Raindrops on Chaste trees

In the name of Allah the most gracious the most merciful. 

   

29 April 2015.

Raindrops on chaste trees and whiskers on Wolfie, whistling kettle tells me I must make tea, boxes with iris corms tied up with string. These are a few of my favourite things. Hey, waxing lyrical this morning.  Alhamdulilah, my son's operation was successful plates and screws and all and he is hungry, that says it all.

Early this morning was just so beautiful, light drizzles of rain, welcome chill in the air, frogs croaking in the garden. So I donned my gumboots and the cats and I were out. I survey the garden for interesting shots and the hues of autumn reds and copper attract me.









I run around the house remembering dishcloths on the line but they are already soaked. So I stand and peruse the fruit trees that have almost doubled in size. They stand forlorn and half naked with leaves turning brown and shedding but already new buds have developed for spring.



I am so upbeat because Abubakr and I have worked burning the midnight oil, fine tuning our online platforms and cropping pictures of each and every student to include with their membership invitations, they can change it later. Besides I don’t know hey, its April already and I am still a bit dof around the names of 65 students. Thank goodness for the camera. Ja, I take pics of their groups and factions so I know who is who (sheepishly).

Today is perfect to work in the garden, the soil is moist so no watering Shukran Allah. I have left seeding a bit late, preoccupied with a number of things besides lots of tasks that keep me indoors and glued to the monitor. I peep into the box of iris and ranuculus corms that I placed in sawdust and they are already sprouting. They are ready to be planted in the ground. Thinks they will find a good home in the Peace garden.

I rummage through the seeds I collected in the summer and look at my list. I have turnip and spinach seedlings to plant into beds. The garlic I planted late into pots can be transplanted. Alas the broad beans perished. But on the upside I have the following seeds that I will plant in trays or in situ today still, well maybe: Beetroot; Cabbage; Celery; Lettuce; Peas; Radish; Red and green Swiss chard.

I look forward to our workshop in the early afternoon when we’ll discuss what organic gardening is about and what it is not; natural methods of controlling pests and diseases; collecting clean seed; seeing the garden as an entire ecosystem (plants and animals that share the same resources and rely on each other); encouraging our best friends, the insects; collection points for recycling and water management. And by Friday we can have a planting bonanza – the compost has settled and half of the beds can be filled with new plants and seedlings.

Garden tools are so expensive but I managed to find a wheel barrow with hard wheel; a steel rake (secondhand for R70) ; garden gloves and a good spade and fork as well as a packet of bone meal from our small garden budget. The pink wheelbarrow still serves us well but is starting to tear.

Last week gourmet gardeners came to work with tackies but I am sure they learnt that lesson well and will get some gumboots. I might just reward them with a picnic when they’re done and who knows maybe we can learn to do a gumboot dance.

Students in gum boots with thick winter socks
Spading and planting and running amok
Cool autumn weather that makes my heart sing
These are a few of my favourite things.

 

When the dog bites, when the bee stings
When I'm feeling sad
I simply remember my favourite things
And then I don't feel so bad.

Plant food and do a gumboot dance to keep warm.

Have a wonderful day!

Yasmine