Verge Wars

The 'existing' garden had got away from me.

I had spent almost all of my time on the new back garden and long bank extension. Combine that with being away for most of June, the strimmer taking forever to get mended, and then the unhelpful weather in July including the bottom foot or so of LB1-LB5 being flooded and covered in mud...

It was time to get a grip on it.

I started with the rose bed on Thursday. One afternoon and five sacks of weeds. And I felt a lot better and refilled with enthusiasm.

Friday and I scaled the centre of the high bank. Four sacks of nettles and sticky weed. But what a difference.

Right - time to reestablish the verge/no-mans-land/garden for the long bank. And no shirking on the rest of it.

Saturday and I tackled the rockery. Sunday LB7 and LB6. Monday LB5 and LB4. Creeping buttercups were the worst. But I also had my fair share of nettles, dead nettles, ground elder, herb-robert, bindweed, rosebay willowherb, cleavers, thistles, vetch, dandelions and a few others that I cannot name. I have also been cutting back the aquilegias. It is now looking respectable again.

Only LB2 and LB3 to go.

And the trellis bed. And the small beds either side of the rose bed. And the sides of the high bank.

And then back to the new bits...

My hands are back to being ingrained with dirt and covered with scratches. I have a callus on my left thumb. My nails are ripped. I have insect bites in places I shouldn't. However, so far I haven't actually been aching. Maybe I am fitter than I thought.

Unfortunately my hopes of finishing the long bank today look like being dashed. It is peeing down again so back to the words...