A 1000th anniversary

This is my 1000th post. An extraordinary landmark in the life of a garden. I started writing back in 2007 when the delight of finding this farm turned into a huge ‘What Now?’ lament.

And I do still lament (that shade garden design is definitely not working) but most of all I’m having fun.

Working incredibly hard, but having fun.

I feel I should be called on to give a speech. I am, after all, sitting indoors with a large cup of tea, in front of the fire, and a biscuit tin at hand. But a hot shower beckons and my trousers are so filthy I can’t believe I’m actually alllowed to sit on the sofa, let alone be permitted indoors.

I ought to be banished to a box in the potting shed with the cat.

So to be brief; thank you all for getting this far. I love writing the blog knowing that you might click on and wonder what mad scheme I have thought up now. And tried not to yawn over my loving pictures of compost bins and weeded paths.

A special thank you to Sarah for sending comments, to Andrew for making comments, to my husband for indulging me, and to my parents for diligently reading every blog.   And in case you are wondering why a cat should feature so prominently in a story about a garden, you have my 86 year old Dad for that.

He may not be madly keen on all the minutiae of the garden and the farm, but he is delighted to hear news of Artur.   So I oblige.

And on that cheery note (Artur couldn’t be here to take a bow as he is fast asleep in his cashmere lined box) back to the day’s achievements.

I weeded.

The cheese slice of a garden bed is now a huge seven metre long expanse of soil. Wonderful soil, full of worms and a touch of clay (which is rare for me) which might hold some moisture in the summer.

I’m still pondering what to do with this area (Andrew’s comments on the contrast of the prostrate rosemary green versus the acid green of the walnut in full leaf have to be pondered). But I will get some mulch down as soon as I can.   We have some warm weather coming and that will wake the weeds up.   So I need to get this bed under a blanket of weed suppressing mulch as soon as I can.

Tomorrow perhaps.   It’s too cold out to go and collect sticks right now.   And the lure of the biscuit tin is making its siren call. Kettle on for a second cup methinks.