Swards

file calabert above 1Done, done, done. I can stand at the top of the property and survey a huge domain of mown lawns and strimmed paths.

I feel like I’ve been wielding blades for days.

The main lawn needs another go. But tomorrow I have decided to reward myself with a day off. A day off gardening that is; I have lots of baking to do.

But today was another go at the orchard to get the wonky bits sorted out, then up the track to the duck pond garden which is tussocky and too long.  How did I let it slip away from me this year? duck pond remown

This year I needed to strim, then mow, rake, wait a day and mow again.

And it still looks scruffy.

But I didn’t have time to pout. I was off up to the east garden which gets not one, but two curves.

east garden mownThe quinces are throwing up little baby plants and I want to see if they grow into decent trees.  So I’m trying my best not to mow their heads off.

And the good thing about being in the east garden was the sight of my camassias which are up.

These bulbs seem to prefer well drained but damp soil; and this is what we have right now. This incredible rainy season is heavenly for them. camassias

I planted around fifty here at the base of the quince bank, and also along the north side of the barn. Those ones aren’t out yet, but here you can see the white blooms just coming out.

But no time to linger, I had to bag up the grass cuttings and wheelbarrow the load up to Jean Daniel’s asparagus bed.

asparagus mulchedI’m determined to have the beds more controlled this year; the poor asparagus plants were swamped by a combination of no time to weed (me) and no idea we need to weed (JD).

And the potager that lies parallel to our top vegetable bed is rich and well cultivated. So weedy when neglected.

And as the mower was halfway up the mountain, I decided to plod along the top road and try and improve the look of the walnut path. walnut path remown

It’s getting there. I actually love the look of the garden from the top of this path. You get to see the newly planted bed under the walnut tree, the lavender stoechas plants in flower at the top of the barn garden, and the sage, stachys, camassia and pannicums in the little narrow bed beside the barn.

I’d love to expand this bed, but we really need to keep this path clear for walking and dragging logs and wheelbarrows. It amazes me to think that this used to be road to La Poteyre.

One last empty of the grass catcher, one more load of mulch to the path, a strim of the area around the terrace bank above the potting shed. And oof. I’m done.  And best of all, it started to rain at 6pm just as I had walked up to the potting shed to take off my trusty kneelers (thanks Mum!) and gloves. Artur was on his blanket hiding from the rain, and I decided that the day is done. Celebratory whisky I think.