To Do List

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Wandering round the garden this morning, thinking about what needs to be done. There are the everyday things, like weeding (I am happy about lots of things some people get rid of, but even I draw the line at hairy bittercress, sycamore seedlings and an unidentified annual weed that appears everywhere) watering new plants and dead-heading violas. Then there are more long-term plans which I mull over for ages before committing myself.

For some years I have had a miniature camomile lawn in a space made by lifting one of the patio paving stones. By last summer, it was a beautiful, long and fragrant cushion and I was very proud of it. But I left it too long without trimming, and this winter it collapsed completely and died off from the middle. So I am starting again. I have ordered 25 small plants – I hope that’s going to be enough – so we shall see how we go.

This is where it will be planted – the white edge shows how much the previous camomile had grown!

This is what used to be an alpine trough, but is now almost completely taken over by Campanula Portenschlagiana (what a terrible name!) and violets. I love those, though. I actually like the campanula as well, but I have so much of it and it gets everywhere. I just cannot bring myself to pull it up once it’s flowering, though – it is so pretty! The tap, by the way, is not – unfortunately – connected to the mains. It used to be fed by an old rainwater tank under the kitchen floor. How I wish that was still functional, but it had long been defunct before we moved here in ‘72. What a brilliant idea – why don’t all houses have one?

I’ve been meaning to start again with the trough, but it’s one of the things I might just continue to mull over for a while longer.

These are the French Windows in our back room. The house has huge windows, but tiny windowsills inside so this is about the only place I can put plants. These are tomatoes waiting to go into the unheated greenhouse. There are 6 Gardener’s Delight, which I have grown for years and 3 Sungold. Yellow tomatoes are my husband’s favourite. I used to grow tomatoes from seed, but the last two years I have bought young plants from the garden centre. I have already potted these on once, and shall be glad when they can go out, because they are getting a bit spindly. Another 10 days or so should do it here.

(I’ve just noticed my reflection in the window – oh well..!)

When my containers get going, I will put pots down the steps. I usually have pelargoniums here. The campanula beside the door usually looks lovely when it flowers, but I have to keep removing it from the risers of the steps. Sometimes I leave a clump here and there – it looks rather romantic! Sometimes a little sprout of it appears inside the room – I have visions of the underfloor space awash with blue flowers (not really!)

Note to self: I must post a question about that unidentified weed.

The sun is coming out, so I’m off. Hope the weather is reasonable for the w/e but I’m not holding my breath!

• 5 May, 2012
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