After my success in the front garden yesterday, I moved into the back this morning and had a wee tidy up and mowed my lawn. It's nearly five years now since the move and I still can't believe my good fortune in living here. At my last lovely house there was an extensive garden which I planted and tended for many years. It looked a picture and was certainly a selling point when it was time to move on. People often commented on how much I must enjoy gardening. The reality is that I don't enjoy gardening particularly, but I do enjoy gardens. The reality of owning one is that it requires effort, and my last place involved a lot of effort. Mowing the lawn took an hour and a half, and even then it required a run of fine weather to ensure the clay base under the lawn was not too boggy in order to even attempt the task. Here I can have the whole job completed in ten minutes. Even after a downpour the lawns are never soggy underfoot and even the most tenacious dandelion pulls out with ease.
It's wonderful to have a garden that isn't constantly threatening to overwhelm me if I leave it to its own devices for more than a week or two. This time of year though, in any garden, can still be fraught. If you have committed to being butterfly friendly there are consequent responsibilities. No pesticides or herbicides, flowers for feeding and, if monarchs are your thing, an endless supply of swan plant. It is easy to be complacent in this regard and then be sourcing new swan plants at considerable cost later in the summer. The rewards however are well worth it. I took this photo a week or two ago.
This morning the chrysalis revealed its occupant, emerging and pumping up its wings in a very short time. Other butterflies flittered about the swan plants, too.
My mother cross stitched this for me many years ago, and I have always loved and agreed with its verse.
No less true today than when it was penned in 1858. I'm beginning to think I may indeed love the act of gardening itself here in pleasant Petone.
That statue among the swan plants gave me a fright at first. Simply can not have too many Monarch Butterflies. There are places I'll remember All my life, though some have changed Some forever, not for better Some have gone and some remain All these places have their moments With lovers and friends I still can recall Some are dead and some are living In my life, I've loved them all
But of all these friends and lovers There is no one compares with you And these memories lose their meaning When I think of love as something new Though I know I'll never lose affection For people and things that went before I know I'll often stop and think about them In my life, I love you more
Though I know I'll never lose affection For people and things that went before I know I'll often stop and think about them In my life, I love you more In my life-- I love you more Writer/s: LENNON, JOHN / MCCARTNEY, PAUL
That statue among the swan plants gave me a fright at first.
ReplyDeleteSimply can not have too many Monarch Butterflies.
There are places I'll remember
All my life, though some have changed
Some forever, not for better
Some have gone and some remain
All these places have their moments
With lovers and friends I still can recall
Some are dead and some are living
In my life, I've loved them all
But of all these friends and lovers
There is no one compares with you
And these memories lose their meaning
When I think of love as something new
Though I know I'll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know I'll often stop and think about them
In my life, I love you more
Though I know I'll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know I'll often stop and think about them
In my life, I love you more
In my life-- I love you more
Writer/s: LENNON, JOHN / MCCARTNEY, PAUL
Yeah, I like having some land to stand on too. We are blessed.
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