I woke up this morning to my wonderful family bearing gifts. This isn’t something they do often – just once a year. I got loads of cool stuff but they saved the best to last. A shiny new Gardena 6 hose Automatic Water Distributor and a Timer too. How could they have known it was my heart’s desire?
It could have been how I blogged about wanting it ever since I first saw it, the not so subtle hints I left on facebook, or that the catalogue was left “lying about the place” in strategic locations, or even the sigh as I passed by the catalogue conveniently open on page 11. But I’m not sure…
The thing is not only have the family given me a gift, but they too will receive the gift of my time. Once I figure out how to use it to get the best out of my plot, I will be liberated from the constant demands of my thirsty garden for months and months. I shall be able to set it to its daily task and think of it no more. Although I may end up going back to it from time to time, just to look and watch my green babies being watered – like how you do when you get a new front loading washing machine and can’t help but watch a few cycles go round in the wee window at the front!
There will be no more being ruled by the timer on my phone, constantly going off every fifteen minutes to turn off the tap, move the hose, turn on the tap and reset the timer on my phone. Every so often I would have to change the ringtone because I would become so familiar with it I wouldn’t hear it, much to the annoyance of those around me. I have such a large garden that in the height of summer this quickly moves from the pleasure of feeding my green babies, to a chore and towards the end of the season a burden. Well not anymore! Hurray!
But there isn’t much need for it just yet as my plants aren’t in the ground yet and are in the process of being hardened off. But this hardening off process is such a palaver. Last year I was fighting against a windy spring and my wee seedlings kept being blown over and the soil in the pots were constantly drying out. This spring has not been so windy and I was just thinking that to myself as I was in the greenhouse potting up more seedlings – goodness knows where they will all go, I’m running out of space in there.
But the sky suddenly turned black and big fat rain drops came crashing down on the roof of the greenhouse and in through the open window. I started to reach up to close the window when very loud and very close thunder and lightning rumbled and flashed so I thought I’d better not. The temperature had dropped and so my teeshirt was no longer warm enough, and my abandoned jumper was out there in the rain somewhere, probably beside the brassica bed I had been digging. So there I was cold and wet and not really very happy. The rain was too heavy to make the dash back to the house.
But then it started to hail and a gardeners crazy instinct took over and I raced across to the shed and grabbed a dirty old compost bag that I had opened by a slit across the top and one down the side as I find it easier to empty out onto the garden that way, and popped it on my head like a hood and ran around to my seedlings which were being hammered by the hail 7mm across. They were still so tender – they could get hurt and I was not having that! I didn’t spend all that time raising them for hail to harm my perfectly healthy young plants. It took several trips in the rain to save them all. But for some the damage had been done, although my efforts had minimised this a little. And then as quickly as it came, it was gone and the sun came out again like nothing had happened, the only evidence was a few shredded seedlings and me – soaked to the skin!
Come again soon – I have instruction books to read and irrigation systems to plan. This is the best birthday ever!
Sarah the Gardener : o )
Happy Birthday! And the Gardena system is wonderful. You’ll even be able to go away for a vacation if you want–no more worrying about house sitters and complex issues. Congratulations, you are lucky in a great many ways.
Thanks so much. The new system will definitely allow me to relax when we go away I had such a lovely day.
Cheers Sarah : o )
Happy Birthday from a Kiwi living in USA who loves reading your blog!
Hi Karen.
Thank you so much for your birthday greeting, I had a wonderful day – although I am aiming to stretch it out over a week….
Cheers Sarah : o )
Great post, Sarah. Happy Birthday, and congratulations on the gift of time.
HI Alys.
Thanks. I am so excited to give it a whirl.
Cheers Sarah : o )
Happy Birthday 🙂
Thanks Natalie.
Cheers Sarah : o )
Happy birthday Sarah! At least you will have a breather from moving the hose and setting the timer. Good luck with the new irrigation system 🙂 I have been hardening my seedlings too – I always feel sorry for them when they get their first taste of rotten weather. Oh that hail .. Damn!
HI Julie.
Thanks. I had a great day. The hail this spring has been terrible. I left the seedlings out over night last night for the first time – I hope they are ok. I’ll have to go out soon and check. I can’t wait to sort out my irrigation for once and for all! Cheers Sarah : o )
Happy birthday 🙂
Seriously impressed that Hubby the ungardener and the boys were able to decipher your subtle hint dropping 😀 😀
Have fun with your new toy 😉 x
Thanks Elaine.
I was blown away by their intuitive skills! It was a perfect gift and I’m hoping it will really make a difference to my garden.
I had a great day.
Cheers Sarah : o )
Happy Birthday!
Thanks Wendy. I had a fab day.
Cheers Sarah : o )
Happy birthday Sarah! 🙂 When we moved here we discovered that prior to my dad and his partner purchasing this property there was an extensive watering system that watered the entire front acre, set up with taps within easy reach of each other (still existing) and a fully automatic watering system that was linked up to the entire front garden. The problem was that dad and his partner arrived just as Tasmanian’s started being force to pay for water usage. They decided that they didn’t want to pay for water usage and so the garden watering system (and the garden) went to seed. By the time we eagerly found the “Rainbird” it was long past healthy and over the hill. We couldn’t afford to water the entire front garden but back when it was watered it had tree ferns (we know, we found the stumps) and all sorts of magnificent plant species. There are some wonderful plants still alive in that dense jungle out there but that is entirely down to their hardiness and nothing to do with watering. 😉
Thanks Fran. I had an awesome day.
Are you able to cannibalize the old irrigation system for parts that still have a little life in them for the veggie patch? You have to water it anyway, so using a system to water smarter may save you time and possibly cash if you have to turn on the tap to do it. Just a thought. Cheers Sarah : o )
We would have to unhook the system (at least 20 years old) and in order to do that we would have to get stuck into clearing the jungle bit of the property. That’s where the wild things are…we are slightly terrified of it (and how much work it is going to take to merely clear out the old pathways) and tend to whistle and look the other way as we pass it on our walks down the driveway. Maybe one day but certainly not today 😉
Woohoo! (And happy birthday!)
Thanks so much. I’m so excited at for this new season. hooray!
Cheers Sarah : o )
Happy birthday Sarah! Garden looks great as always 🙂
Thanks Jen. I am really excited to finally plant it out.I love this time of year. Cheers Sarah : o )