Six-on-Saturday: February 2024 Week 4

Originally posted on TheThreeHairs.com:

I am retired but my weeks are busy. Increasingly during February I’m busy in the garden for short daily bursts. I’m busy too with meetings, book readings and creative opportunities. This week has been exceptionally busy. There were some added chores including car repair, book emails, handwritten letters, and further efforts to reorganise my website in line with my FOUR Key Messages.

Now it’s time to focus on SIX. This week’s offering excites me. I do hope you enjoy it. Ar aghaidh linn… Off we go…

Powerwashed Patio

Changed utterly. A terrible beautiful patio is reborn. The powerwashing is finished. Moving all pots and planters amounted to more lifting than I’ve had in the gym since Christmas and still they lie higgeldy piggeldy waiting for my energy reserves to be replenished. The blue bin and the Budda are not normally side by side and the path to the shed is gridlocked. Next week I’ll show the end result. My plan is for a radical shake up.

Moss

A rolling stone gathers no moss, and inversely the moss on this stone is there for a reason. Nature ingeniously fills the void.

Crabapple

Up close with a decaying Crabapple. There were several flies in and around this but I seem to have scared them off.

Lettuces

My best guess it I’ll be having homegrown lettuce for lunch in about three weeks. In case you’re wondering, I’ve put a few obstacles to deter the curious blackbird. She loves to scatter soil looking for delicious food beneath.

Apple Buds

My intention was to get a decent shot of the emerging apple shoots. I did but both shoots are slightly blurred. So, as a means of turning my disappointment to a positive, I changed focus to the lichen growing on the bough. Delighted with myself!

Technically, the shoots are not blurred, merely the shot. Operator error once more. I’m considering self-flagellation.

Nesting Material

Here lie the mortal remains of last summer’s white Alyssum. Although I’m tempted to tidy it away I’ll leave it for the birds. Nest construction has commenced so I’ll keep a watchful eye for activity. Many of the wild grasses have been trimmed back and the clippings are strewn about in as higgeldy piggeldy a fashion as the pots.

Summary

Páraig