so sand is required.

I finished cutting turf where the slabs are to go so I need sand and lime to put down. But the area is far from flat… not buying a roller! And we have soil mountains between the horse chestnut and sycamore. I nearly deadheaded the stripy rose chucking those about. The garden is being reshaped as I write, and whoever inherits it from us is also going to take a journey. (Not that I am in any hurry to shuffle off this earth place.

I am too busy shouting on social media for that. Government suddenly announced dentists can open – to the shock of said dentists – with only a matter of days notice. Seriously? Maybe my oldest can get her brace fixed… we can pick up some cakes today to celebrate! I know!

Hedge looks neater, cut down a few rowan in there…

gardeningwithinlimits.com/2020/05/27/rashly-ordering-gadgets/

Rashly ordering gadgets…

My front hedge is starting to look like the individual bushes it is, so I ordered a hedge trimmer. Let’s see whether delivery will be tomorrow? Oh I’ve hexed it now! I even nearly applied for a job, until I realised it was not in Stevenage (the email header lied!) but as a medical editor with six years experience was required I baulked when I realised it was actually in Cambridge. It was three days a week! My ideal! But not if it involves an hour a day of travelling which I can’t/won’t be rushing to do.

The kids are on holiday! Yay! But it’s halfway finished and my husband is still working in the shed. And in case anyone thinks I spent a lot on the trimmers, I did not! This brand was not a household name and it was less by £9… thank you! I know there are all sorts of arguments about buying local but when shops are not open, what you gonna do?

We are still planting stuff and weeding. Next door gave me white cosmos and my gardening magazine (my reward for braving Tesco?) came with acquilegia seeds. Lots to do today and no need to be glum. Even children have spoken to me today!

gardeningwithinlimits.com/2020/05/27/halfterm-in-lockdown/

Halfterm in Lockdown!

Not coping very well with this new reality. Arguing with people about paying in advance for my hair appointment (May to July is a long time!) when hairdressers are not on the list to open yet! What if we have another spike of Covid cases after Cumminggate? The advisor who wrote the rules only to hold himself above the rules…

We have no sympathy when we have self isolated for the longest time. Kids haven’t been out much and we get our once daily exercise (they have changed it to unlimited) but you know what, it’s never going to be easy! Driving even ten miles seems too far, but we are only slightly vulnerable now. Kids won’t be in the tranche to go back. September hopefully?

But who knows? Britain is no longer Great. We have the highest number of deaths, we still don’t know where it came from and the rules only apply to? Who? Better get back to gardening before I get too enraged.

We can hear it’s busy outside. More cars about and people chatting. Has the danger passed? Well the rules don’t apply anymore (she says tongue-in- cheek, in cheek) and Vitamin D may protect me from Covid? That’s the latest theory anyway so I will sit in the sun!