One week ago I began the battle with my hedge, I just wanted to make it manageable. I wanted it to stop taking up half the footpath, I wanted to be able to reach the top for trimming, And………..one week and many scratches later, I think I’ve won! My neighbours all think I’ve gone mad, they think I ruined my hedge, killed it beyond repair and made my garden look as if it were vandalised. What do they know?? I have every confidence that this time next year it will be covered in new growth and fresh leaves, there will just be a lot less of it that’s all.
I am now left with a mountain of branches and leavers, far too many to fit into the composter. So many that my gate refuses to close. My solution is to go buy one of those outdoor wood burning stoves. The sort designed to keep the chill from the air and allow you to sit outside after the warmth of the sun has left.
That is first on the agenda of ‘must dos’ for tomorrow. In the afternoon I shall start clipping these branches into smaller chunks and spend the afternoon leisurely burning them. I’m hoping that if the weather stays warm and dry over night, by tomorrow afternoon this pile of old hedge will have dried out enough to burn with out too many problems.
The tray of Busy Lizzie I bought for the garden ‘’toilet and cistern’’ containers have taken and are blooming nicely. They add a real splash of colour to the garden. Again, my neighbours don’t quite approve of me having a toilet in the garden………..but as it’s my garden not theirs guess there’s not a lot they can do about it.
I don’t have to much colour in the garden because most of my containers are full or herbs, which is very nice and very fragrant, just not particularly colourful.
The couple of colour splashes I do have are happy accidents really and not at all planned, except the Busy Lizzie of course.
I just have one regret about my garden at the moment. I had left all the clumps of wild clover to grow undisturbed on my driveway, I loved the look of all that clover growing there and I liked the fact that it encouraged bees into the garden. Until I disturbed one and it stung my toe…..OUCH…. it really hurt. Then I realised if the any one of the grandchildren were stung by a Bee it could be very dangerous……………so I reluctantly sprayed the clover and killed it. I hated having to do that but felt I had no choice.
BUT…………………I found a purple thistle growing under the gate and decided to leave it alone and let it grow there.
Poor neighbours. Sometimes I think we should do each others gardens, since that is what we see, if you see what I mean. My neighbour and I have different gardening styles also. He is much stricter. :-)
ReplyDeleteLOL, good for you for having your garden the way that YOU want it. sod the neighbours, hehe. sorry you got stung, hope you'll soon feel better. p.s........our old commode has become a container garden, too.
ReplyDelete) ; D
I have done the same to my various bushes, cut them way back, and they do return, and rather quickly. So I understand and am confident your hedge will come back. I think it is charming we both have pink/rose campion in our gardens. And, of course, I have to say for the millionth time, I love that blue fence. Oh, I forgot, bee stings do hurt like crazy and one can never tell if you or the children are allergic. I stepped on one once and it pretty much put an end to going barefoot outside.
ReplyDeleteGood for you. The shrubs will return, maybe some yet this year.
ReplyDeleteIt will come back next spring. If not, rip it out and plant your neighbors in it's place...... oh wait um never mind! lol.
ReplyDeleteBTW......wondering if that is tansy or artemesia in bloom? my tansy is blooming its head off right now.
ReplyDeleteonce had a hedge like that.... always required three clippings.... once for the massive new growth in spring, once in the summer and once by the beginning of autumn..... they never stop growing! lol.... the rest of your garden looks wonderful!
ReplyDeleteCan you send me some??? I love the way Tansy smells.
ReplyDeleteI'll tell the neighbors to sod off for you. I think you're garden looks wonderful and I like the use of the toilet with the flowers in them. :-P
ReplyDeletesure! ; D
ReplyDeleteP.S...we call those charming wood burning things 'chimineas'. ; D
ReplyDeleteJust checked the meaning of "sod off" on Google. That was interesting. I love learning about other cultures. :-}
ReplyDeletewould that be dead...............or alive ?? (neighbours that is) :-))
ReplyDeleteyep so do we ..............just couldn't remember the word..........oh dam think this is the begining of Alzheimer's ??
ReplyDeleteLOL................that will teach you to go being so inquisitive
ReplyDeletewhich ones?? the little pink daisy like flowers in the container??
ReplyDeleteAlive is preferable.. that way you can enjoy their screams and whines and tears.
ReplyDeleteDon't forget to run to the kitchen for the meat tenderizer to sprinkle on a sting. It really lessens the effect the bee venom has on you.
ReplyDeleteFor me, a Bee sting means death unless I get help REAL fast. I'm so violently allergic to them that within 2-3 minutes I start having trouble breathing and shortly after lose consciousness. And that is WITH a bee sting kit.
ReplyDeleteThanks Vero but I ran screaming to the kitchen and poured half a bottle of vinagar over it.............that did the trick :-))
ReplyDeletewe have a central place we can bring things like greens that are to big for own decomposers-looking good loretta
ReplyDeleteThat story about the bee stinging your toe reminded me that when I was little I used to step on bees on purpose. .
ReplyDeleteWhy? No idea. Your garden looks very nice. Are these photos you've taken with your camera phone?
yep afraid so..................still no camera but I've decided to put that on hold for a while, I have so many things around the house and garden to do right now finding the money for a camera seems a bit of an extravagance. I did think about buying a couple of those disposable cammeras just for over the summer, maybe I'll do that. Anyway................I've got over not having a camera, I'm sure I will get another one day. So for now, I take photos with my phone.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure we do too Heidi but I don't drive so I would need to find someone to take it for me and I expect I would have to pay them to take it all away fro me. I thought this would be a 'one off' buy and I could use it all summer, if you se what i mean.
ReplyDeleteGood for you, Loretta! Have Fun & enjoy your labours!
ReplyDeleteDonnie cuts ours back when it gets too high and/or wide -- looks branch for a few weeks then fills in.
ReplyDelete