Saturday, 16 July 2022

Gruelling Gardening

While most folks will take a break and go somewhere over the summer months, at this time of the year we are firmly ensconced in our garden – and not on our recliners! There are always day-to-day jobs like clipping, weeding, trimming edges and with the heat and constant watering, it’s sometimes hard to keep up with such chores.

                                         


Our gates – the outer one and the one leading to the field – had each been ‘fortified’ with a sheet of iron. This was mainly to block the vision of our dogs who, not actually seeing the sheep flock past, didn’t feel it such an intrusion and didn’t go quite so crazy. We dismantled those sheets and the gates are now much lighter to operate.

                                           


Some neighbourly help, such as arranging for the delivery of materials for cement laying, has its rewards. Once the cement-work is done, the left-overs can always be put to good use. Here  we refresh what was a crumbling ramp.

                                            


There is, of course, the seasonal task of cleaning the pool. This year that was delayed by regular rain squalls but, thankfully, we eventually completed that chore as well.

                                              


This entails not only power-hosing and brushing down all the tiles with chlorine and water, but cleaning some rather filthy filters and fixtures.

                                                      


Things don’t end at the planting stage of tomatoes. They need weeding, shoots tweaked to encourage production, and support. We are prone to high winds here and, as the plants become weighted with fruit, they need more support. Z devises a tepee-type construction on which the plants readily scramble up. Then the piece de resistance, old CDs are suspended from the frame to deter marauding birds. They really glint in sunshine and moonlight and make dainty, delicate sounds as they touch the canes.  His very own son et lumiere creation.

                                                            


And it has to be said he is creative. There is always a new project being considered or actually in progress. It’s just that he seems to have misconstrued what it means ‘to have green fingers’! 😊

 


                                           

 

 

 

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