New Month, New Things To Do
A pinch and a punch for the first of the month. I couldn’t have been more aware of the passing of time this winter. I feel like spring is closer than normal due to some commitments we have in August. So, I’m pretty much counting this winter as a two-month thing. Unfortunately, I have higher expectations for what I’d like to achieve this month in an attempt to become lower maintenance going forward. So here we are at the halfway point and I’m not sure if I can say I’m getting there or not but I do know I’ve been working really hard. Maybe too hard as I’ve slipped into a boom-and-bust cycle where I occasionally need a day or two to recover where ideally I’d prefer a steady consistence gentle action moving everything forward with no sofa days needed.
I shouldn’t beat myself up as things have been done and there is visible progress. Today is a good time to refresh the list, regroup and set forth with renewed energy. Not only is it a Monday, which is always a great place to start anything, but it is a new month and a new year. Over the weekend we celebrated Matariki which is the Maori New Year, and it is such a wonderful celebration appreciating whanau, family, the provisions from efforts from the previous year – the harvest and the stored produce are important along with sharing and breaking bread. As well as taking time for planning for the future. As a gardener this is such an intuitive celebration and I love its recent addition to our calendar. To mark the occasion, we got up early to watch the Matariki stars (Pleiades star cluster) rise over the horizon, and it was pretty special, and we look forward to making it a tradition.
Entering the second half of the year is a time for looking forward. The first six months have whizzed by, and it is disconcerting to realise in that same blink of an eye we will be in the height of summer. As a gardener the passing of time is so much more noticeable, and I feel like I’m in a scramble to get as much done and make every day count as they disappear behind me as I clutch precious memories to my chest. However, I don’t have a moment to spare to be sentimental, there are things that need to be done.
So, from the great big list of June there were some things that got crossed off, but it was probably too ambitious to expect everything to get done. I need to think of it more as a rolling list and if something doesn’t get done it can stay or the list or pop up again next year. And that is ok.
Things I crossed off the June list are:
In the regular and routine chores:
- The garden stayed pretty much weed free in all the places it was weed free thanks to my Handy Helper and my Wee Helper. The area under their care also expanded which is always encouraging.
- I’ve managed to deeply clear 10m of fence line removing the buildup of sand that had blown there and elevated soil levels beyond what they should be, and I’ve installed bricks in the paths to stop sand being blown away, but I will need more bricks soon if I’m to spread this across the garden.
- I’ve begun crossing off the office tidy up but there is a way to go still.
In the main garden there was plenty of activity and the satisfying action of drawing a line through words on a list. No longer a care or responsibility are:
- The onions are in and growing well.
- I did pick some peas so technically that is done, and I decided not to grow more at this point as there are plenty in the freezer.
- The odds and sods bed, the pepper bed, the asparagus bed, the flower bed and the strawberries have all been taken care of.
Up in the Palace
I’m taking a little and often approach dealing with the encroaching weeds so while not crossed off in its entirety I’m pleased with progress.
Room Three is underway, although currently stalled due to the fact I need to open my wallet and that seems to have frightened me a little to the point of a frozen inactivity. I need to just pull the pin and get started. Once I’m committed there is no turning back.
Most of the other projects are still there, but I can happily cross off dolphins, who languished on lists for far too long and the building maintenance has had some attention, and Hubby the Un-Gardener started the waterfall.
And with the computer gardening:
All is still well thanks to those sofa days – I’ve even fired my You Tube channel back up – check it out for a couple of short snippets of The Palace Garden progress, and my podcast is a lot more consistent.
And the new and improved list has the completed tasks removed or set aside as the moment has passed but there are some new items making an appearance.
So, without further ado this is the link that will reveal what I hope to achieve in July without expecting to do everything. >Garden List for July< Please pop along to see the list, maybe get some inspiration for yourself or just send some kind encouraging words my way.
Come again soon – July is a great time to have a fresh start.
Sarah the Gardener : o)