I’m always a little nervous on the morning of a new job, but I suppose there is no surprise there. Do you ever grow out of First Day of School Syndrome? Not in my case. The inevitable “getting to know you”, “will they think I’m crazy?”, “do they like straight lines?”, “am I wearing the right outfit?” “who is their favourite member of One Direction?” “what is their opinion on cotoneaster?” stage must be endured. Always a little daunting.
This morning was my first visit to Betty and Barney’s garden. They live along the coast with their lovely girls Bammette and Bammesha’s. They are not strangers to me, Betty is my yoga teacher. There is a lot riding on this, revenge could be painful. Here is a quick précis of my initial findings.
Things I didn’t expect, most of which pleased me greatly. I will leave it up to you to guess the one item that is less than ideal:
- I didn’t get lost.
- It is a surprisingly large garden, long and relatively flat, a joy indeed.
- Hidden at the bottom, through a bamboo glade, there is a fast running stream.
- A tree peony.
- An asian pear tree.
- A monumental rosemary, bay and lavender.
- A snail bush.
- Neighbours with magnolias and pine trees which are close enough to “borrow” but far enough away not to shade.
- Two young sea buckthorns.
- Sunshine.
- The remains of a dry stone wall used as a mulch on the borders, industrial chic perhaps?
Things I did expect and wasn’t disappointed:
- A wonderful welcome
- Happy helpers
- Good fun
The mud pies, although offered, were politely declined, as was the Yukky Stone Cake. Perhaps next time.
Off The Edge Gardening 
Well I’d guess the snail bush as I’ve never heard of one of those and so I guess you mean it’s where the gastropods congregate for their gastropodic sessions of Mastergastropod, led by two TV presenters who frankly remind me of gastropods when they stuff things in their gastrogobs. Unless, of course, part of your contract involves rebuilding aforementioned dry stone wall of collapsed variety. Good luck in your new job.
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It could work! Sounds like a thrilling programme to me. But it is not the snail bush that is the problem.
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Pfffft! So a bit of rubble spread as a “mulch”, which means it’s on the surface and pickable off, is a problem? Better make sure you never accept a job in a garden attached to a house built in the last 30 years then! 😉
I dug a hole in a lawn to plant a shrub yesterday and filled three blue rubble sacks with broken bricks and other buried builders’ detritus. And had to use 100 litres of bagged topsoil to fill the hole after the volume of stuff was removed.
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I agree about the snail bush unless it is perhaps a curlicue sort of bush. Everything else sounded good except for the yukky stone cake. You were wise to decline. Otherwise it souonds delightful.
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No sorry, neither cake nor bush is the problem.
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It could be the snail bush that’s less than ideal, although I have seen a snail vine Vigna Caracalla, with pretty curly flowers, so maybe it isn’t. I think perhaps drystone wall remains might be a bit big for mulch, so maybe they are the less than desirable part.
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You are quite right! It is the rubble deposited around the garden, in a feeble attempt to get rid of it. Not ideal growing conditions. 🙂
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The stream? Flood risk?
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I like the way you think Mr P, and I did ask how high it flooded just in case, but i don’t think it will be a problem, especially if I don’t have to do any wading!
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Is there a diet yukky stone cake, perhaps with less yuk?
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I could ask, great point Tony. Perhaps after you’ve eaten the full fat Yukky Stone Cake you have no teeth left so can only eat fluids and therefore lose lots of weight, making all YSC’s diet. Perhaps ….
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It is such a splendid desert after stone soup!
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It might be on the menu at the Hard Rock Cafe.
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I think it’s the random scatter of the dry stone wall that could be the problem. Every time your fork digs in and comes up against yet another extra large stone, or have you found a no dig garden? Now that would be a first! Happy digging 😊
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I can feel the vibrating fillings! No, there will be digging, and hitting stones and then shifting stones.
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I bet you love the flat bit!! That and some of the gorgeous sounding trees and shrubs in the vicinity may just make up for the stones!
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Definitely!
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Does anyone still like One Direction?
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Do they even exist anymore?
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