Tuesday 3 May 2011

White rabbits

It's May and usually at this time of year I can monitor the growth in life and gaps in the garden, with just the right mix of surprise and anticipation to relax into some sort of expectation, but what with the unseasonably sunny weather, the back to back bank holidays and the ever present shadow of the recession I’m a little turned around.

There is bonkers behaviour in the flowerbeds, as already outlined in earlier posts, with the back and front gardens behaving like they are in different time zones.


In contrast to the bouncy bushiness of the front and no doubt due to the triffid like actions of some the plants stealing their slow starting neighbours sight of the sky, the back border has spaces and a general ragged appearance. Being a born worrywart I’m not sure whether to let nature take her course or get involved and feed my wild flower buying addiction and over plant.


In one of my many vain humane attempts to stop that malicious mole from using the garden as an underground assault course, this badly cut wig of a border is also beginning to look like a mini wind farm with all the children’s windmills powering nothing but my anxiety.


The good news is that reinforcements in the form of a bold-as-brass family of Thrush have moved in and sent the snails into retreat. There is an almost constant and comforting rat-a-tat-tat as armour busting beaks with the assistance of a stone or two, break through the defences of these merciless molluscs.

The clematis has also exploded over all in its path creating a fantastic pink mushroom cloud that hangs over the table and shed.



I think my general malaise isn’t being helped by the fact that it’s back to London tomorrow with all its pomp and problems. 

Roll on next weekend.

7 comments:

  1. I have a pressing question ... do those pinwheels work to discourage moles in your flower beds?!? Our yard and flower beds have been ravaged over the winter and we are a bit (okay, more than a bit) PO'd about the amount of damage.

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  2. We had some mole problems, but very little thank goodness! The clematis in you photo is stunning, I've had very little luck with it. What's your secret? Your garden looks beautiful!

    We've had such dismal weather this Spring, we're way behind! My forthysia just bloomed! Daffies and tulips are starting to burst open. I've just had a delivery of fertile garden soil and mulch! Time to go play in the dirt!

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  3. Woodchucks are the enemy around my yard. Every morning while I'm making my coffee I see him through my kitchen window gorging on my plants on the hill. He is extremely brazen and could care less how close we are to him. Pesky little so in so. On a happier note I really like the look of your garden and your white wrought iron table and chairs. Lovely!!

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  4. I really wish you were down the street to come and take a look at my garden. It had me almost in tears last night with its ridiculous abundance of baby oak trees and wild strawberry. Yours is so lovely...I can dream, I suppose. Good luck with your moles. Before she moved on, my dog killed the two that were plaguing me. The snails, on the other hand, I don't know how to fight anymore. They seem to view my alcoholic offerings with disgust.

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  5. @susan
    In a word no, Mr Mole seems to be going around them at the moment. I wouldn't mind sharing the garden with him but he has no started to make in roads towards the lawn.

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  6. @ocean breezes Thank you for the garden compliment, I wish I could say that I have a magic touch with the clematis but that particular type just grows and grows (can't remember the name) The other varieties I have in the garden are much more delicate and grow from the ground up every year.

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  7. @from beyond
    Thank you. I have such a dilemma over furry critters, on one hand I think, why can't they just do their thing in the fields and not munch the fruits of my labour but then on the other, we are laying on what is probably a fresh salad bar for them.

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