Being retired, you would think (and I know many people do think this) that I have all day to do just what I want. Like gardening. Gardening being the thing that I like to do a lot. But my time gets taken up with lots of other things most days. Looking after grandchildren, cleaning the house, washing, ironing, shopping, cooking, church commitments and more. All very important things. So I try to have some days in the week when I don't do any of those things. I call them commitment free days, which is what yesterday was.
I was looking forward to spending time in the garden, there was lots to do. I sowed some radish and rocket seeds in one of the raised beds at the top of the garden. Now we have gained more allotment space I'm not going to grow as much veg at home. But I will continue to grow salad here.
Then I got down to work on the borders. There's a lot of work to be done still on clearing away the winter debris, hoeing and putting down a mulch on the soil. I've been using the old compost from the bags we grew potatoes in last year and also some strawberry tubs, tomato containers and any pots which had summer bedding plants in. I mixed it with our own leaf mould and some newly bought peat free compost.
The borders I've done so far are looking good. I love that freshly turned over look they have as they wait for the new growth of the dormant plants to emerge and spread out. It's like doing a spring clean. It's at this time that I have to restrain myself as I am often tempted to fill those gaps with more plants. That's why I'm so glad I now take photographs of the borders throughout the year, as it reminds me of how they fill out. I did plant some tete a tete daffodils, but those will have gone over before any bigger plants start to grow
Clearing up all the mess of dead plant material and leaves reveals some hidden gems and today was no exception. I found pink and blue pulmonaria, some chionodoxas just coming into flower and a lovely blue vinca flowering under the hedge. The sulphur yellow of the euphorbia under the holly tree looks good in the shady border too.
I love days like this when I can be on my own with my thoughts, listening to the chatter of the birds and generally just feeling calm and peaceful.
