I ignored the alarm and turned over, but my mippies had other plans! They were playing catch and chase and all sort of games tempting me to join! I caught and cuddled mippies until I was ready to get up and make my coffee.
Mippies were very happy to be outside with me! Ziva and Janey went for a long stroll way out of my sight, as usual, Mewthos followed a while later. I got busy by cleaning the pavement - the area just around my flat, where I've set up my table and chairs. I cleared, then cleaned then swept and finally pulled out the weeds. It's looking much nicer now, like someone actually lives there.
At one point I thought I heard a cat crying in distress - Ziva and Janey were with me, but Mewthos wasn't! I went off in search ... only to watch him stroll from quite a different direction! Phew! That boy worries me, he has already got hurt in ways you'd think can't happen to a cat.
It's starting to get too hot to work outside, but I really would like to make some more progress today ...
I've started emptying pots. First, I put all the Nasturtiums into the hanging pot, the one the birds picked clean in PE. I've put some newspaper as a flat to keep the soil inside, at least for now. My landlady mentioned that she only knew Nasturtiums as plants for hanging pots, she had never seen them in the ground - that's what gave me the idea. Let's see how they'll cope.
Next, I emptied the round pots by planting the geraniums along my path. They should survive in this ground, especially as they're also getting compost. Then I took all my Dianthums out of the bed along the path and put them back into pots, the round pretty ones, rather than the plain black ones. I've trimmed them again, there's still life in them, so I'm hoping they'll recover and start blooming again!
I took that whole pot with the one Vieruurtjie plant and just put the contents in the far corner, where I had first tried to plant Nasturtiums - which didn't survive. That corner gets sun almost the entire day, I can only hope that isn't too much for them. But on the positive side, there's a sprinkler there, so whenever my landlord sprinkles, they'll get plenty of water. A Cosmos managed to grow there from seed, that's still looking good, so I have hopes for the Vieruurtjie. I'm also emptying all the soil from the pots in that corner, not mixing it with the native soil because I didn't water there yesterday, so the ground is hard, almost rock hard. I'm just heaping it around the Cosmos and now the Vieruurtjie.
I'm starting all my pots with fresh potting soil, which I got on Tuesday. I've already used up half a bag, and all I've done is fill little round pots. Fortunately I bought three bags, so I still have two and a half to use. I want to use the long pots for vegetables and I've decided to fill that white round one, where I had collected all the succulents from Rose, with herbs. I think that will work very well. And I'll keep that under the kitchen window.
I haven't decided where I'll place all the pots, yet. I was thinking of putting some onto the steel table, around the corner, but the problem there is, that it will get rained on and it's already rusted from the rain. I considered giving it a clear plastic table cloth - but I would have to cover it top to bottom, or the legs will rust. Well, rust even more. Sigh. And that corner gets the full blast of the morning and noon sun - you can't even touch the table top! I had put it up today, that's how I know.
I'm trying to stay out of the sun as much as possible, especially from noon till sunset. I don't want to get heat stroke again, not even a mild one! I'm mostly just sitting at my table outside thinking ... where should I put ... what should I do next ... what can I put there ... and I haven't a clue, yet, where I should put the bird cage!
Mewthos just came back from wherever he's been and he's brown! His cheeks, his chin, his paws, even his head! He's been rolling and rubbing himself in the ground somewhere so much, that the only places left white are bits around his nose and mouth! Not much, though!
He went and flopped down on the white tiles in the lounge ... and when he got up, he left a brown outline!
I've emptied some more pots, I'm plonking succulents in every gap along the path. But it's so hot - I'm staying out of the sun as much as possible, and working in the shade, but even that short trip through some sun rays to discard weeds feels like it's too much ... I've been drinking liquids all day long, but I haven't needed to go to the toilet, and if you know me, you know how unusual THAT is!
I continued to plop succulents into every hole and gap I could find, I even had to take one from Rose's little pot, because they are growing so big, they've started crowding each other! I've left all the spekboom and the tall succulents because I don't want those too near the path. I had enough of a struggle trying to juggle shopping bags past the Cosmos, Nasturtiums and Carnations in PE, I don't want that again.
I've been thinking that, if I can get more of that bed along the path cleared tomorrow, I could plant some of the tall ones at the back. That's far enough away from the path. I haven't quite decided where I should plant the spekboom, though. I considered planting them along the fence away from the house, but there's already a line of tall spekboom a few meters farther along. And when I say tall, I mean they are taller than me! I took some photos ... I think it would be a good idea to devote some time this long weekend to uploading some.
Maybe I should plant them along the fence from the car port to the far side? I've placed one Vieruurtjie next to the car port, the spekboom could continue along from that to the other Vieruurtjie? I also considered planting them along the fence separating my garden from my landlords - not that I need separation - but they've already planted two trees on their side, and it won't really give any shade, except in the very late afternoon.
I think I'll go with the connecting line between the two Vieruurtjies. After all, I can always re-plant them, once I've cleared the rest of the garden and actually know what I've got to work with!
Actually, I can leave the spekboom for now. All I really need is the round dish for my herbs. Well, I did want to use one of the tall pots for carrots, but I can wait before sowing those - after all, I've got enough to get started! I have quite a lot of long pots and I can start sowing various vegetables into those. I don't yet know where I'll put those pots when I'm done, but one advantage of having them in pots is, that I can move them around to see where they'll do best.
My landlord had his worker weed the bed along the fence, just outside my lawn today. The bed isn't very wide, but he really pulled only the weeds that were undeniably among the Agapanthus planted there - he left everything which is technically beyond the fence and part of my lawn. And which can't be cut with the lawnmower either. So, when he was finished, from my side it looked as if nothing had been done. As soon as that area was in the shade, I went and pulled out all the weeds and the grass, which had grown quite tall. I thought about our gardener, in PE - HE would have been ashamed to leave it looking like that! He would either have reached through (which is quite easy, since - like I said - the bed isn't wide) or asked to come into my garden to work there. But it would never even have crossed his mind to leave those tall weeds behind! Good workers are very hard to find - I was very lucky to have him helping me with my garden in PE!
This one is still new, too! I gather they've had to let the two workers they had in January go and got this one ... they are still looking for a second worker, since the property is really very big, too big for one worker. He's offered a job to someone who claimed he wanted work ... that's the one who painted my gate ... he also didn't really seem to want to WORK, he just wanted to get paid. Actually, it was their cleaner's husband and it was her who said her husband wanted work; but I got the feeling he is quite happy to let his wife work and make do with less. Out here, one also has to be quite careful who you allow on your property - it's not quite farmland, but very, very close.
Well, I still have one Dianthum left in the garden - I've run out of pots! I think I'll plant that one into the pot with the Strelizia which is still doing okay, but not taking up too much space, yet.
Last, I watered. And watered. And watered. Ha ha! Since I hadn't quite made up my mind, yet, where I should put the spekboom, I watered along the fence of both options. I also sprayed the carport, trying to get most of the dirt off - now the only dirt left is under the car. Maybe tomorrow I'll move it, so I can clean the rest. The worst thing about watering is, that all the insects disturbed by the water come and bite me on the ankles before they buzz off in disgust! My feet are always horribly itchy after watering!
I also disturbed some frogs today. One or two had taken up residence outside my kitchen, between the pots under the downspout, where it's usually moist. One of them stowed away in a flower pot until I upended it at the far side of the garden - I'm afraid that one hopped into the sun, since there was no cover he could reach ... another took a ride back in the pot and I only saw it when I was spraying the pot to clean the last soil out of it. I stopped and carried the pot back to the downspout and left it there until the frog was gone. There is also a quite large frog living among those succulents in the bed along the path, the part I haven't weeded yet. It hopped out when I started watering - and Mewthos came, quite excitedly, to try and catch it! I kept directing the spray so that Mewthos couldn't reach the frog! He was not pleased with me!
Afterwards, I took my itchy feet into the shower. It was already dusk and Mewthos tried his luck for a munchie, but I resolutely stepped into the shower. Feeling much better, I went outside to watch my mippies ... who, in turn, watched me ... clearly waiting for the call to the food bowl! Ha Ha Ha! I obliged, of course!
With all the gardening today, I've neglected the litter boxes! Oh, I scooped them this morning ... with Lady Jane sitting beside, waiting for me to finish so she could step in and use it ... with me standing beside, waiting for her to finish, so I could scoop it again. It's a game we play almost every day! But tomorrow, I really must clean the pee-box and fill it with the crystals I got.
It's been a long day, it's nearly nine now, so I had better get to bed and hopefully sleep soon!
I've been thinking that, if I can get more of that bed along the path cleared tomorrow, I could plant some of the tall ones at the back. That's far enough away from the path. I haven't quite decided where I should plant the spekboom, though. I considered planting them along the fence away from the house, but there's already a line of tall spekboom a few meters farther along. And when I say tall, I mean they are taller than me! I took some photos ... I think it would be a good idea to devote some time this long weekend to uploading some.
Maybe I should plant them along the fence from the car port to the far side? I've placed one Vieruurtjie next to the car port, the spekboom could continue along from that to the other Vieruurtjie? I also considered planting them along the fence separating my garden from my landlords - not that I need separation - but they've already planted two trees on their side, and it won't really give any shade, except in the very late afternoon.
I think I'll go with the connecting line between the two Vieruurtjies. After all, I can always re-plant them, once I've cleared the rest of the garden and actually know what I've got to work with!
Actually, I can leave the spekboom for now. All I really need is the round dish for my herbs. Well, I did want to use one of the tall pots for carrots, but I can wait before sowing those - after all, I've got enough to get started! I have quite a lot of long pots and I can start sowing various vegetables into those. I don't yet know where I'll put those pots when I'm done, but one advantage of having them in pots is, that I can move them around to see where they'll do best.
My landlord had his worker weed the bed along the fence, just outside my lawn today. The bed isn't very wide, but he really pulled only the weeds that were undeniably among the Agapanthus planted there - he left everything which is technically beyond the fence and part of my lawn. And which can't be cut with the lawnmower either. So, when he was finished, from my side it looked as if nothing had been done. As soon as that area was in the shade, I went and pulled out all the weeds and the grass, which had grown quite tall. I thought about our gardener, in PE - HE would have been ashamed to leave it looking like that! He would either have reached through (which is quite easy, since - like I said - the bed isn't wide) or asked to come into my garden to work there. But it would never even have crossed his mind to leave those tall weeds behind! Good workers are very hard to find - I was very lucky to have him helping me with my garden in PE!
This one is still new, too! I gather they've had to let the two workers they had in January go and got this one ... they are still looking for a second worker, since the property is really very big, too big for one worker. He's offered a job to someone who claimed he wanted work ... that's the one who painted my gate ... he also didn't really seem to want to WORK, he just wanted to get paid. Actually, it was their cleaner's husband and it was her who said her husband wanted work; but I got the feeling he is quite happy to let his wife work and make do with less. Out here, one also has to be quite careful who you allow on your property - it's not quite farmland, but very, very close.
Well, I still have one Dianthum left in the garden - I've run out of pots! I think I'll plant that one into the pot with the Strelizia which is still doing okay, but not taking up too much space, yet.
Last, I watered. And watered. And watered. Ha ha! Since I hadn't quite made up my mind, yet, where I should put the spekboom, I watered along the fence of both options. I also sprayed the carport, trying to get most of the dirt off - now the only dirt left is under the car. Maybe tomorrow I'll move it, so I can clean the rest. The worst thing about watering is, that all the insects disturbed by the water come and bite me on the ankles before they buzz off in disgust! My feet are always horribly itchy after watering!
I also disturbed some frogs today. One or two had taken up residence outside my kitchen, between the pots under the downspout, where it's usually moist. One of them stowed away in a flower pot until I upended it at the far side of the garden - I'm afraid that one hopped into the sun, since there was no cover he could reach ... another took a ride back in the pot and I only saw it when I was spraying the pot to clean the last soil out of it. I stopped and carried the pot back to the downspout and left it there until the frog was gone. There is also a quite large frog living among those succulents in the bed along the path, the part I haven't weeded yet. It hopped out when I started watering - and Mewthos came, quite excitedly, to try and catch it! I kept directing the spray so that Mewthos couldn't reach the frog! He was not pleased with me!
Afterwards, I took my itchy feet into the shower. It was already dusk and Mewthos tried his luck for a munchie, but I resolutely stepped into the shower. Feeling much better, I went outside to watch my mippies ... who, in turn, watched me ... clearly waiting for the call to the food bowl! Ha Ha Ha! I obliged, of course!
With all the gardening today, I've neglected the litter boxes! Oh, I scooped them this morning ... with Lady Jane sitting beside, waiting for me to finish so she could step in and use it ... with me standing beside, waiting for her to finish, so I could scoop it again. It's a game we play almost every day! But tomorrow, I really must clean the pee-box and fill it with the crystals I got.
It's been a long day, it's nearly nine now, so I had better get to bed and hopefully sleep soon!
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