Delaying the inevitable

All this morning’s activities have been the most blatant attempt to put off the inevitable: the top potager. Or the jungle as it is currently called. I have been in sight of the project but deftly avoided it. For hours. First up there was a spot of sowing and potting on. An obvious giveaway as I would normally not be indoors when the weather is perfect for weeding. It is only 24C today which is ideal gardening weather.

I pricked out sixty radish seedlings: hadn’t planned to do that many but I can never bring myself to throw away germinated seeds. And then started on the new packs of flower seeds for next year.

Erysiumum Blood Red, Nigella African Bride and Forget Me Not Spring Symphony Blue. Seems daft to be thinking of spring in the middle of summer, but now is my chance to keep an eye on all my nascent plants.

Then when I could hide no longer in the shed I went out and weeded paths. See, weeding, I’m halfway there. I weeded the top steps leading to the road above the potting shed. And even sowed some grass seeds on each tread.

They look wonderfully rustic. And even the stipas and sedums have survived this hot summer. No watering at all up there. The hose doesn’t reach. And by the time I have hefted the watering can into the barrels, trudged up to the terraces and done the flowers and grasses, I can never be bothered to walk this far.

Which is also why this picture looks as it does. What on earth is it? Sedums that have flowered and left behind their rattling stalks. What a mess. But by sitting down (back to the job above the road) I managed to trim them back to almost pleasant sedum-ness. This terrace has never ever been watered. It is a sort of cruel experiment to see just what neglect can be permitted with some plants. These sedums were grown from seed two years ago. And are still alive and almost look attractive now they are shorn. Forgot to take a picture of them before I came into lunch. Shall snap away when I go up and face my potager.

And before I head out and do my bit, here is a success story. The first pennisetum on the bank has flowered. Hallelujah.

And just to show I wasn’t remiss. I went back up and photographed the sedum after the haircut. Better,  I think.