Long term plans
I have been super busy in the garden lately and it feels good. Well for my mental wellbeing. Progress is being made and I should easily be ready for the summer. Not so much in my body. I’ve been working muscles that haven’t seen action for a few months. Although to be fair with each garden session I appear to be a tad more resilient but look forward to rainy days or computer deadlines so I can give my aches and pains a bit of a holiday.
More often than not a job I think should take an hour or two ends up taking the better part of a day or even into the second. But lately I have surprised myself and tasks I’m tempted to procrastinate over have been an easy fix, taking no time at all. Although the massive list of things to do is a revolving feast and at this time of year for everything that gets crossed off it feels like another two are added.
It isn’t just the impending season where, while the window to do things is long but clearly has ‘best after’ and ‘best before’ dates, that is driving my productivity, there are other things that are pushing my efforts. To start with I’m off again for three weeks in November escorting plant loving tourists around this wonderful country of ours, seeing some of the best gardens we have to offer. Part of me wishes we had more time for this as there are so many more amazing gardens but can’t fit them into the schedule.
Having said that, it is probably just as well it is only three weeks. If there was a time to go away in spring then this is it – the garden should be well prepared and planted out and is left at that stage when all the plants need to do is grow, be weeded and watered. An easy task for a handy helper.
On top of this, there is also the festive season absence and not to forget the bevy of garden clubs lined up to come and see the garden in the new year. There will be no dropping the ball this season. The garden needs a good foundation to cope with a season littered with absences and last well enough to still be good looking right until the cool touch of autumn. But that’s not all. There is something else driving me into frenzied activity… And there is nothing like fear and panic to make things happen quickly.
That might sound overly dramatic, but I’ve made a promise for November next year that if I’m to be completely honest freaks me out a little. The botanical tour company want to add my garden to their prestigious list of gardens to visit next year. My garden?! Eek – I’m not ready for that. I have to lift my standards to become worthy enough in my eyes. So, with over a year to go – this is now my new goal for the garden and the work starts now.
One of the first things I need to assess is how does the garden become unruly in the first place. Technically, with a little and often approach, it should stay nice all the time. I need to notice these things. I think I am potentially being a little harsh casting judgement on myself this season, as there were good intentions from the start, but that post travel lurgy just wouldn’t let up and cost me a lot of time out of the garden.
Aside from figuring out why, I need to look for things to prevent the garden falling into disarray in the first place. Things that will make the job easier, or faster or completely change the way we do things. Keeping the sides of The Palace free from weeds is an easy enough job, but I’ve just completed it for the start of the season. Ordinarily I loosen the soft sand and pull out the Kikuyu roots attempting to invade the garden and snipping them off at the edge. Installing a barrier along the edge to stop them from encroaching in the first place will save the full day quarterly task and I have the materials needed for the job. I just need to make the time. Once it is done it will make keeping the edges of the gardens easy to maintain and looking nice all the time. I just need to get it done.
If I assess all my problem areas across the garden and work out ways to be more effective and efficient the garden can transition into a lower maintenance style that keeps up with my crazy lifestyle as well as meeting the needs of a garden that needs to look its best for extended periods.
Come again soon – to find out what I’ve actually done.
Sarah the Gardener : o)
Oh my! I do not know if that is good or bad, . . . . but it is likely both. That is awesome that they want your garden on tour, but I can also understand that it is a bit of pressure. (I would not actually want so many guests touring my garden!)
I do like sharing my garden but it can be a little stressful getting it ready if I’ve let it go for a moment and it becomes a bit weedy. : o)
You’re amazing. I can’t imagine the work it takes to maintain your expanding garden.
The tours sound fun, and being part of future tours is a wonderful affirmation of your hard work and creativity.
To be honest I don’t know what I’d do without the garden. But I think the key going forward is look at maintenance tasks to make things more manageable and less time consuming. But at the end of the day I love what I do! : o)
That is so nice to hear, Sarah. It’s a magnificent garden.
Thanks so much – the garden brings me great joy, although it can be a little challenging at times. : o)