Marching on!

I’ve been trying to organise my life present and future this week, planting espaliers in places I hadn’t planned for and trying not to get wound up by that, after all not my circus etc. and sowing as much veg seed as I can manage in my meagre space.

The sowing thing is very zen and enjoyable I will admit but I’m at least two weeks behind where I want to be regarding weeding and cutting back and now the lurgy has me. Its a stress reaction, I know, and whilst I might not appear stressed this has been threatening for a while now. The best thing I can do is lean into it and it will be done quicker.

I’m trying to guess what 2 new consultants and a completely inexperienced member of staff will need for the next 3 months and it’s a bit tricky if I’m honest. I will be taking all of my tools with me obviously, so the grafter will need new tools, they will also need kit like steel toe caps, rain gear etc.

I have just 1 day a week for 6 weeks to teach them how to sow seed, prick out and pot on, what to sow, when and how. Not to mention what’s a weed and what’s not…

The two consultants have very different approaches and ideas as to what’s going to happen in the walled garden and whilst one is really happy to chat about how they would like it to proceed the other isn’t quite so forthcoming and I’m having to guess what they want based on confused messages… oh well!

I hope this doesn’t come across in a negative manner, its not meant that way, this is just the most confused handover I’ve ever done and I’ll be honest its been unnecessarily stressful. This might be because there are no gardeners involved as such. There’s a farmer, a chef and a consultant and they all have different aspirations that I’m trying to manage …. so maybe that’s a me problem?

Focussing on the positives, we finally are getting a delivery of the council green waste to dress the beds and improve the shocking soil, although that’s probably going to happen after I leave now, its still going to be massively important going forward. My first lot of Broad Beans has been planted out and about half the beds are prepared despite the depressingly wet weather.

At home I’m delighted that my beautiful miniature Narcissus are coming out, along with Coryadalis and soon my Magnolia, so here they are!