Monday 22 February 2010

Z has not taken a photo of the lawn today

Weeza sent me a link to this website, which gave me a fine chortle. Who knew that minimalism made you so solemn?

If anyone is hoping for a photograph of a lovely lawn, I should explain that very little has happened to the area since. I have two relatively free months of the year - February and August - and so they are good times for a project. The year after the lawn was enlarged by clearing the scrub, the Sage was left to mow it. Inexplicably, he only mowed the original area and left the cleared part - I explained that mowing would kill the weeds, especially ground elder which was all around the roots of the laurel, but he seemed incapable of doing so. So last year, I bought a lawnmower of my own so that I could do it.

I should explain that the Sage has no objection to my using his lawnmower, but it has a pull start and the cord is so long that I can barely manage it. One has to put a foot on the mower to steady it as you pull, and it is not designed for a short woman. I used to manage, just, but last year I didn't have the strength in my leg to balance while I hauled.

Only trouble now was that - well, there was more than one trouble. One was that the brambles were starting to grow back, although I'd cut them down several times. I just mowed them and I daresay they'll die back in a few years time. Another was that there were several clumps of plants that I don't really want to lose, but I don't quite want to dig up and transplant, in case there's any ground elder in the roots. I know that what I have to do is take cuttings or root small pieces, keep them in a pot until I'm sure there's no ground elder and then transplant them, and I will - but in the meantime, I'm just mowing around them. The third thing is that the small patch of evening primrose has spread mightily. It's a biennial and so evidently, the first year, it seeded well and the second year there were lots of plants (that I couldn't dig up and transplant because of the ground elder roots) but that I didn't want to mow down. So it all still looked quite scruffy.

I saved seed from the evening primrose, by the way. Pity I've no idea what I did with it.

It snowed steadily for quite some time this morning. It's still snowing lightly, but starting to thaw as well. I'm staying indoors today. Far too lazy to brave the elements. Brrr.

10 comments:

Dave said...

I had many plans for today. The snow first thing rather inhibited my enthusiasm. So far I seem to have spent most of the day looking at my computer.

Ms Scarlet said...

I love the website!
I am in favour of clutter and scruffy lawns.
Sx

Anonymous said...

"I saved seed from the evening primrose, by the way. Pity I've no idea what I did with it." Oh Z, that made me laugh! I do that far too often for my own good.

I have a running list of things that I have put somewhere safe and can't now find; some have been missing for a few years but every now and then I actually find one of them, usually somewhere quite sensible that I just hadn't thought a likely repository.

Z said...

It's called recuperating, Dave. Make a pot of tea and surf for tips on growing vegetables in pots. Not the same sort of pots you made the tea in, of course.

I've got newspapers from the last 4 days on three chairs and two tables around me, SB. I do clutter indoors as well as out. Worryingly, the room is tidier than usual.

I'll have put it somewhere sensible, CA - a fatal mistake. I'll probably never see it again.

allotmentqueen said...

I have a document on my computer called "The Secret Location Log", but I had to do a search just now to find it because I couldn't remember what it was called. I just knew it contained the word 'stairs', as in 'box under the stairs'.

Z said...

Gosh, that's awfully organised - not quite organised enough, Dave might say, but pretty damn good. You realise, I expect, that now if you ever forget what it's called again, you can check back here. Or ask me - I keep emailed copies of all the comments, so if ever Blogger explodes, I may lose the blog but I will still have the comments.

I've said too much. I'm going to have my afternoon nap.

Roses said...

I don't do lawn. I do scruffy and weeds really well though.

Enjoy your nap.

DILLIGAF said...

You are so so right babe!

Never had a'tidy' garden. Just not as overgrown and tatty as it is now!

Even the pond fish are embarrassed to be seen!

It will be sorted this year.

You have given me inspiration - I'd have sooner had a vodka but you can'y have everything eh? x

Z said...

I went and made cake and soup instead, Roses. Might be an early night for me...

Good evening, 4D - sorry, vodka's in the freezer, but I've got a bottle of white wine on the go *passes bottle*

*waves tipsily*

Anonymous said...

nice post. thanks.