Friday Night Wurble

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Call me a fair weather gardener if you like, but, apart from opening the greenhouse, I hardly set foot outside yesterday. Being outside in a cold brisk easterly didn’t have that much appeal.
As you may have noticed, I did a little research on the Great Rambling Wurble instead. I also had great fun sending photos. There’s a fair chance I’ve got the hang of it now, but when you’ve got a forgettery like mine, who’s to say?
Wednesday evening, I folded down the parasol. It’s one of those that has (flanges?) at the top to let the wind through and stop it lifting. Standing at the back of the ‘patio’ with the evening sun on it, it looks like Darth Vader waiting for me to “turn to the dark side”, but the force is with me.
I think it needs to be. Remember I was being sent some replacement Busy Lizzies FOC? They arrived yesterday. Does lightning strike in the same place twice. Oh yes. That’s o ‘es in Cornish. (grin)
What’s to grin about? The second offering was just as bad. Bone dry, yellowing leaves, and 9 of the 10 were…you guessed it…WHITE!! The other one is pale pink. I know I said I wouldn’t name names, but I really feel inclined to this time.
If I was quite sure I wouldn’t be breaking the law by doing so, I would, just to ensure that GoY members at least, wouldn’t be subjected to similar disappointment.
All that aside, today has been great. The memory card I ordered for my camera arrived this morning and my gentleman friend (for goodness sake! His name’s Colin) came over and formatted it for me. I can now take 150 photos without having to download. Good innit?
After lunch I tackled a whole load of bindweed that was trying to disguise itself as Clematis at the back of the border. Amazing stuff, bindweed, or convolvulus.
Unwelcome, but amazing. Just for fun I thought I’d see how long a piece I could get without breaking it. I do daft things like that. When you’re flying solo, you can. Nobody to answer to.
Anyway, I was carefully lifting this quite thick length of weed, following it along the bottom of the fence. I guess I had about eight feet loose, when it suddenly stopped, or I did. Could I move it? Could I heck. Reluctant to break it off and start another one, I gently stepped back ( there was a clump of budding daylilies behind me).
The length of bindweed I had in my hand, suddenly came loose and lifted along another three feet at least…in a different direction! I’d been standing on the blasted thing and trying to lift my own, not inconsiderable, weight. I carried on until it trailed off to where I couldn’t reach it any more, then I gave it one final tug. It must have been surface rooted near that point because it came away with a very satisfying length of white root attached.
Now, to measure it. It’s a good job no-one was watching. This dear length of plant was draped across plants and shrubs for quite a goodly distance. Of course, if I’d had any sense I’d have rolled it up as I went along. Then, no-one ever accused me of being practical.
Still, I did roll it up, then offered it to the yardstick, like drapers do. The total length, not including the various lengths of tendril shooting off as laterals was…twentytwo feet and seven inches. That is one doozy of a stem for one season’s growth.
It was so good to sit down at my computer thisevening. The most comfortable chair in the place. I made sure of that when I bought it. I’ve been on my feet all day.
Late to bed last night (playing poker) I was hoping to have a lie-in this morning. Cookie had other ideas. Seven a.m she decides she wants to come in and be fed. I tried to ignore her, but she sits on the greenhouse roof, which is right under my bedroom window, and miaows…and miaows…and miaows.
Of course,by the time I’d let her in and given her some breakfast, I was wide awake. So, hopefully, early to bed tonight.
’Tis a bit cooler now, my dears, but ’tis a cuddlie night fer stankin.
Bye bye. Me gone.

• 5 Jun, 2009
• 5 likes

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