Eye Opener for Gruesome Gardening

Gardening tip of the day...............When weeding around a Yucca gloriosa...........don't!

Pesky blighters with hard pointy ends, and always get you by surprise! Lovely flowers though.
Also, if in need of money and looking for 'that' convenient ATM, then avoid Brockenhurst village in the New Forest.

Animal laws regarding this forest are ancient, and as a result horses, cattle.....and donkeys are allowed to roam freely. I have absolutely no problem with this, and do indeed find it quirky at times, but always a blessing in the way that animals here are given such space. But try to move a donkey from an ATM when he is taking the early morning sun, now there is a task! This fellow had practically fallen asleep whilst leaning against the warm red brickwork surrounding my chosen ATM, and after gentle persuasion (not wanting to get my head kicked in....at least not first thing in the morning), pushing, talking to, petting etc, I managed to move him about three feet to this houses gate next door. Can you believe that the ATM was out of use??

As the weather has been warming up, the plant world has been moving a little. Grass is growing a little, and as such, some places are having a very high cut just to tidy them up. Above can be seen Mrs.Sanderson, a resident at this property who likes to keep her small bed of roses looked after. So many old people that I meet seem to have just switched off to anything but a sort of existence, and it's good to see those that try to remain active and interested in life. This lady has had both her hips replaced late last year, and like the rest is always a joy to talk to. This is also the property where the massive rocks are to be delivered next week....getting the back ready for that little beauty of a job!

I hadn't been to this garden for several weeks, and  found it covered in leaves. The blower soon tidied up, but as a result of the prolonged coverage, the grass has taken a beating. By the end of March, this will have been scarified, fed and weed treated and so I hope to have a picture for you where it looks a little healthier. I must admit to being tempted not to show this one because of the state of it, but what the heck, one has to take the rough with the smooth....as my grandma always used to say!

My working week is Tuesday to Saturday. Sunday and Monday are the official days off, and this last Monday had me taking Amanda to lunch at our favourite tapas restaurant in Bournemouth.

Tapas Plus is simply THE best place to eat. Run by a spanish family since as long as I can remember, the food is always excellent, authentic, tasty, and now that I am vegetarian, still available.....Yay!!

Being spanish there is always the occasional football match screened here, whereupon the place fills, San Miguel flows, and cheers or moans can be heard throughout the town. According to Amanda and the two daughters the waiters are very dishy as well. If any of you are in town please try it....the restaurant that is, not the waiters!

And so it's now 8.30am, Saturday, VERY grey and windy outside, and I must alas go and do some work. The quote and plan for the shrub border mentioned previously is ready for handing over this morning, and whilst at this horrendously large garden I will probably get all of the grass edges tidied and blow away any debris dropped during last nights storm. Then it's over the road to start pruning the apple trees at another place. A cup of tea first though I think!