In my Element

Being in nature. I just absolutely love it. The peace and quiet when I am on my own, just being in the moment and enjoying being outside. Getting my hands into the dark black soil, breaking a few nails in the process and getting muck down my nails.  What a beautiful way to ground myself now it is Spring.  I have been out there for the whole afternoon.  I think Himself was out for a couple of hours. 

Himself tackled the rest of the Bay tree today. He had to break off because the Sunlight was in his eyes and he could not see what he was doing.  Not the done thing when wielding a pair of Loppers!  Yes we have had Sun most of the day and it has been the mildest of days, but there has still been that chill in the air.  He came back when the Sun was at a different angle and he could see what he was doing.  The Bay tree has had quite a severe hair cut and I have about 8 bags of leaves and branches cut down into smaller pieces.  As I have said he did the tree and the rest of the stuff I have done myself. I am not showing the before photos but I will post up photos of the Herb Garden once it is all sorted and the Bay tree.  I have chopped up all the removed branches, and then re-potted my conical hangers with some Ivy roots (one of my things on the To do List)!  They are hung up under the Bay tree at the moment as it does offer some shelter. One of them is larger than the other as the smaller of the two is the one I planted up today. I just tidied the other one and put a couple of extra roots in.  Fingers crossed that they take.

I have also cleared the bottom border which had a heavy layer of Bay leaves on it all dried and wrinkled.  Only part of the border has been done, it should just need a bit of a dig over to break up the soil which has become somewhat compacted. I have found mint sprouting. Which is wedged between the fence and in an area which has yet to be sorted.

Also Sweet Woodruff has sprouted.  Both plants from years gone by.  It flowers with lots of white delicate blossoms once it has settled itself.

Sweet Woodruff is used in Germany for flavouring syrups and wines.  It was also used in strewing herbs in households for making the house smell sweeter and in Pot-Pourri. At one point the plant died out in the border but I think I must have disturbed an old root and it has come again in a couple of places.  At one point there was quite a big patch of it in the Herb Border but I had not seen it for some time. It is very good for ground cover.  I have also hung this off my dresser to dry it and use in Pot-Pourri for the winter months. I am quite pleased to have this again. Just needs to re-establish itself. The mint is a Black Peppermint by the looks of things.

A little hard work never hurt anyone, and it has been a lot of work with not very much to show for it.  However it is a start and I have enjoyed the peace and quiet the stillness and the warmth of the Sun.  

I have even managed to get my boiled tea towels out on the line (well some of them there is another batch to go out tomorrow weather permitting) which is the first time have managed to get washing out in the fresh air this year.  I just love the smell of fresh linen after it has been hung out to dry.  Something fresh and comforting about it.  Hopefully will be able to get some other larger items washed and dried and on the line in the next few days or so.

Needless to say I have quite a few bin liners full of green waste to go to the tip. Which will be a project in itself and I have some more branches from another cull to take down to the tip as well. I have other projects for Himself to tackle which I just cannot do (I am not sure whether he can either) but he is better equipped to deal with them than I am.  I don't mind all the gardening and the Donkey work to get everything sorted which I normally do in any event.  However, there is a Holly tree in the front garden that needs a couple of branches taking out of the middle to lower it in height and make it more manageable.  I am not sure how he is going to react to that!  Probably pretend not to hear me.  His hearing is slightly dodgy in any event.

We have had a fry up for tea tonight.  I am late in preparing it, but had to sit and have a cup of tea before setting too after all the bending.

Therefore a busy day all in all.  I am going to start sorting out some of the Bay leaves for drying now.  No peace for the wicked!

Ooh and I found a stash of preserving jars too that I had forgotten about.  I will soon be able to put them into use!

Have a lovely evening.

Catch you soon.

Pattypan

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