Pretty as a Picture 05/06

a forest of aquilegia

Complementary Views

Complementary meaning 'completing a set/making up a whole' really expresses the way the Handyman and I use and work in the garden.

We are very occasionally seen working together, sometimes seen working side by side and most often found to be working on different projects in different spaces around our plot.  This works well for us and we come together for conversation, advice, comment, tea, coffee, sandwiches.

All of this was pulled into focus for me last weekend when we had some gloriously sunny and very warm weather, in the high 20s.  The Handyman spent most of his time out in the open cutting the grass on the grand lawn, netting the fruit cage (another post on this later) and generally topping up his vitamin D levels.  When time came for a little respite he could be found here...

steamer chair in full sun

with views of the sunny borders...

the grand lawn

sunny borders

I, on the other hand, spent most of my hours weeding in the woodland borders, creating hanging baskets in the shade and watering and feeding the mobile garden at the back of the house.  When my coffee time arrived I spent it here...

comfy rocker in the shade

and my views looked like this...

woodland border

mobile garden

These thoughts make me realise that a garden is many things to many people and where time and space permit it's good to be able to accommodate as many of these different aspects as possible.  For shade lovers like me there are hostas, ferns, bluebells, aquilegia, acers...the list goes on.  And for sunworshippers, like the Handyman: poppies, roses, peonies, pelargoniums etc, etc.

So, complemetary views indeed!

Stop for a Moment

Stopping is something I seldom do in the garden at this time of year, there is so much to be getting on with as the garden bursts into growth.  Yesterday, however, after a strenuous bit of re-edging, weeding and planting I sat on the steps of the woodland borders with a glass of fruit juice and cast my eye across the scene.

Sitting at this level with the borders rising gently above me gave quite a different view of the planting; I'm not sure my photographs do it justice.  Usually I'm walking up the steps and looking down on the plants, so to sit and look through them was unusual and interesting.

As I sat and perused the flowers another job became apparent...time to thin out the aquilegia. These have been a real self-seeding success story and now I'll have plenty to share with friends when they have finished flowering this year.