Teucrium fruticans

A Day in the Life

offtheedgegardening 8 Comments

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After an uncommonly frosty start it was business as usual at The Farm.

We kicked off with a little rabbit herding (domestic), then went on to some rabbit cussing (wild). The better part of the day was spent undertaking the wondrous triumvirate of weed, chop and mulch.  This very rewarding work was interspersed with a little plant shuffling, wheelbarrow hill climb, taking my coat and hat off, looking for my hand trowel, putting my hat and coat back on, finding my trowel, losing my gloves, pulling crocosmia, finding my gloves.  On repeat.

I also admired a lone flower of Teucrium fruticans.

teucrium fruticans

Shared a joke with Pip (unrepeatable).

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Was pleased to see the that honesty seed had flown, the punctured pods empty.

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Finally, I was sad to see that the red oak sapling had been severely nibbled but very happy that our willow sculpture was flowering.  When I told Farmer Tony about the salix he asked “is that good?”.  Anything this beautiful can’t be bad, surely?

Willow

 

 

If you can’t take the heat

offtheedgegardening 5 Comments

9 Hibiscus

The heater in my car is jammed on.  I have had it fixed but it has broken again.  This makes any journey over 5 miles long challenging, especially throughout the summer months. The experience of driving from South Wales to North Devon today was interesting.  It was like being in a Native American sweat lodge without the benefit of a spiritual experience.  All we had were butter mints and a luke warm bottle of water and I’m not sure they count as sacred fare.  Three of my passengers however were quite thrilled at this tropical trip: Mexican firecracker Dahlia “Mystic Spirit”, Asian beauty Hibiscus syriacus and the Mediterranean siren Teucrium fruticans.   At least somebody was happy!