Gardening was a full-time job for Mr Aqui and I on our wonderful week off last week.
We started off with a few days of relaxation, shedding the stress of work whilst mostly sitting in the garden, watching the butterflies dance round each other and various plants (and even Mr Aqui's head once, much to my amusement!), seeing the hover flies kissing the flowers (my Stargazer Lillies were smoothered in them!) and watching the pondskaters floating across the pond, occassionally playing piggy-back rides (I'm sure they don't know quite how to do it - they seem to bonce a lot, then fall over, but there sure are a lot of baby somethings in the pond!)
After these relaxing few days (marred only by the discovery of a dead frog in the pond :'( - very upsetting - I hope it was slug pellets or old age (he was rather large) rather than something I'd done), we were ready and raring to go for some good hard graft, so started with a trip round the local garden centres! I got a couple of bargin pond plants - including a water spearmint and water forget-me-nots that I'd been after. Bought a load more periennials from my favourite bargin shop (20p each now!) and three of largeish pebbles (about 9in long - one granite, one with some gorgeous cracks in it and the other reddish - gorgeous!)
Wednesday dawned as a non-garden day - pottered off to the stables, rode (fantastic ride - really boosted my confidence) and went out in the big wide world for the first time since my fall. Had a slight panic when horse wouldn't stand still when we were waiting to cross the road, but Mr Aqui held him and stopped the traffic, so we were fine.
Thursday - soil delivery day! A ton of top soil was dumped on the road outside and as we live on a little cul-de-sac with minimal parking, we had to shift it before the neighbours complained. Took about an hour all told, not including our frequent breaks. Mr Aqui did most of the wheelie pushing as I couldn't make it up the little hill into the garden. But i did do my fair share of shovelling (I have muscles now!)
After lunch (mmm - fried egg sandwiches!) we shifted said soil into the pond (in the deepest bit and on the slope), turning it a lovely hot chocolate colour! I planted up the slope with my now many water plants (I don't have room for more now!) and then scattered the many pebbles we'd dug up from the garden on the slope, with the large pebbles in pride of place. If I do say so myself - it looks absolutely beautiful! The pigeons obviously approve - they are getting very brave, taking a drink from one end of the pond whilst I sat working at the other end! We slept very well that night!
Trouble is now - the water level has dropped so much the bird bath dip I created has dried, and the area of the slope which we hadn't covered in pebbles (we ran out!) is now showing! But the soil is settling and the water is clearing.
Friday was a slightly easier day of planting. I had many many periennials that were still in the pots I'd bought them in (bad girl!) So most of them were planted in the beds and borders. Until I ran out of room. I know where I'm going to extend one border, but we were both too achey after the previous day's work to dig it up (that's this Saturday's job!) I also found a geum or geranium type thing with tiny yellow flowers that I moved - I think it must be a wild plant - but it's gorgeous!
Saturday was an easier day as energy reserves were starting to dwindle. A bit more planting, a bit of compost sieving. A bit of a panic when Mr Aqui thought he'd squashed a toad, but it seemed fine after a while. phew.
And yesterday we spent the morning relaxing on the bench, watching the various visitors to the garden (including a dragonfly - the first I've seen in there!) Whilst wishing we had another week to spend out there.
ah bliss! (and gosh - don't I go on!)
Well done Aqui. Sounds like a lovely holiday :)
Sounds perfect to me! Glad you had such a good and productive holiday, and glad you are back! ;D
tis good to be back!
EJ - thanks for the primula seeds - I scattered them around the banks, so here's hoping for a gorgeous display next year (do they flower in the first year?)
Well done Aqui. The weeks holiday will hopefully give you years and years of pleasure.
Some might Aqui. The ones I planted out young, got themselves nicely established and they did have small flowers, the later planted ones didn't flower. The ones that are a couple of years old now are huge and fleshy and the flower spikes rise up wonderfully! They are a joy. Love primulas/primroses/cowslips me! ;D