Tuesday 11 July 2017

Short and Sweet

Hello Friends!

First, a heartfelt, country welcome to all my new followers.  You've found your way here by different hosts {Google, Networked Blogs, etc} and no one has told me you are here, but I've noticed my numbers have gone up! So happy you have joined my little page and I hope you enjoy your visits and thank you for following me.

Well, it has happened again. I've pulled my back. Let's not dwell on this, or how it happened {reaching for my pot of face cream this morning} but suffice to say my mood is low as, once more, it happens at the worst possible time for the garden. The lawn needs its regular mow tomorrow, there are berries ripe and ready to pick, and pots that still need watering despite the gentle summer rain today. So thankful for the rain, because, at least it puts a natural, not medical, halt to the gardening; however, there is tomorrow and the next day, and so on, when I will be sitting or hobbling and becoming very frustrated.  At least there is still Wimbledon for a few more days!  It's getting really exciting now, and I am riveted to it.

This does raise a big issue, though, as the increasing number of occurrences of my back going at the most inopportune times {but then again, is there ever a good time for back pain?} is making me seriously readdress what I'm doing, and going to do with my garden. Without dwelling on it, I also have arthritis in my spine, so feel I can never get ahead these days, and the weeds are seriously no longer a joking matter. I am rethinking deeply now, and researching a lot on line; I have to accept that I may have to get someone in to help me make the garden lower maintenance all round, at least to help me with the heavier work of digging, moving soil and big rocks.

With our changing weather patterns, I have spent about five years looking at what is doing well in the garden and what is not. Some plants thrive, others wither and disappear.  Some are nothing more than slug fodder!  Ah! Slugs! The bane of every gardener, I'm sure of it.

I am in the middle of measuring up the various plots. My Berry Patch turns out to be 36 foot long by 10 1/2 foot wide plus two odd shaped triangular bits on the end which I did not include. My former vegetable plot, soon to be a herb and tea garden, measures 17 foot by 23 foot not including a funky shaped bit on the end! I have not yet measured the lawn and borders, those are for another day, but my drive measures 65 yards long!  That needs constant weeding both sides and down the middle.  It is a lot of work for me, with all my other responsibilities too.

I have started making plans for all of these areas, and have bought myself a lovely Strathmore spiral bound art journal with 190 gsm paper to record my intentions and progress. There is lots of room to expand as I stick in seed packets and photos, as well as being a deliciously large A4 portrait format! Did I mention I bought two of them!

So, dear friends, this is my plight again, but in the meantime, and on a more cheerful note, here are some photos of what is flowering in the garden this week ~~~

Mothering Sunday gift, this will be nurtured and used in a border later on


Glam Rock hydrangea

Beautiful, prolific, frothy, acid yellow, and useful Alchemilla Mollis

miscellany of bits and pieces and my garden corgi "Igraine"

Fragrant red dianthus, quaking grass, Alchemilla Mollis


Monkshood {Aconite} 


Crocosmia "Lucifer"

Glam Rock hydrangea with the long, whippy stems of Verbena Bonariensis

Wild Field Poppies in my 'wilderness' bit



So, dear friends, I sit in miserable pain, but it gives me time to reflect on what is happening in the garden and what needs to be done to move forward.

Until next time ~~~
~~~Deborah xoxo

28 comments:

  1. So sorry to hear you are in pain again, all I can say is snap, I don't have to do much either and it goes and I have arthritis in my spine so I know just how you feel, it is very annoying as it stops you doing what you want, I agree perhaps you should get some help in the garden, then you can enjoy it more without worrying about causing more injury x

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    1. Thank you, yes, I know you understand the pain and frustration yourself, all too well. xo

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  2. Oh heck, not what you need in mid growing season. Hope with rest you heal soon. Gorgeous colours in your garden

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    1. Thank you, yes, the colours are making a grand splash ~ along with the much needed rain!

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  3. I am a new follower, so thank you for the warm welcome. I am also a back pain survivor (degenerative discs and arthritis (thanks, Mom!)), so I feel your pain even across The Pond. One thing I don't have is a green thumb, so I'm inhaling the beauty of your gorgeous garden and looking forward to doing so in the coming days.

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    1. Thank you, and welcome! So sorry to hear you suffer too, but I'm glad you are enjoying the colours of my garden.

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  4. Oh Deb, I'm so sorry to hear this news. A gardener never wants to feel this way! I know all too well those issues. I'm in physical therapy now trying to deal with my knee and leg issues. We are so thankful we have a strong grandson to help out in the garden. I wouldn't hesitate to get help when you need it. Your flowers are so cheerful and healthy looking! I love seeing the poppies. Take care, my friend. ♥

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    1. Thank you, Martha Ellen. I'm glad to hear you are getting physical therapy to help you, as well as your strong grandson! At least, on the positive side, it is making me address things I should have done a long time ago and kept putting off, and hope to get a pretty, functional and manageable garden. Getting older {in body, only, of course} is not funny! Have a lovely week. xoxo

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  5. So sorry to hear this, Deb. I do hope you recover soon. You will be in my prayers and thoughts. Your garden is lovely. I'm getting through a few things and hope to be more "social" soon. I miss interacting, but I'm also benefiting from the peacefulness of just focusing on our creative project while taking care of some necessary business. Gene is doing fine, by the way. Do take care. I think of you every time I see my darling hedgehog key chain. Jane xoxo

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    1. Thank you Jane, I've missed seeing you lately. Wishing you well with all your projects! Deb xo

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  6. Oh no! Rest and Nurofen! Wonderful blossoms.
    I'm having to rethink my garden plans too as I realise I want to spend less and less time gardening and more time doing art and crafts - what to do - hmmm. With energy lessening as the years go by, major redesigning needed methinks.

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    1. Oh, how I wish I could take Nurofen. It's now off limits, but was my go to pain killer of choice for bad back and migraine. Now I can't take anything other than Paracetamol and they are just useless.
      None of us are getting any younger, but our gardens don't seem to know this, do they?

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  7. Oh Deb, so sorry to hear about your back. I know how frustrated you are sitting when you have so much you want to accomplish. I hope you heal very fast so you can get back to playing in the dirt. :-)

    But in the meantime, let this be your planning time and figure out just what you want to do for the future. Sending love and hugs and healing thoughts,
    Darlene

    Oh, yeah, I forgot to tell you how beautiful the garden photos are...such beauty is a balm to my soul.

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    1. As we've been discussing, yes, so much I have to do, and now this!!! Shredding the lists and will start again, hopefully in a few days now. So happy you like the flowers, I think of you and your gardening adventures every time I am in the garden, so quite often really! Sending Hugs, Deb xoxo

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  8. I am so sorry that you are experiencing back pain yet again. I hope you manage to reach some sort of compromise with your garden that will satisfy your need to have a nice garden and also look after your back.

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    1. Thank you Sue, and as I don't document every time I have to stop for back pain, I know you will understand how quickly my patch gets out of control and it becomes "weed, repeat, weed repeat" and no time to do anything else. Maybe it's why they say a gardener's work is never done!

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  9. So very sorry to hear about your back problems - there is nothing worse and it is so frustrating not to be able to get on with jobs that need doing. Hope the pain eases soon and you recover quickly. Thoughts are with you.

    Your garden looks so very beautiful - beautiful photos of such a lovely variety of plants.

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    1. Thank you. Yes, it is so frustrating that rest is the only thing that really sets it right, and in the meantime the weeds grow some more!

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  10. Hi Deb, I hope your back is getting better. Don't worry about the weeds. They will be there when you get back on your feet!��
    How I love hydrangeas! And yours are just beautiful! Now I must go check out the Alchemilla Mollis, although I am sure it wouldn't grow here...if it grows there!
    Chris W. TX

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    1. Thank you, Chris. Yes, we can rest assured the weeds will still be there! The hydrangeas will end up in the soil, eventually, but are not big shrubs, expected to be about 48" tall and wide. I hope you can grow Alchemilla Mollis, it is a lovely and very giving plant. Deb xo

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    2. I had to look it up and then saw it was Lady's Mantle. I just love it. Ohio yes...Texas no!
      ��
      Chris

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  11. I love coming to your garden, but I'm so sorry to hear your back is giving you problems. My hip is achy and I know it throws my whole rhythm off! Take care, my friend, XOXO

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    1. Thank you, Susan. I hope you will approve of the changes I'm planning! One involves a white picket fence, which my heart has yearned to have for so long. Hope your hip starts to improve! xoxo

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  12. Hello! I hope your back is better soon.
    You have a beautiful garden, very much enjoyed your photos of it.

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    1. Thank you. It's getting better slowly, and the garden is growing plenty of weeds while I'm on stop!

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  13. Hi Deborah, am very late in commenting on this post, only just found your blog and beautiful photos.

    Your garden looks super but I completely sympathise and understand the problem of health issues making it difficult to maintain. I am in a similar position and find that applying as much mulch as I can physically fit onto the beds makes a massive difference.

    I use chipped tree/bark waste which a friendly tree surgeon delivers but it can be anything you have to hand (in large enough quantities). If I can get a layer 4" - 6" thick down in Autumn it will keep the worst of the weeds down for the best part of a year.

    Don't know if you are familiar with Charles Dowding who is credited with starting the 'no dig' movement but there is much on his YouTube channel and website about the benefits of mulch in order to reduce weeds. Hope this helps a little. :-)

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    1. Thank you for your kind comments. I'm testing a product called Strulch, which I plan to write about soon. I've not heard of Charles Dowding, but am familiar with the 'no dig' method, but my garden will need to be prepared first.

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    2. Thanks Deborah, I've heard of Strulch so will be interested to hear a real-world test of it.

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