Do you get that delicious feeling waking up to the prospect
of a gardening day stretching out before you?
An entire span of time simply spent out in the fresh air with your
garden soil, its plants and seedlings with you watering, digging, hoeing and
deadheading? The enjoyment and
satisfaction to be gained is immeasurable and complete and its therapeutic
value undeniable. Well such a feeling pervades
my whole being every Thursday morning in serious contemplation of the day ahead
as I sip my morning cup o’ tea with diary in hand. Mostly there is a little paperwork to be done
first of all which happens whilst eating breakfast and then I’m off.
Presently my first port of call is to the
gardens at Katharine House Hospice -
where I’m organising our WI Grow Wild Seed flower garden; a community project I fell into last autumn when I applied to the Grow Wild Seed Kit team of Kew Royal Botanic Gardens to take part in their “Flowers to the People” campaign Your name goes into the ballot, winter takes hold and spring’s arrival still finds you waiting for that letter telling you your wild seeds are on their way. Our seeds arrived mid-April and shortly afterwards we were happily digging and preparing our garden area which KHH’s Garden Team had very kindly made available. Our seeds were sown and watered in and
now, twelve weeks later our seedlings
are flowering.
Imagine my delight this
Thursday morning discovering poppy flowers amongst the green froth where last
week we’d only had seed heads and a few small white flowers. “We have poppies” weeks ahead of my
anticipated mid-August date as I take a few photos for the album. Already there’s seed heads to be collected
and stored for next year’s flowering and our identification seedlings to be
planted out. Our new garden patch is
still being prepped so I heel in the growing seedlings in their small flower
pots into this new bed and water well, stand back and reach for my camera
again. It’s a proud moment!!
where I’m organising our WI Grow Wild Seed flower garden; a community project I fell into last autumn when I applied to the Grow Wild Seed Kit team of Kew Royal Botanic Gardens to take part in their “Flowers to the People” campaign Your name goes into the ballot, winter takes hold and spring’s arrival still finds you waiting for that letter telling you your wild seeds are on their way. Our seeds arrived mid-April and shortly afterwards we were happily digging and preparing our garden area which KHH’s Garden Team had very kindly made available. Our seeds were sown and watered in and
 |
| poppies in the garden......Thursday, 23rd July 2015.....just |
Then I’m off to water my flower garden
and discover a few empty spaces amongst the greenery where plants have withered and faded in the current dry spell. I’m already contemplating the prospect of buying new plants on Saturday at Deddington Farmers’ Market! The compost heap brings me down to earth again as I recall the bag of compostable material left in the kitchen…ah well, next visit will do. Thankfully rain is forecast for the next few days, which is good, as the contents of my compost bin are rather too dry and with that thought I head off to my veggie garden. Here my compost material is contained within two of those “Dalek-like” structures which I’m not totally certain I approve of, for you cannot easily tell if the plant life is breaking down for future use. They’re both dry and in need of kitchen waste plus shredded newspaper or straw which I must remember to sort out before my next visit.
and discover a few empty spaces amongst the greenery where plants have withered and faded in the current dry spell. I’m already contemplating the prospect of buying new plants on Saturday at Deddington Farmers’ Market! The compost heap brings me down to earth again as I recall the bag of compostable material left in the kitchen…ah well, next visit will do. Thankfully rain is forecast for the next few days, which is good, as the contents of my compost bin are rather too dry and with that thought I head off to my veggie garden. Here my compost material is contained within two of those “Dalek-like” structures which I’m not totally certain I approve of, for you cannot easily tell if the plant life is breaking down for future use. They’re both dry and in need of kitchen waste plus shredded newspaper or straw which I must remember to sort out before my next visit.
My veggies are doing fairly well but the whole garden is a
work in progress......
as I contemplate the weeds cluttering up the courgette bed and around the purple dwarf beans. I remove some of these and water but what we really need is a long slow day of rainfall which we’ve not had for simply ages. I water the greenhouse where there’s a whole mass of green tomatoes, green pepper plants and a purple-flower bedecked aubergine plant awaiting my attention. We need a good sunny spell to encourage my green plants to bud and fruit and I’m really excited by the prospect of home-grown veggies for the kitchen. I even have a natty-looking veggie bag in which to carry them home! Honestly, wouldn’t you think I’d go home with my bounty in an old carrier bag rather than an expensive shop-bought bag which, if I’d thought about it, could easily have been run-up from material scraps at home!
as I contemplate the weeds cluttering up the courgette bed and around the purple dwarf beans. I remove some of these and water but what we really need is a long slow day of rainfall which we’ve not had for simply ages. I water the greenhouse where there’s a whole mass of green tomatoes, green pepper plants and a purple-flower bedecked aubergine plant awaiting my attention. We need a good sunny spell to encourage my green plants to bud and fruit and I’m really excited by the prospect of home-grown veggies for the kitchen. I even have a natty-looking veggie bag in which to carry them home! Honestly, wouldn’t you think I’d go home with my bounty in an old carrier bag rather than an expensive shop-bought bag which, if I’d thought about it, could easily have been run-up from material scraps at home!
Well the thought is tantalising but crazy….there are only so
many hours in the day, aren’t there, and only so many chores to be fitted into
ones busy day. Yes I know, my thought is
father to the action, but there’s enough action already going on without getting
out the sewing machine, sorting out the fabric and running up a draw-string
bag!!!
I run the hose over the greenhouse plants and tidy up; my
gloves are wet, there’s plastic bags to chuck, flower pots to stack and pesky
weeds to remove.
I photograph the runner beans and pick my first courgette which
comes home with me for lunch, but the new lettuces and green tomatoes must wait
for another day’s picking.
Back in the kitchen I create a salad of sliced courgette,
baby tomatoes and lettuce, from His garden, while sautéing bacon lardons with
cold sliced potato and a handful of grated cheese, tossing the steaming mixture
with a good dash of "Wheat gluten-free Organic Tamari Soy Sauce". It’s been a long day since breakfast time, I’m
cold and hungry and need something hot to eat and my hot bacon salad is just
the thing to eat right now!
I dash off to the shops after lunch to do a few things and checking-up on my step-count when back home discover I’ve managed well over 4000 steps today which is brilliant. Since losing our darling Alice last summer plus the consequent need for our daily “walkies” to keep us motivated and moving, the thickening waistline has made its presence felt which I’m now determined to deal with! Of course, the new step-routine will have to be fitted in slowly for you just can’t suddenly launch yourself into a programme of extra exercise without some thought but…it needs be done and that’s that!
Over a much need cuppa I contemplate the glories of the
garden, the herby smells and the delicious crisp texture of my first courgette
blissfully ignoring the ironing basket before me.
Ah the garden - "the garden's a lovesome thing, eh wot" now who said that, d'you know? I believe it was a certain Mr. Thomas Edward Brown - 1830 - 1897- who said in his work - "My Garden"
"how things do get changed about, but they're not my changes, just how things get passed from hand to moiuth, so to speak, don't you know!"......
Ah the garden - "the garden's a lovesome thing, eh wot" now who said that, d'you know? I believe it was a certain Mr. Thomas Edward Brown - 1830 - 1897- who said in his work - "My Garden"
| A GARDEN is a lovesome thing, God wot! |
"how things do get changed about, but they're not my changes, just how things get passed from hand to moiuth, so to speak, don't you know!"......
Daisy xxx
PS - thanks to online search for Thomas Edward Brown 1830-1897, and - My Garden - Bartleby.com
for the complete poem
PS - thanks to online search for Thomas Edward Brown 1830-1897, and - My Garden - Bartleby.com
for the complete poem
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