Emergency Gardening

The gardeners haven't been for three weeks. There are reasons for this. Reasons familiar to any small business. You pause operations for personal or family reasons- an illness, a bereavement- and the jobs pile up, your casual labour seeks employment elsewhere and your life is made unpleasant by disgruntled clients.

I understand, I do.

But you leave a mature garden unattended for three weeks in the growing season and you're on your way to recreating the environment of Sleeping Beauty's castle. 

I don't really like to intervene. I don't like trespassing on the domain of the professionals- but needs must.

I was out this morning with my shears and rake.

Isn't bindweed wonderful? It'll climb anything that's to hand- even a nettle, even another bindweed stem. There's also a woody, sticky plant that's almost as prolific. It's straggled all through the wild roses.  As I chopped and pulled I was suddenly hit by a wave of mintyness. How did that get in there? No-one invited  it. Never mind, it can stay. I'm not pulling up mint.

Earlier this year Julia and I discussed plans for the vegetable patch, but they've been preempted by wild Nature. You can barely get in there anymore- and much of the new growth is nettles and thistles.  Still, if  If you edge down what was once  the path you eventually happen upon currants and gooseberries. When I've finished writing this I'm going in...