Firsts

I hadn’t planned on putting this one on the list but here is a first: the first thunder storm of the year is brewing in the west.   And I may have to unplug and hunker down until it passes.   Too hot too early in the year.

Another first is that the pool season has opened.   Well the pool is open but it’s only 17C so a bit chilly for most.   Nice to see it open and inviting mind you.   I was enjoying it as I toiled a bit around that part of the garden: watering the lilies that have come up at the far end of the pool area.   And then sitting down to do a proper weeding of the pool edge.   This is where the wooden decking ends and a foot of river stones marks the barrier before you reach the stone wall.   Weeds thrive. So up came all the river stones, they went into a bucket to be washed; and then out came the weeds.  

And then thinking that I don’t want to repeat this process again next month, I plodded up in the heat to the potting shed to cut off a slice of weedproof fabric to fit this long skinny length.

Job done, I twinkled (no I didn’t I trudged) over to the potager to plant rows and rows of cosmos and then to take a look at the strawberry bed.

It needs a bit of a weed, but the most exciting thing is finding the first strawberries ripe and ready to eat. Amazingly delicious and I had a happy hunt for more that I will harvest in the next few days.

I’m trying to be more orderly with the cosmos this year. They are to be weeded more ruthlessly in between the rows, and any that I can dig up I have transplanted to the far edges of the garden. They can turn into a deer proof bit of hedging if I’m lucky.   I’m actually amazed that they survive being uprooted, lobbed into a bucket and then half an hour later stuck back in the ground and watered.   I should have enough. And there are bound to be many more little seedlings hiding under pea plants or the potato rows that I won’t notice until too late.   But at least it promises not to be the uncontrolled forest of plants last year.

After lunch I actually returned in my sandals to do a bit of weeding.   Somewhere in here is a row of parsnips and carrots. Nay, two rows each.   But you can’t see for the weeds and the cosmos self sown seedlings.

So crouching low I worked my way up the rows, carefully saving the parsnip and carrot babies and tossing the rest.   Looks almost orderly now.

And then I thought I might just have time to start weeding up at the top vegetable garden before it was too late.   The broad beans up here are a treat – purple flowers.   And lush and healthy.   But I didn’t have time.   House guests arrived early.   So that’s it for gardening for a day or so.   But lovely to have Paul and Alice here at long last.