It seems to have become customary for me to start every episode of the photo diary with an apology for taking so long to get around to it and as tempting as it is to do so once again I shall this time refrain. Ok so it was 4 months since the last 'monthly' update but who's counting and who cares? Stop waffling Longley and get on with it!
So, the last 4 months have been spent almost exclusively landscaping the new garden. Fern-wise, very little has happened. I managed to save the entire spore growing effort from disaster due to the imperfect conditions I moved them into and since then I have basically let them tick over and do their thing virtually unattended. Is it fair to say that ferns have taken a back seat of late? No notall, but maybe not the front seat that they once occupied when my life consisted of little else!
Remember that Dasylirion I planted out front in the last diary? Well it was soon accompanied by a selection of strategically placed rocks of which I managed to procure a trailer-full. Throw in a few Hebes and some grasses and all that's required is a mulch to finish the first border!
If only all borders were that easy. A quick glimpse of the Southern Alps on a frosty morning is what's needed for the next effort.
This 34 metre long border took some spade work I can tell you. Most people would have got some machinery in but I can't afford it and also I've cancelled the gym membership so the workout will be good.
Fully planted-up this border is intended to earn its keep as a windbreak and natural boundary. No room for pretties here - this is a working border. Now all I need to do is find a way of stopping the dog walkers from allowing their shit machines to drop their loads on the freshly turned soil. They say dogs are like their owners but I've never seen a dog owner shit in someone's garden! Am I tempting fate here?
