Every man needs a shed

In this case it’s an elderly feline; and I used to think it was my potting shed. But Artur disagrees. He has taken to playing the role of gatekeeper; guarding the entrance from any invaders. You can just see him on top of the water butt on the right.

And he rates me as a baddie. I’m disturbing his blissful and very peaceful life. I demand pats and purrs and brief lap sitting when I want to have a cup of tea sitting on my chaise longue.

So to thwart me, he yowls. And steals my chair, and wont permit much affection.

But I shall wear the little beastie out. It is my shed and he is my part time cat. Believe me, horses are much simpler.

But I did manage to get in the shed long enough to unpack my huge order of asparagus. I ordered them from Blackmoors, and have brought them out wrapped up in newspaper and hidden from the light. There are enough crowns to plant 15 metres of asparagus up at Jean Daniel’s unused potager . It’s a gift to him for all his kind help with me in the garden last year.

He doesn’t know that yet. I only saw him briefly this morning and I forgot to mention it. He was more keen on telling me all about the village meeting that’s taking place on Friday night. Attendance compulsory as we have to sort out what to do with our public square.

But back to the asparagus; it needs to be stored in damp compost and hidden in the dark until the soil warms up a bit outdoors. I could do a bit of preparation – I can see that he has strimmed the worst of the weeds. So we can discuss it on Friday.

First day chores? Well it’s always hard to settle to any one task. And it is disconcerting to have your every move in the garden watched by the beady eyes of the cat and the distant ones of the horses. The oldest stallion is in the paddock behind my potting shed, and Ulysse is on the lower terraces.

So I did some grocery shopping in town, drove to Vachon to get the last of my four box balls; plus some phlomis and rosa rugosa plants. I had wanted to buy my 50 thyme balls. But I was thwarted. Vachon may be a plant nursery that stretches for acres and acres of land, all filled with hundreds and hundreds of varities of plants. But the thyme were tiny. And far from adequate for the job I have in mind.

So, pouting slightly, I just covered the entire 30 feet in mulch.

I had to weed it first. But it’s a joy to work on this bed as it’s situated at waist height; being the top of wall below the house.

And there weren’t that many weeds. There should have been none of course; it is the middle of winter. But the weather has been so mild, that things insist on growing.

I don’t have a lot of flowers of course. But what I do have are bulbs. And they are perfuming my living room as I type. I planted up hundreds of narcissus paper whites in pots before I left. And they are out and causing quite a stir. Daniele is delighted with her pots which she has had in succession since December. And Katherine, if you lived a teensy bit closer, I’d love to give you a pot too. Instant happiness.