Snake In The Garden

July 5 –6 : Saturday and Sunday proved to be typical “summer” days, but without any heat – just a noticeable degree of gentle warmth around midday. It proved to be excellent weather for tidying work in the garden, and we took advantage by one more working through the maze of overgrown shrub branches and matted underground root-masses and the remnants of spent tubers and stumps of yesteryear. It is quite clear that the beds have seen very little maintenance over the past decade or two.

(Above): An aerial view of the northern part of the gardens, with “The Snake” (outlined in yellow). This is where some clean-up work was started previously. The area labelled “1” which is directly in front of the lounge and conservatory is being re-worked, adding a firm edge and splitting the bed into two (as indicated in red). The area to the north, labelled “2” will be done later.

Here are a few photos of the work in progress:

(Above): The bottom part of Snake “1” starts taking shape, with a bit of a curved edging, rather than the straight undefined and overgrown boundaries, which were difficult to maintain and mow with any success.

(Above): The clearing of the top portion of area “1” has been completed, in readiness for the proposed hard edge. Theoretically, mowing will become a lot easier and give a neater appearance. Time will tell.

(Above): While digging and sifting and carting away the roots and weeds, we were constantly being supervised by Jacko, on hind legs, peering over the nearby fence from Goat-Hill.

(Above): Looking southwards at the newly-created walk-through between the two sections of area “1”

(Above): On Sunday, the new hard edge of the second part of area “1” starts taking shape as well.

(Above): Towards the end of Sunday, the second part of area “1” nears completion and its time for a general tidy-up. Doggy footprints all over the newly-raked soil indicates that the dog inspectors have done their walk-about to sniff every upturned grain of sand!

In the words of statesman Cecil John Rhodes (and probably many others), “So much to do, so little time…” I am philosophical about such things – There is no rush, really. It is good to be able to spend leisure time like this with family in the pleasant natural surroundings of Chartwell, and to be able to take a warm shower after viewing the success of the handiwork… I am not anything near a gardener as yet, but perhaps, over time, my fingers may become a bit greener…

Bit of a Crap Gardener, too

Last week I discovered that my plumbing abilities are rather below par, and that my classification as plumber is a bit on the crap side. Now, I’ve accumulated yet another “crap” qualification, without even having to try – Crap Gardener.

My favourite tree is currently the Walnut. Because I like walnuts. And there is such a tree in the Secret Garden copse. It has produced a nice little crop this season – just ask His Royal Fatness the nocturnal possum, who helps himself to a nutty meal every evening, up to 40% of our yield, it would appear. He helps himself to supper and a midnight snack every night and, in the process, drops some nuts to the floor for us mere mortals. This is in fat a favour to us, when it comes to the high-up fruit which we cannot reach in any case. What bothers me tremendously is how he manages to open the nuts to eat the flesh, given the fact that the possum has a relatively weak jaw.

(Above) An example of a walnut bitten open and devoured by His Royal Fatness. I tried the same trick with my teeth and almost had to make an appointment with the dentist!

Now for the Crap Gardener graduation ceremony. Whilst walking back from Goat Hill, I noticed a green/black golfball-sized sphere lying under a tree near the northern snake garden.

Hello. Hello. What is this, I asked myself.

Quite obviously either Bennie or Sophie had picked up a walnut at our gathering field and had inadvertently then dropped it here.

Bad dog.

As I picked up the fruit,… Wait a mo… Another walnut… And another!

I glanced up at the branches above my head. Gulp!

Unquestionably, the spheres hanging from the branches were, in fact, more walnuts. We actually have two walnut trees, and its taken me three and a half months to figure this out!

I admit that I cannot  claim to be much of a recogniser-of-trees, I’m afraid…