My parents were here yesterday to help me straighten up the garden. With dad doing the shovelling, I moved more than 3 sq m of wood chips from the driveway round to the back of the house and down the garden. They’re in mounds, waiting to be raked out to redo the paths and mulch the beds – it won’t be today, as I really don’t have it in me. On Tuesday I was finalising the new layout of the concrete blocks, and hefting those about takes it out of you.
So now the garden, like the house, is much tidier. There’s plenty left for me to do when I have the time and the energy, and I can keep pottering about outside until the house is sold. But it’s hardly my garden any more, which is sad. Still, there are some spring highlights :)
And who could resist these furry leaves? My dad, apparently, who is refusing to try Chinese artichokes in case they turn out to be anything like Jerusalem artichokes. Which he hates.
Mum and dad drove back to Malvern with a car full of gardening sundries they can use, and one or two more plants – my little standard olive and bay trees, and this stunning Water Avens (Geum rivale) that was a gift from Radix.
Don’t forget that if you’d like to read about the early years of my garden, I am currently having an end of an era sale of signed copies of my first book :)