No,
not wild camping in the hills or trekking across a desert somewhere, but days
on end in the garden, as I try to pack a summer’s worth of gardening into a few
weeks, before we head off across the Channel in a fortnight’s time. The cool,
showery weather in my last post was followed by a surprisingly windy
few days, but things have now settled down to be warmer, dry and calm – ideal
weather for gardening.
Once
DH had fired up the ride-on mower and tamed the hayfield that our lawn had
become, it was time to tackle the flowerbeds. For some reason the delightful
previous owners of our house seem to have had a love affair with privet, with
the result that two out of three of the flowerbeds were dominated by disproportionately
large privet bushes.
To get my hand in, I decided to tackle the
smaller one first, so on a day in May, I roped in DH to help. After a titanic
struggle with the aid of a winch (yes, really!) we succeeded in dragging the
privet bush out of the ground, roots and all, and I set to work to make the bed
ready for more ornamental occupants. These I largely acquired at the village
church’s plant sale last Saturday and they are now safely ensconced in their
new home with plenty of space to grow and spread.
In
between times I've been making inroads on the much bigger privet bush which
takes up nearly half of the larger bed at the far end of the garden. It’s far
too big to repeat our previous uprooting success, so I’m hacking it back until
we can see the roots and decide how we want to tackle their extraction.
For
light relief I’ve also started work on the other half of the bed, which is a
mass of mint run wild, creeping buttercup and nettles. There is no way this bed
will be ready for planting before we go to France, but if I can at least get
rid of the great mass of invasive weeds, it will be much easier to work with
when we get home in September. This garden has the potential to be a really lovely place and I’m enjoying starting to get it into shape and planning for the future.
If
there were any justice I should be sylphlike after all this hard work, but
failing that I am at least more flexible and I sleep like a log! The morning mist has lifted now and the sun
has come out, so if you’ll excuse me I’m off out into the garden…
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| Going... |
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| Going... |
 |
| Gone! |
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| Where to plant them...? |
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| Safely bedded in |
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| I may not be able to kneel, but at least I can still bend. |
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| Grrr... Those dratted mint roots! |
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| An unexpected crop of ready-minted potatoes! |
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| Just to prove we DO have colour in the garden... |
I don't envy what you're having to do at present, Perpetua. I miss having a garden but don't miss all the work that is required to keep it in a reasonably attractive state. I do hope that all your hard work is not undone by spending two months away in France. Do you have anyone to come & water your newly planted acquisitions from the Church plant sale, whilst you're away?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the sympathy, Ricky, but as it happens I'm the kind of oddity who really enjoys hard physical work in the garden. Nowadays it's some of the best exercise I have.:-) The work on the big bed is simply clearing the mass of vegetation. Some of it will try to regrow in my absence, but will be easy to deal with when i get back. I'll keep watering the new plantings until we leave, but then they'll just have to take their chances. Given the Met Office forecast for the next month I don't think they'll go short of rain for any length of time.
DeleteWell, what fun to find random potatoes in your garden, Perpetua. And mint to go with them, too :) I don't actually know privet, but it sounds like a right pest and a lot of hard work. May your new plants thrive while you are enjoying the French countryside - how lovely! It is good to see you so active this year, after the health challenges over the recent past. Well done you!
ReplyDeleteAnd it feels very good to be able to be active, thanks, Patricia. Yes, it was fun to find myself harvesting potatoes unexpectedly and I found over a kilo of them. :-) Privet is a shrub that is mainly used for hedging in the UK. It forms a mat of roots which spread outwards and send up new shoots, so that it can take over a big space if allowed to. The bush in the big flowerbed is a triangle with 2 metre sides! Removing it will be a task for the autumn. :-)
DeleteHari OM
ReplyDeleteOhh privet was such an easy answer to lots of gardening questions in the post war years.. now it is like a weed; (in fact, it is classified as 'noxious invader' in Australia!) Mint is lovely to have, but folk forget it gets rampant! Crikey, nearly Channel time, eh? Blink of an eye... YAM xx
Yes, the year has gone frighteningly quickly, Yam, but we're looking forward to getting back to France. Privet is all very well in its place, which in my opinion is in a hedge, where it does a great job. As the central feature in a flowerbed it just doesn't work! The mint is now gone and any replacement will definitely be planted in an old bottomless bucket. :-)
DeleteYou seem to be back in good physical shape so don't overdo the gardening Perpetua. You have made a good start by clearing out the privet.
ReplyDeleteYour soil looks very dry like mine at present. I am finding just trying to cut down on the quantity of weed is a monumental task and it doesn't help that we have had virtually no rain for months.
Perhaps the rain will come while you're in France.
Either way it 's good to 'see' you in print as it were.
I'm in much better shape than I was, thanks, Ray, though the shape is somewhat bigger than it used to be. :-) I do try to work steadily, with plenty of breaks, not having the stamina I once had. Only the small privet has gone as yet. The bigger one will be tackled in the autumn.
DeleteOur soil looks dry, but that's only on the surface, thank goodness. Being in wet Wales, we've had a good deal of rain at times since the warm weather in April and more is forecast for the weekend, which is why I'm trying to get the weed clearance done before it arrives. I do hope it manages to get as far east as Aylesbury.
Privet always reminds me of my walk to Church with my Gran as a child. It has such a memorable scent. But I understand why you wouldn't want a garden full of it.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it odd how scent brings back memories so strongly, BtoB? The one privet bush we plan to keep is flowering at the moment and the scent is lovely. But the big one has to go, as I want to put something more varied and colourful in its place. :-)
DeleteDear Perpetua - I like the going, going, gone, but what is the little place they have gone into? is it a bottomless pit?
ReplyDeleteKnees are such a pest, I don't know why they become more difficult to kneel on, I am sure that I have more padding on them now than when I was younger!
It is my time to head over the Channel too and visit the family in Paris. We always seem to cross around the same time, but just a week for me.
Perpetua, I do appreciate all the comments you make on my blog, but you make me realise what a lot of posts I seem to do - however, thank you very much I will work my way through the replies.
I like the look of the little pathway leading to some woods, it is very pretty.
Not a bottomless pit, Rosemary, but rather a handy space between two hedges where I can leave my prunings to rot down. :-)
DeleteSorry to hear that you too have sore knees. It's not my knee joints that are the problem but the surface of my kneecaps which is horribly tender. I've simply given up kneeling under any circumstances.
I thought you would probably be heading to France before long. Safe journey and have a lovely time with your family.
I was sorry to bombard you with so many comments at once. I've been so busy that I'm very behind with my blog reading, but didn't want to miss your gorgeous posts about your trip to India. Not too many at all - I've enjoyed every one.
The little pathway actually leads to our viewpoint over the small river which flows past our garden. Most of the trees are on the far bank.
With luck there will be another plant sale on your return from France for the autumn planting stuff...
ReplyDeleteI know it is hard work...but it's such a pleasure to make a garden even if the knees are no linger co operative. I'm beginning to think of adopting a Roman dining style of weeding....
Sadly we only have one a year, Helen, always in late May/early June. I'll have to look elsewhere to start filling the gaps.
DeleteI really enjoy hard work in the garden, as it always feels so worthwhile. Obviously I can't aim for perfection while we're away so much, but I do my best and this is a lovely site for a garden. Not being able to kneel is a real pest. I'm being careful to look after my back so I can continue to bend properly. If I reclined to weed, I might never get up again!
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Oh my garden work can get hard if you let it. That bigger privet may require a tractor attached to the roots to pull it out. Can you maneuver a tractor into your yard? And how big a hole will it leave?
ReplyDeleteI've been working like a stevedore the last several months. My garden is on the yearly Garden Club garden tour later this month. I had no idea how much work it would involve and having to get it ready by someone else's time line makes it especially difficult for me. No time for procrastination.
As it happens, we plan to do exactly what you suggest, Vic, using the ride-on mower instead of a tractor. No time to do it now, but we'll have a go in the autumn. Judging by the smaller one we pulled out with the winch, the hole shouldn't be too bad as most of the roots are fairly superficial. In any case I'm very good at knocking soil off roots. :-)
DeleteYour Garden club tour has certainly given you a deadline to aim for and I can well imagine how much work it involves. In France I'm a member of the local garden club and very much enjoy the visits to members' gardens, though mine will never qualify.
Privet is classed as a noxious weed here in the north of New Zealand (not sure about further south). I also enjoy hard work in the garden. Would love to be in the garden right now instead of having technical problems setting up my new computer.
ReplyDeleteI'm not surprised, Susan, as I've seen how far it can spread when not kept in check. The big one in my flowerbed is a rough triangle 2 metres on each side! It takes up half the bed now. I think hard work in the garden is good for body and soul and am sorry your computer problems are keeping you indoors. I'm just waiting for the washing to be ready to hang out and then I'll be back outside.
DeleteI have 3 privet trees..but keep them trimmed .. I have a lot of space.. they have given no problem
ReplyDeleteMint can either go wild or die, the roots are really imbedded into the ground.. its best to use a root killer to get rid of them.. it takes two weeks and there will be no roots left.. it doesnt affect other plants.. i would love some mint.. but i seem to have bad luck with it. it dies on me. I get it from my son's farm next to me.
My garden is looking a little untidy.. always work to be done in the garden
you will be off soon Perpetua.. how time does fly by.
happy gardening.. it looks so much better your little patch.
val x
Privet is great in the right place, Val, and makes a wonderful thick hedge. But i don't think it belongs in a flowerbed which is where two out of our three were.
DeleteI've got most of the mint roots out now and am working on the buttercups and nettles. I'm sure some will come back while we're away over the summer, but they will be much easier to deal with in the autumn, now that I've cleared so much. Have you tried growing mint in a pot, so that you can move it around to find the position it's happiest in?
Our whole plot,including the house and drive is about a third of an acre, so I guess I'm gardening in about a quarter of an acre. Quite enough for me at my age. :-)
You have a task ahead Perpetua ... privet is not favoured in many parts of the world though I do like the perfume. The 'new' garden will look much better once the plants have become established and taken over their little patch.
ReplyDeleteI hope you had those tiny new potatoes with mint sauce!! Reminds me of Christmas childhood in NZ ... our first lot of new potatoes were eaten for Christmas dinner, with lamb and mint sauce, along with tiny new carrots.
Don't overdo the gardening! You have France ahead of you:)
Privet has been popular and much-used for a long time in the UK, Shirley, and it's fine in its proper place as a hedge or divider. I really don't like it in a bed, hence all the hard work to remove it, despite the scent. Unfortunately it leaves a big gap and as yous ay, my new plants will take time to fill it.
DeleteThe tiny potatoes are waiting to be eaten with beef stew tomorrow. I was too tired to do more than heat something from the freezer this evening.:-)
I won't be doing any gardening after the next couple of days. We're forecast heavy rain on Saturday and after that I'll need to start packing.
Privet was everywhere when I was a child, separating spaces and gardens. There was (still is) a privet hedge between us and our neighbours when we lived in the family home, one of those between-the-wars semis of which thousands were built. Privet was cheaper than fencing or walls I think. I have a fondness for privet as a result.
ReplyDeleteWhen my father was recovering from heart surgery and the neighbour was going through one of his obnoxious and cantankerous phases, he (the neighbour) would cut the hedge either leaving the top precision trimmed to only half way across or, all the way across with the trimmings tipped onto our garden. How mean people can be when they put their mind to it! I always think of this when I see a privet hedge.
You're the second person to comment about the memories conjured up by privet, Jean. It really was ubiquitous in the post-war years and much preferable to the dreadful leylandii which became fashionable in the 70 s and 80s. I think it makes an excellent hedge, but I really don't want it taking over half of my biggest flowerbed. :-)
DeleteThat's a very sad story about your father's cantakerous neighbour. How can people be so small-minded and unkind? I grew up in rural Lancashire where there were drystone walls rather than hedges and at least these didn't need trimming.
So much work, but so satisfying. I have not heard of privet, but it sounds like I wouldn't want to have it in the garden. You have accomplished so much. Stay well. I can bend over too, but the problem is getting back up to stand straight. A few ews, and ahs accompany the movement. :)
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely, Bonnie. I really enjoy this kind of work as I can see the difference it makes. I've just googled privet and see that it isn't known in North America. It's a shrub used for hedging which can be very invasive if not kept under control. The big one in our garden has been allowed to spread far too much and will be a lot of work to get rid of. I'm lucky to still have a pretty flexible back for my age, but it's stiffened up a bit this evening. :-)
DeleteYou're right! All that work does keep the joints moving and contributes to a good night's rest! It can feel so good to get to those gardening chores. I seem to recall that you were pulled away early from your French home last year. Do I have that right? I recall the death of a neighbor. The only thing that has me questioning my memory is the idea that it doesn't sen that it was that long ago! I admire all the preparation, and look forward to seeing what your French garden has been up to! :-)
ReplyDeleteIt certainly does, Debra. I'm sleeping SO well. :-) Yes, you're quite right about our having to come home early last summer. It was because of the death of a close friend and we wanted to be at her funeral in late August. It was on our earlier trip to Scotland that we came back early because our near neighbour had died. What a good memory you have! The chances are that the French garden has taken the opportunity to run wild as usual. :-)
DeleteThe good night's sleep sounds like a wonderful thing, but at such a cost! :-) I'm not a huge fan of weeding, but there's no way around it when you have garden. It will be fun to see what it all looks like by next year.
ReplyDeleteNot a bad cost, Kristie, as I feel so much better for the exercise. It's also very satisfying to see the difference I've made, especially as I finished digging out the big mass of weeds this morning.:-) I'm sure they'll keep popping up, but not in these numbers. Now to plan what I'm going to plant in all that lovely clear soil...
DeleteIt must be incredibly satisfying, Perpetua. I've been following your efforts on Facebook and appreciate that a lot of work has gone into sorting out your still-new garden.
ReplyDeleteGlad you're feeling more flexible - I'm afraid I can't tell you what it's like to be sylphlike but I don't really think we're missing much!
Here's hoping the weeds stay back during your period in France.
Axxx
It really is, Annie, and I'm looking forward to deciding what to grow in the cleared space, especially when the dreaded privet has finally gone. It's good soil, so whatever I plant should flourish.
DeleteOnly certain bits of me are flexible, I'm afraid, but thankfully my back is still one of them. It's probably protected by all the padding I now carry. ;-) I like to think of myself as Rubenesque!
I'm sure I'll come home to see new weeds there, but they won't be anything like as bad as what I've just cleared.
Such hard work, but such great results, Perpetual! And surprise potatoes, too! The only surprise I've found in my garden this week is a scorpion!
ReplyDeleteIt was good hard work, Kathy - out in the fresh air and sunshine and it's very satisfying to see what I've achieved. Wow, a scorpion! I'll stick with unexpected potatoes, thanks. :-)
DeleteYou have inspired me to try to tackle one of my more unruly beds, Perpetua. I do admire your stick-to-itiveness. As labor intensive as it can be, there is a certain amount of satisfaction that comes with some steady weeding. Today, it poured and poured and poured with some tornado warnings tonight. I think it will pass, but, we keep an ear to the television, radio and such - just in case.
ReplyDeleteI'll bet it was fun to discover those potatoes.
You have so much more land to care for, Penny, so I'm not surprised some of your beds become unruly. I had to stick at this because we're going away so soon and it needed to be finished before the weather broke, which is due to do today. We have a severe weather warning for rain and possibly thunderstorms, but no mention of tornadoes, thank goodness.
DeleteYes, it was fun to find the potatoes, but unfortunately only the tiny baby ones turned out to be edible.
I’d love to get all this fresh mint. Years ago a friend, now passed on, gave me a bunch of mint and I made mint jelly. I used a lot of mint and it was so tasty – went so well with roast lamb, or with cream cheese on toast. I also like to place fresh mint in “Mint Julep” a drink make with Bourbon and mint. Or I like it in fresh Tabbouleh salad, or Middle Eastern salad with mint and feta, or Indian recipes – so many things you can make with mint. Actually when it is very warm I like to make iced tea with half regular tea, half peach tea then crush some mint with the ice. I wish I could help you get rid of your mint!
ReplyDeleteOh, Vagabonde, I do wish I could have given you my mint! You have so many wonderful ways to use it. Sadly it had spread so far that I had to get rid of it, but I have a small plant in a pot that I can use for cooking. After the summer, I plan to plant some more mint in the garden, but in such a way that it can't run wild again. I have a wonderful summer starter that I often make in France which uses soft goat's cheese, melon and mint. Mmm...
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