Sunday 9 June 2019

Weather

As a nation we have always been interested in the weather I think.   And it is certainly never the right weather as far as I can make out.   It is alright for some but never for all.   We have either had too much rain, too little rain, the wind has slaughtered our delphiniums, a late frost has caught our newly put out bedding plants.    That's gardening life for you.   Some folk are philosophical about it all, some are almost neurotic - rushing out in the early evening to drape fleece around tender plants.  And as for lawns - do you like yours like a bowling green - weedless, mossless, deep green, mowed in stripes - or are you content as long as it doesn't get too long?

My first husband was a keen gardener and really enjoyed his time creating a garden whether it was growing a greenhouse full of tomatoes or nurturing delphiniums grown from seed (and that was a job and a half, I can tell you).  As for the Farmer - time was of the essence and after a long day being out in the open and being on the land (which is of course precisely what gardening is) he really only did what was necessary to keep things tidy.   As I aged I could do less and less although I have always loved it too.   Now I am lucky enough to have D who mows, weeds, sprays and does anything else that needs doing.   Any bits on the flat, like my new long border, I am really enjoying looking after (photographs when there is anything to show for my work).

Looking at 'gardens' like Chatsworth (where there is an RHS Show which finishes today) , lovely as it all is with its long vistas of perfect lawn leading to fountains and lakes and specimen trees - and a team of gardeners to keep it all pristine - I don't envy them one bit of it - any more than I envy them the huge house, beautiful as it is.   Give me my little abode, its little garden just right for pottering and just a sitting room for sitting in, a kitchen for cooking, a bathroom for ablutions and a bedroom for a good night's sleep and plenty of windows to look out on my pocket sized garden and I am happy.

23 comments:

thelma said...

What a lovely way of seeing things. Happiness or contentment is something that should be cherished.

Hard up Hester said...

I never claimed to have a lawn I always referred to the green patch in the garden as the grass.

Heather said...

Being content with what you have is the way to happiness, and I feel much the same about my oh so convenient little flat with communal garden. Somewhere to sit and enjoy the sun, but no back-breaking responsibility. I made a lovely garden which evolved gradually over the 35 years I lived in my previous home, but in the end it was almost a relief to leave it.
As for our climate - I often think that we don't actually have one. We just get weather!

Librarian said...

Like you, I do not envy others their big houses and gardens, but I would love a little house for myself and O.K. with a small garden and patio to sit out on. As for the weather, it has been perfect yesterday - sunny and warm without being too hot or muggy. And as we've had rain during the week, I don't think any gardener or farmer could complain of it being too dry!

Derek Faulkner said...

Your last paragraph sums it all up. Gardening should be about what suits us personally and gives us enjoyment, not be about envying other people's gardens, or trying to emulate them.

Rachel Phillips said...

You are happy and content so long as your gardener comes.

jinxxxygirl said...

My husband has summed it up perfectly... Take the size garden you 'think' you want and cut it in half and it will be the perfect size.. Hugs! deb

coffeeontheporchwithme said...

That sounds perfect. Sometimes I think about reducing the amount of gardening I do, but then I turn around and plant something else! We Canadians talk and think about weather a lot, too. Something we all have in common. -Jenn

the veg artist said...

I can't do as much as I used to, either, but still enjoy sowing seeds for the greenhouse and veg plots. I think the urge to garden is either in us or it isn't. As far as a house is concerned, I'm now much more of the mind that it has to function well. Been there, done that, with a large renovation job - never again.

Tom Stephenson said...

A friend of mine has just returned from visiting the garden show at Chatsworth and was more impressed with the house and grounds than the plants, understandably. I always liked the Devonshires as people too.

justjill said...

I miss being able to garden. The weather affects me as I have to get out to the Prom! I dont envy anyone anymore. I love my house and I love my garden. We have grass cutters in and I continue my search for a real gardener..one who knows the difference between a weed and a flower.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Seems we are all of one mind.

John "By Stargoose And Hanglands" said...

When I took care of my mother's garden there was never enough time to do it properly. Now I have the time but don't have the garden any more! Which, when the weather is as uncooperative as it is at present, suits me fine.

Bonnie said...

I love your last sentence. It is lovely and so true for many of us.

angryparsnip said...

Wonderful post !
Gardening in the desert is very different from you but I try my best. I have 2 gardners one for the big tree trimming and the second one for the everyday jobs.
We desert dwellers keep a eye on the weather like most people but... we have 4 wildfires now in Arizona and more to come. With the monsoons the flooding the lighting strikes and fires it is a busy next 4 months.
parsnip

The Weaver of Grass said...

Thanks everyone. We are certainly some gardeners amongst us, even if some of us haveto have help.

anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Joanne Noragon said...

That certainly sums it up, Pat.

Thickethouse.wordpress said...

I am content with my acre and a half and rather wild garden and someone to mow the lawns for me.

My favorite gardening quote is the one which says it is the triumph of optimism over experience.

Charles said...

Non stop rain this year, which s better than last year’s drought. I still have one third of my lawn that was badly scorched and has not recovered. So much for the gardening experts who say that lawns recover from drought, some do and some do not! Very good for all my veg and the flowers do not mind. The greenhouse still needs to be watered but I put in an irrigation system that works very well. There is a timer valve on the tap, a lot of black tubing and dripper valves. Total,cost I think £30, people may moan about the internet but I could not get anything suitable from any local garden centre and there prices were at least twice a step much for worse products.

If I can find my boots I am having garden peas with my fish cakes tonight, oh it’s the excitement that keeps me going. I could do with a break in the weather as I have outside windows and doors to paint, at least I made a start in May and got three done but then the weather broke.

Gwil W said...

I remember watching a prog featuring Prince Charles in his garden. The PoW was going on like he does. I planted these here, I move these from here to there, and these rocks I placed here and so on. Behind HRH was the real gardener a wizened old greenfingers and in the back ground was a fork lift.

I notice Macron's oak tree gift to Trump has kicked the bucket. Did it jump or was it pushed?

The Weaver of Grass said...

I have just read about Macron's oak tree gift Gwil and thought exactly the same!

Thanks for taking the time to read and comment. Happy Gardening.

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