Back to the garden

Now all the six houseguests have left. So I am back outdoors with rake and gloves and determination to get on with my mighty list of chores.

First task was to rake the newly cleared duck pond soil.   With all six guests helping we have managed to move all the wood from this part of the property and store it in the wood shed.   Now I have a lovely clear area ready for lawn.

I sprinkled grass seed and hoped for rain, but must remember to water this patch of dirt for the next week or so and hope for germination.   The weeds will germinate in now time, but I’m hoping for some sort of green sward, even if it isn’t grass.   Plenty of deer tracks in the dirt down here.   Must remember to cover the beans and peas with netting tonight.

Next up was the strimmer.   I noticed that the forest track from our house down to Le Buisson our neighbours was a touch over grown. Thickets of weeds as a matter of fact.   Those walkers doing the Mont Godin circuit in shorts didn’t have much fun on this first descent through the forest.   So make belated amends, I have cleared the path.   Some of the ferns and other small broom plants came up with a yank, but everything else I just whipped to bits.

With a touch of rain in the air I went next and hid in the potting shed.   There are hundreds of verbena bonariensis seedlings to prick out.   And I have done almost 100 now.   With a bit if luck they can grow on and then be flung out into the big wide world.   In this case I’m going to try and re-establish the verbena hedge next to the potager.

The valerian has come out nicely on one of the terraces behind the potting shed.   It’s great to see how spindly plants last year are bulking out so well in their second. Ye of little faith I hear you call.