WEEK OFF: Day 6 - Thank goodness it's Friday..........or maybe not!

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Ever had one of those days where you know a job has got to get done and it sure as hell ain’t gonna do it by itself? You potter about trying to find anything that can distract you for an hour or two whilst you continue to put the main job off? Sound familiar……?

Well, that’s how it was yesterday on day 6 of my week off. In my last blog, you will have seen that my task for today was to lift a load of slabs, lay some membrane and cover it in a ton of 20mm gravel to extend the path around the side of the decking……….the distractions lasted all morning!

All Ali asked for last year was a veg patch and GH. The rest of the garden was mine to do as I wished…………although being a female, she would no doubt have to have her say! So, last year, she just chucked anything into the veg patch all at once and we ended up with veg we maybe didn’t really like, eat too often,didn’t eat at all and some we did like and ate a lot! SO, before xmas, I told her we needed to be more organised so this year we’ve kind of done it together and she did say a couple of days ago that I had brought some order and organisation to this year’s veg-growing……..I’m taking that as a compliment because I don’t get many……..OOOOWWW! Sorry dear…….slap across the back of the head……..I wonder if that was another compliment…..Hidden maybe?

Anyway, because I’m a saddo who has too much time on his hands….yeh right!…….I made up this little chart to hang in the GH, which shows what has been planted thus far and in red, what we will plant in a few weeks time – the second wave of certain veg so it doesn’t all apeear at once…….

Notice I even put in a pattern in between the plots to mirror the gravel……

Note to self: MUST get out more!

Yellow Emperor wide open for the sun……

First leaves appear on the Rowan:)

Little buds on Jack Frost: Brunnera are looking better by the day….

…..as are the new baby leaves that keep appearing:0)

My one Aser is coming along nicely and the other one has been moved to help that one along as well….

Getting the gyst now? Putting it off, but by 1.30pm, I could put it off no more and I duly stepped up to the plate and did the deed……well, started to anyway! I’m sure you all know that when you start a job, you often get so into it, that you forget to stop and take pics. After I had pulled up 9 of the 2 × 2ft slabs, my back was starting to ache a tad so Ali said not to worry about all of it and maybe just get the next row up. Anyway, I had a MUCH better idea and it didn’t hurt my back so much………I got Ali to do it!!

Just kidding………she offered!…….just kidding! I did them myself and after a few, I was into my stride…..

This is the area I’ve removed today which totals 34 slabs……my poor back.

‘YOUR POOR BACK…..! You’ve still got a ton of gravel to shift from the far end of the garden yet, mister!!!’

Groooooooaaaaan!

Well, as I said, I forgot to take lots of pics and before I knew it, I had the first lot of membrane and barrow of gravel down……..

Shortly after this, Ali arrived back from taking the kids shopping with……..the TerrorJACdyl! As always, he had to be doing what Dan was doing and immediately offered up his help. Fine young man he is and so I let him take the next barrow of gravel up to the far end………

‘Put your back into it boy………!’

While I was waiting for the little man to do his bit, I took the opportunity to snap my Black Knight Buddlia which is looking quite healthy again…

Mrs B was looking rather grand up in the Rowan…..

So much so, that I took another of her and she knew it too…..POSER!

This little fella decided to try some of the new fat slab I’d put out…..

…..and I wonder what is hiding inside here ready to show it’s face?

I have a feeling it may be a Fringed Tulip that we planted in the woodland border in October 09 after we moved in: Huis Ten Bosch.

Unfortunately, the ton of gravel only just covered half the area I had freed up so, once it was done, I got Ali to help me re-plant the Fatsia Japonica – the first plant we bought when we moved in September 09 – into it’s new home as it is growing nicely. Consequently, it freed up the pot it was in, which allowed me to re-pot my Cordyline: Autumn…….

The Japonica went into it’s new, rather large, plastic tub which has been sat waiting to house him for a couple of months or more!

…..and this is how the area that I managed to gravel, before I ran out, looks now, with the part I’ve extended it from…..

So, work was getting done and now I had moved all those slabs and all that gravel, I needed Ali to do a quick job for me before I could do my next task.

Clear the bottom end of the garden of all the leaves and stones that had accumulated there. Of course, a certain young man wanted to help her as well so she handed him the large green rake and away he went….

He really got stuck into it……

Even the stones weren’t too much trouble for this Iron Man…….

Impressive as he was, others were preoccupied with the food on offer…..

Still a few guests somewhere in Arachnid Hotel!

And what I believe to be a Golden Privet is looking very healthy with lots of new buds coming through. Cut it back at the beginning of the week but still looks big and healthy:0)

Anyway, back to the matter in hand. Why did I need Ali and Jac to clear that area?

Why, to dig a hole to plant the Cherry Tree that Ali picked up last week for just £4.99………

Hope it flourishes and grows now as she was chuffed to get it at that price.

Of course, as the day neared the night, there was just one more job for the day. Whilst others still tried to get as much of the lovley food in their beak as they could…..going in for the kill!

Some of us had plants to water……..

…..and what a hit the new Frog watering can was!

I used my new toy as well which is a 5-way, multi-spray attachment for the hose which Ali has been telling me to get for a few weeks. You can even drop each spray to 50% which sprays out less water. This is me watering and photographing at the same time again! lol:0)

My Peony is growing daily and looking nice after watering…..

Asiatic Lillies making a grand entrance…..

The F1 Purple Pansies are looking lovely on the steps of the decking….

…..and is this the first of my Echinops: Blue Glow seedlings showing through…….

This is definitely the first of the Marigold seeds that Richardpeeej kindly sent me. The others I showed earlier in the week were seeds I had bought, French Marigold but now Richard’s are showing through…

All in all, it was a very productive and enjoyable day, albeit, a very tiring one, and a good shower and an early night lay ahead for me……well deserved I thi…….Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

….and how was your day?

‘Fine, how was yours?!!’

Underneath the Floral Rug…..

• 17 Apr, 2010
• 14 likes

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