There are days when I know what I need to be doing in the garden and I just get out there and get on with it. There are other days when I faff about to no great result. Then there are the days when I do not have a plan but the garden directs me to what I need to do. This Sunday was such a day.
It was a mildish Sunday, not too cold and thankfully drier than the day before. I did my usual wander around the garden to inspect what was going on and my eyes fell on the weeds in the veg borders. Well, as you can see, there were plenty to see. As said before I work on a principle of one weed removed now is worth 100, nay 1000 seedlings in the spring; so the decision was made, the veg borders would be weeded.
The soil is quite friable at the moment, especially in the veg borders as they are raised and have had lots of compost and manure put into them over the years. This makes weeding quite easy and yet I still find it hard to motivate to weed them routinely. I have been better this year (I know the photo says otherwise) and actually this has meant less of a struggle when it needs doing and then I am more likely to do it and so the circle turns.
I then moved into the front garden.
Oh calamity! It really is in quite a state. I patiently worked my way along the gravel base that the Knot Garden is set into. Each weed removed made it look a little better. I kept going and after an hour or so it was much improved. Not perfect, it is never perfect and you do not get a before and after picture because that is not the point. This is not about 'gosh what a hero she did some weeding'.
The point is that I lost myself in the task. My brain relaxed and settled into the routine of dig out the weed, put the weed in the trug, dig out the weed, put the weed in the trug, shuffle forward a little, dig out the weed and so on. The day was quiet and there was only the sound of the garden and me. Birds sang and cats whispered past me. In this quiet if I stopped and thought I would hear the nearby roads, but I had to think about it to do that and I chose not to. I liked the particular quiet I could hear around me, the quiet of myself being at peace in the garden and with the garden. It was good.
The soil is quite friable at the moment, especially in the veg borders as they are raised and have had lots of compost and manure put into them over the years. This makes weeding quite easy and yet I still find it hard to motivate to weed them routinely. I have been better this year (I know the photo says otherwise) and actually this has meant less of a struggle when it needs doing and then I am more likely to do it and so the circle turns.
I then moved into the front garden.
The point is that I lost myself in the task. My brain relaxed and settled into the routine of dig out the weed, put the weed in the trug, dig out the weed, put the weed in the trug, shuffle forward a little, dig out the weed and so on. The day was quiet and there was only the sound of the garden and me. Birds sang and cats whispered past me. In this quiet if I stopped and thought I would hear the nearby roads, but I had to think about it to do that and I chose not to. I liked the particular quiet I could hear around me, the quiet of myself being at peace in the garden and with the garden. It was good.
Is maith liom é seo a léamh, a chara. 🇮🇪
ReplyDeleteI particularly like when a writer goes deeper than the task itself. As gardeners, it's what makes time fly and work becomes pleasure. As writers, this allows reflection upon the feelings within. Congratulations! You have succeeded in weeding the patch and feeding the mind.
What a thoroughly meditative task weeding is. I don't mind it but my other half loves it.
ReplyDeleteYes !
ReplyDelete