Out in the garden this morning at 7.30, wrangling some more of the garden into shape. It is taking some wrangling, I can tell you. I mean, it's like stuff is growing. Anyway, Andy continued the lawn mowing and strimming project that he started yesterday, and I took on the borders and hedges.
One of my primary aims is to abolish all nettles; the granddaughters are visiting next month and I know for a fact that Elizabeth will find any nettles that are left and any nettles that are left will find Kayleigh. They have to go, along with child eye height sticky outy bits of hawthorn hedge. Of course, this pruning job is a bit like Sisyphus pushing his rock up a hill, but I shall keep on keeping on because it is very satisfying for my pruning obsession. Andy had a bonfire to get rid of his garden rubbish; I built a clippings mountain.
I wasn't completely destructive in my gardening. I also (and some might say optimistically) sowed some runner beans. I even built a rectangular support structure from bamboo canes and green twine, and it definitely is NOT wobbly and definitely will NOT fall over under the weight of the impending runner bean plants. I am going to plant some squash and radish and rocket. My gardening book says I can at this time of year so I shall.
Beneath the overgrown borders I am discovering some proper flower beds. And blackberry brambles which I am trying to train along the border fence. They are being springily resistant at the moment but I shall perserve, probably with the help of more green twine. I also pruned back tree growth inside the Goat Willow Tree House and swept all the willow fluff from the floor.
On other, non-gardening matters, I ordered some heating oil! I used a site called BoilerJuice and measured how much I thought we needed via the method of sticking a cane in the tank because I don't trust the remote electronic measuring gizmo thingy that is flashing away in the Laundry Room. Andy measured the distance of our tank from the road because, apparently, delivery tankers have hoses about 30m long. (How long their hoses are when they are down the pub sharing a few beers and comparing measurements I do not, nor care not, to know!) Our tank is about 25m away so that should be okay. And Andy sorted out our telephone and internet provider so bye-bye BT and hello PlusNet. I don't know if this will be a good move - who knows until it all changes - but change, as I have discovered, can be a very good and positive thing.
Andy made foccaccia. I researched sewing and art and craft clubs in the area. I also joined the local library which will surprise Andy because he knows how shuddery I get around using books that have previously been in the hands of strangers. But hey! I am embracing change and difference! And I can always wear a pair of rubber gloves.
Tomorrow, we are getting the car MOT'd at what we hope will become our independent and friendly neighbourhood garage. I shall go and collect my new library card and no doubt there will be another bout of garden wrangling. I need to pick up some paint, too, as on Friday we bought two kitchen chairs at £8 a shot from a charity shop. They are fine, but I want to jazz them up in a 'living in the countryside trendy upcycle' kind of way.
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