All jobs done

I can look at my back garden and see jobs done.

The lemon tree has had each leaf individually scrubbed with detergent to remove sooty mould.  Once the sun had gone off the tree, I could spray it with organic oil on both sides of each leaf to deter or smother the insects which caused the mould.

I hate to spray, and organic oil seemed a compromise worth making.  It didn’t require the protective clothing I needed to spray the deck for the green organic matter visible when it is wet – or dry, looking at this photo.  Not sure if it was worth the trouble.  Time may tell.

The garden furniture has been washed, left to dry for a day, and re-oiled.

The paving stones are regularly weeded – but the violas are left to do their magic.

Lettuces are coming up.  Sweet peas, in ground prepared with rich home-made compost, are on their way to climbing the bamboo stakes (which were also home-grown but now this invasive variety is banned from the garden).

The daphne was ailing and has been moved in its pot from the front garden, thanks to borrowed muscle power.  Apparently, daphne prefers morning sun and afternoon shade.  I hope to see it perking up again before long.

Other progress is down to work prior to these two weeks of holiday.  Broad beans are growing higher each day as are cauliflowers and kale.  Peas are flowering  – “volunteers” which grew from the pea straw mulch.

The geraniums, which I’ve had for years and years, are doing well in their new hanging baskets.  The raspberry canes and blackcurrants are in leaf, as is the grapevine. The hose is on one of the gooseberry plants and some silver beet plants.  There is also self-sown parsley over there and it is abundant in various other parts of the garden.  The apple tree is in full flower.  The rhubarb plants are as generous as ever.

Blackbirds are nesting in the tree behind the lemon, so they’ve been busy too.

Now, there’s just the grass to mow again – with a family heirloom push-mower, a Masport Meteor.  What a pity it’s raining!