Saturday, June 01, 2013

growing things

But we only have four days!

There is the proverbial "so much to do" at the farmette and so I leave you with not much more today than a set of photos.  Not even a great set of photos, nor a hugely important one, just these so that you know that I took note that it was June 1st and I did not sit idle.

And I should just say that during my three day California absence, it rained to high heaven and as a result, everything is now ultra lush!


DSC02920 - Version 2
the walkway


It comes at a price, of course. Bugs: the earliest ever emergence of The Mosquito. Weeds: it's as if I practiced sheer neglect out there. So many in so little time! And, too, a delay in getting other things accomplished over and beyond taking care of the garden. Yes, there is life beyond the farmette land and much of it was put on hold when I stepped outside today and understood what needed to be done here.


DSC02909 - Version 2
good morning, farmhouse!


Ed was amused at first, then he retreated to his Favorite Project du jour (it changes from day to day) over at the sheep shed. When I asked why he didn't attack with enthusiasm all those tasks which we typically would relegate to him rather than me (mowing, building a trellis, rototilling the courtyard, chipping the walkways, etc), he reminds me -- I like to work in the yard, but I can't say that I love it with the intensity that you do.


DSC02918 - Version 2
the shade flower bed: hostas to the right, three kinds of lamium to the left


...which I think mischaracterizes things a tad. I don't love/adore/covet yardwork. I'm merely drawn to it. Okay, intensely drawn to it. There is a difference.

So, I did not finish grading, I didn't scrub things at the farmhouse in anticipation of our departure. I made a "to do" list, but I checked off nothing from it.

But, I have a mostly together farmette yard and I have only this one great worry -- if in three days nature wrought havoc out there in my flower beds, what will it be like when we come back after a trip almost ten times that length? I mean, we have hired a cat sitter. And we have asked her (actually them) to do some watering should there be a drought. But weeding -- who'll do that for me? Uff, let's hope that the rains come to us in moderation.

In the meantime, Ed and I transpalnt overgrown ferns, we hack away at the bushy weeds at the base of the willow, and we prune all twenty (or so) trees in the new orchard. And in between, I pull weeds, divide daylilies and chop off spent spring flowers.
Ow!
What happened?
I appear to have chopped off my finger! 

To the bone?
Don't know... Lot's of blood!
Let's bandage it up!


Ten minutes later I'm back in the yard, digging, pruning, weeding.

And admiring. There is always plenty of time to look up and admire all that is before me.


DSC02902 - Version 2
the flower bed linking the farmhouse with the sheep shed



DSC02901 - Version 2
the first peach rose



DSC02904 - Version 2
the first peony