I’ve waded in gorgeous rusty leaves and trotted my way through banks of rainfall. The trusty scarf has made an appearance on more than one occasion as well, as have the fingerless mittens. It is now officially Autumn – I would say the Fall but that sounds a wee bit too Biblical and Apocalyptic for my liking. We are now approaching The Fall – no thank you.
Whereas normal people take to their armchairs, snuggle in for the winter by the fireside with a good book, and wait out the warmer days of spring, those of us with green fingers don the wellies and carry on with the To Do list. I once read that the gardener’s year ends on December 31st and starts again on January 1st, and that’s about right. There is always something to do in the garden.
It’s a bit of a flurry of activity here, mind you, as we’re putting on a Christmas Fair in December at the Green Centre to raise some cash and promote the gardening workshops. The lawn needs sorting out, we have tons of rubble and crap to take to the tip, and I have green manure to plant, digging, and tidy and build things in the shed. It never ends – in a good way, of course.
This week, I’ve made a start on the lawn. Like most British gardens, low brick walls and paths border ours, and the grass has seen better days. We have quite a few weeds in there as well. There’s no need to do any mowing until after the last frost in spring, so I can crack on with maintenance and tidying everything up. Armed with a half moon edger, I’ve been cutting a row half a brick in width and taking up that grass along the wall and then filling it in with bark mulch.
The Great British Lawn - untidy and full of weeds.
Half-moon Edger to the rescue! Tarantaraaaa!
Neatened edge awaiting bark chips - job well done, time for a cuppa.
This stops mower breakage, ensures a tidy edge and the bark helps the soil. I have to confess that I’m partially in love with the half moon edger – next to the cultivator, it’s the greatest garden tool ever invented and makes me feel utterly capable and a bit of a hero. I’ve more or less identified the bastard weeds that love our lawn so much and all of this fits in nicely with my college course – practical experience!
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