Larkspurs in the vegie patch. They attract bees, and look beautiful, but some had to go as they were falling on my new tomato bushes. They are wonderful inside now.
Yesterday was hot and extremely windy; not ideal or idyllic conditions for gardening, but the work had to be done. Donning a long-sleeved work shirt, my sturdy boots, a head scarf - my sun hat would have blown off - and plenty of sunblock, I set to.
The green waste bins are now over-stuffed; I need dad to come and take some of it away. I have the beginning of a callus on the inside of my right thumb, from using my secateurs so much. I got scratches, dust in my eys, and very sweaty.
I got tired, satisfied by the progress and sense of order restored, but also upset and frustrated by the savage effects of the past few days' extraordinarily high temperatures and unrelenting northerly winds. By the savoy cabbages, which were once so promising but failed - of six in the ground, only one (sort of) came to any good. Gardening is life and death, joy and disappointment.
And then, amidst the dry soil and weeds and dying seed heads and dessicated pea bushes and insect-ravaged cabbages, were moments of beauty and possibility. Which is why we keep gardening.
Scarlet runner beans snaking up the nearby hollyhocks for support - I love the curly tendril going forth!
Good things happen in the garden don't they? I love the flowers and vegetables tangled up together :)
ReplyDeletethose brave tendrils heading off into the vast unknown - it was such a pretty sight! strangely, they have since come back and continued wrapping up the original hollyhock.
ReplyDeleteYou right beautifully about gardening. It's clear you're very passionate about it. Glad to hear you're getting some warmth your way too, even if it's not welcome. It's supposed to be 39 here tomorrow. Good thing I'm in the office so have the AC to look forward to. Soon, I'll be on the 'farm' fulltime and will be expected to garden on hot days too. Eek! The larkspurs look gorgeous. xx
ReplyDeleteah, we're back to 15 degrees and possible snow on the mountain - that's tassie for you! i think if it was hot all day every day, we'd get used to it (summer was like that where i grew up in NSW), but it's the "sundresses one day, overcoats the next" nature of hobart that is so crazy.
Deletein real life the larkspurs are much more purply in colour - they are a wonderfully old-fashioned flower. and they self-seed like crazy, so another plus.
Absolutely beautiful. I don't have flowers in my veggie patch, but i'm certainly going to make room. Your scarlet runner beans are outstanding. Thanks for sharing your lovely photographs.
ReplyDeletehello, and thank you so much!
Deleteit's lovely AND practical to have flowers in a vegie garden. the hollyhocks are certainly multi-tasking: pretty to look at, bringing the bumblebees, and acting as bean stakes!
What a beautiful colour, I'd like some of these in my garden. It might get me out there a bit more often to weed!
ReplyDeletehello! go for it - it certainly is incentive to get out there. plus, if caterpillars are eating your new kale seedlings (as i discovered this morning), at least there's a flash of beauty to cheer you up :-)
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