My bulbs haven’t arrived yet. That’s okay, they were only expected to be ready for initial processing by mid-August. I’m actually a bit nervous about them coming because I haven’t been able to do any of the garden prep work that is utterly necessary before the bulbs are planted. You see, the Scottish flying beasts have hatched and have been out in full force over the last month.
Yes, midge season was upon us.
The morning walks haven’t been pleasurable. I have to wear clothing that will cover every inch of my body, along with a netted drawstring bag over my head and neck. Yes folks, that is the midge defense in this super technological and scientific era – a mesh bag with an elasticated drawstring. They sell them just like that, in a tiny pouch the size of your palm. We may be in an advanced era but it is a real shame that the solution is this basic and uncomfortable. I have to wear a cap underneath so the mesh bag doesn’t irritate my skin, flap into my eyes, blur my eyesight or trap my breath close to me. The safari hats from a half century ago are actually a better answer, but of course we have rejected that. In a similar vein, I have seen that hexagonal eye glasses are back in fashion now – I used to have a pair when I was a teenager, a few decades ago. Ripped up jeans are also back in style after a hiatus of a couple of decades. So, given that things are coming back, why-oh-why do I still have no option but to wrangle a homemade solution to putting a midge bag over my head? Ugh.
Since the flying carnivores have been out in full force, it should be obvious that we haven’t (wheel) barrowed any more soil into our raised beds. Everything in the garden has just been left haphazardly for a good few weeks now. I’ve been watering, and the lawn is being mowed, but that’s about it. I have been taking pictures though!
Oh! The Hubs has been religiously cutting down one of my flower patches, and my red hot poker plant. I only found that out last week. He thought that everything in that particular patch was unwanted and needed to be trimmed down. That just goes to show how well I’ve been stretching myself over a rather large front garden. If I had more free time I would do better! I absolutely know that since I balanced everything better during lockdown last year. So, I’ve been thinking about the problem and I’ve come up with a plan!
First off, I need to get another soaker hose for that area next year. As for other tools, I’ve just got an edger tool (I’d just been using a spade before) that will make it easier to demark the bed from the lawn. I’ll have to use it when the weather breaks and the breeze picks up a bit (midge defense!), so that I can start reviving that bed. Also, since it’s been a relatively dry late summer period (usually by now we have had gales and heavy showers) I will sow some calendula, cornflower and nigella seeds (maybe some poppies as well) directly into these garden beds, for them to have a head start on next year’s season.
We also need to take the plunge and buy a trailer for the quad bike. There’s no way we can barrow all the earth uphill to the raised bed locations. There’s just too little free time for us. Besides, I’ve informed the hubs of 3 projects involving big stones and boulders that I would like to do around the house before the end of autumn, so ahem…. trailer needed.
But, here are some summer pics from the garden!
Midges sound horrible. I had to look those things up and, though I am envious of your gorgeous flowers (which we can’t even attempt, because of our ravenous, plentiful deer), I would not trade our pesky deer for midges. Stay strong, friend!
I often question the wisdom of moving to midge territory. I absolutely do not understand the reason for the existence of those beasts. Absolute bane of my existence in high summer. And you know what? There seems to be no solution to them, midge spray doesn’t work that well. Hiding indoors it is – I’ve become an expert! 🙂