My thoughts almost mirror yours, as does the problem of having a garden that's too large really. Although, in my dreams there no such thing as a garden that's too large, it just needs to come with an expert team of gardeners. 😅
I'm just trying to take as much pleasure from it as possible and not get overwhelmed with, as you say, the never-ending list of chores.
The spring flowers popping up at an amazing rate this week are very encouraging, as is the sunshine. Happy gardening.
One tiny bit I've managed to tame this week, drastic measures were required, you couldn't see the pergola a week ago for a completely overgrown rambling rose. I've sacrificed it this year to try and keep control next year......watch this space ( but don't look behind or to the left, that bit's still on the list. 😊😆😱
“Coffee. Garden. Coffee. Does a good morning need anything else?” —Betsy Cañas Garmon
Am jealous, and a garden could never be too big for me!! Sounds like Peter Seabrook, (and me) you go out to do one thing, then find a lot of others that need doing. I know if I don't do them there and then, I make lists, and forget to read them. Before the blasted menoporse you could set your watch by me!! Well, oddly enough you still can, I can tell you the time within 10 mnutes day or night!!
Butterflies and moths do not flit about willy nilly. They are completely focused - sex and egg laying and they stick to both with astounding tenacity. Females emit a "come get me" pheromone virtually all the time and in some species the males can detect a few atoms per billion at a kilometre or so down range. Once upon a time, I sat in an Austrian mountain pass and watched Painted Lady butterflies - every single one was headed in the same direction which was surprisingly upwind in a fairly stiff breeze. Several thousand must have passed me that day - some no doubt to end up here in England.
As a professional gardener I've "had" to do many jobs that would probably bore most people rigid - though I put had in quotes because, as one of my labourers once sagely said "manual labour has its own reward" he meant going home satisfyingly knackered but thankfully, very true financially too, slightly more in my direction than his but we all have to give thanks for the geographic luck of having so many well heeled potential clients within a stone's throw.
I've sat on a tractor mower for 12 hour+ shifts many times and on cut and collect jobs long before power assisted machines that tip the grass box, then at the end of the day stopped to tidy up the compost heap. Even though retired from full time work I've given a lawn uncut for two years a strimming within 3mm of its life, well down to the earth in many places and then hand raked to collect - I'm not quite with some posters above but I was definitely still working under the moon tonight if not by it.
When there's a lot of obvious jobs in a garden, I do make a mental list rather than write down a plan and usually stick to it doggedly though I did stop twice today to photograph queen solitary bees visiting crocus flowers. Ahhh. The strimming was decided first because the next job is quite a lot of pruning and shrub trimming which would tread down the long grass into an impenetrable mat. Lots of anthills to level tomorrow and fiddle with machines so this arthritic 70+ is off to bed now.
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My thoughts almost mirror yours, as does the problem of having a garden that's too large really. Although, in my dreams there no such thing as a garden that's too large, it just needs to come with an expert team of gardeners. 😅
I'm just trying to take as much pleasure from it as possible and not get overwhelmed with, as you say, the never-ending list of chores.
The spring flowers popping up at an amazing rate this week are very encouraging, as is the sunshine. Happy gardening.
One tiny bit I've managed to tame this week, drastic measures were required, you couldn't see the pergola a week ago for a completely overgrown rambling rose. I've sacrificed it this year to try and keep control next year......watch this space ( but don't look behind or to the left, that bit's still on the list. 😊😆😱
As a professional gardener I've "had" to do many jobs that would probably bore most people rigid - though I put had in quotes because, as one of my labourers once sagely said "manual labour has its own reward" he meant going home satisfyingly knackered but thankfully, very true financially too, slightly more in my direction than his but we all have to give thanks for the geographic luck of having so many well heeled potential clients within a stone's throw.
I've sat on a tractor mower for 12 hour+ shifts many times and on cut and collect jobs long before power assisted machines that tip the grass box, then at the end of the day stopped to tidy up the compost heap. Even though retired from full time work I've given a lawn uncut for two years a strimming within 3mm of its life, well down to the earth in many places and then hand raked to collect - I'm not quite with some posters above but I was definitely still working under the moon tonight if not by it.
When there's a lot of obvious jobs in a garden, I do make a mental list rather than write down a plan and usually stick to it doggedly though I did stop twice today to photograph queen solitary bees visiting crocus flowers. Ahhh. The strimming was decided first because the next job is quite a lot of pruning and shrub trimming which would tread down the long grass into an impenetrable mat. Lots of anthills to level tomorrow and fiddle with machines so this arthritic 70+ is off to bed now.