Watty's Awakening

Watty1

Gardener has been.  I am very aware I need to save up for my emergency fund but work needs doing and I have decided to spend on some help.   The last of the neighbours laurel hedge has been trimmed (my side only) and I really wanted that done before the birds nested, some dog rose has been planted in the wild hedge that borders the rose to help thicken it up and some ground cover planted under my office window.  I ordered 10 pots of vinca minor Gertrude Jekyll but even though they were 2 litre pots they look lost there.  Will hope they spread soon. The office window is at soil level so i wanted something that would flower and create a dense mat and this was his suggestion as it is really sandy and dry there.

We have also come up with a plan for the corner of the drive that lorries repeatedly drive over.   He has drawn an artistic line which I will use a bit of left over membrane and then fill with shale and some old rocks.  The corner is to tight to the road for the lorries that have to use it and so it makes sense to just tidy that up and accept it.

The sad part was a wooden bench that my mum bought me for my very first garden broke when he leaned on it.  The wood was clearly rotten. I managed to say never mind, clearly it was rotten and can probably be fixed but came in and cried simply because I remember shopping for it with my mum.   The VNM has moved all the bits to the barn, had a good look and simply said it is wood I can probably repair it as your mum bought it.   I am so grateful.  

Slinky

Watty1 said:

The sad part was a wooden bench that my mum bought me for my very first garden broke when he leaned on it.  The wood was clearly rotten. I managed to say never mind, clearly it was rotten and can probably be fixed but came in and cried simply because I remember shopping for it with my mum.   The VNM has moved all the bits to the barn, had a good look and simply said it is wood I can probably repair it as your mum bought it.   I am so grateful.  

Sorry to hear about the bench. These things have meanings others wouldn't necessarily understand. I've got a water butt that was a present from my Dad. It's just a water butt, but it came from the factory he spent 42 years working in, so it's just a bit more than a bit of old cracking plastic, so our landscaper didn't really understand why I didn't want to replace it until it's completely past it.

KajiKita

Hugs about the bench. I totally get the sense of shock and loss something like that brings. But, if it resurfaces after VNM is able to fix it 🤞 it will have yet another layer of lovely memories ❤️😊

As for the coaching thingamee… I have many, many people help me over the years. I see this kind of thing as ‘paying it forward’ 😊

KK

Bargainhunter30

I would view the bench as a sign from her that she is there supporting you x

Watty1

I like that @Bargainhunter30.  Thank you.

Outside is now looking so much better, the money spent was worth it.  ~The rest is probably going to be down to hard work on my part over the next few months but just seeing everything trimmed back and the first of the snowdrops coming up so worth it.

Gardener has suggested a nursery or two to pop to for some plants for an area that he has cleared. That with his design concept should make the front of the house look less derelict and more cared about.

The place really needs a new front door as the wooden one is badly cracked and warped but given the year plans  might just see if painting it elevates the look sufficiently in the short term.

There is a broken bench out there that is slowly falling apart.  It was a really cheap find years ago and I think might have had its day but over the summer I will see what can be done about it.    I think a good quality one would "go missing" but I've put a search on Marketplace for a cheap metal one which I can respray a really vivid purple to go with the planting and then this one can be recycled elsewhere when repaired.  I sometimes sit outside the front since moving back even thought it is really a driveway on a road just because it gets the morning sun early and I can say hello to dog walkers and it feels less lonely some days.  

There might be a lot to do but the sun is out. Everything feels better when the sun is out.

daisy_1571

Purple metal one would look very pleasing.   I bet there's a way to bolt it down to slabs to make it less likely to go walkabout.   We had a morning bench at one of our houses.  Very pleasant place to sit in the early sunshine 

Dxx

Slinky

The area outside your window you said looked a bit bare, could you get some pansies to add a bit of colour? They were £3.50 a tray in B&M for example when I walked past today.

KajiKita

My mum was worried about a chair disappearing from her back garden. We added a motorbike chain through the hoop of a metal stake driven 2 feet into the ground. The seat is still there and my mum is delighted 😊

KK

Watty1

ohh pansies now there is an idea.  They will fill the space beautifully until the plants fill out a bit.  Nice idea, thank you.

Lovely morning in village. Two vegan cook books borrowed from the library, they don't look anywhere near as good as last weeks charity shop one but it supports the library.   £2.50 spent in charity shop on a brown cape with faux fur trim. If it washes will it will be a nice warm extra layer that feels quite glam so that is now in the machine, £4.50 spent in church on coffee and cake with girlfriends and two buttered cheese scones to take away for mid morning with the VNM tomorrow and A LOT of Paracetamol purchased in the pharmacy as the pharmacist allows me to buy 96 for Most Handsome and allowed girlfriends to buy similar. There was a lot of laughter especially when a random stranger came in and agreed to do the same so now we have enough for the week with no fretting. I know I can buy cheaper but this way I easily have enough for the week with no stress.  

Now to spend an afternoon with the horses and financial review for January.

KajiKita

The idea of a Paracetamol Party in The Pharmacists sounds like an 80’s pop song! 😂
How is Most Handsome now? Getting more comfortable?

KK