In my garden journal today I write about gardening in this blistering heat, career progress and trains in the garden – yes, I did say trains in the garden!
Welcome to my garden journal, the place where I pause and reflect on my recent gardening journey and look to the days ahead. Thanks for stopping by.
Firstly
“Oh, it’s too warm for me, I mean, I like it warm, but I don’t like it this warm!”
Thanks Mr. Kaye for that one, that line has been on the tip of my tongue for weeks now!
I had been hoping by now that temperatures would have settled down a little, and whilst it has been cloudier and slightly cooler these last few days in south Warks, we’ve had no rain at all worth mentioning. It’s not like we aren’t accustomed to seeing the grass turn blonde each summer and hosepipe bans fall into place, but this ongoing drought should give us cause for concern, not just for gardens but gardeners (and wildlife!) as well.
Whilst some like it hot, it’s been challenging for most outdoors workers having to trudge around in temperatures hovering around 30 degrees centigrade. I’ve found working sessions very tough indeed, and each evening I fall into rehydrate and recuperate mode – when I’m pretty much cooked. I’ve faced all sorts of extreme conditions whilst gardening over the years, but I’ve never felt hostage to the weather like I have these past few weeks, and it’s really giving me concern for the years ahead.
I’ve said before that I don’t like to focus too much on the weather in my writing as it simply comes with the territory. As a horticulturalist I try to understand it as best I can, and to work both with it and around it. At the moment though, the weather’s picked me up by my collar and shook me around on a daily basis, so I could hardly ignore it!
If you’re a working gardener you’ve probably already worked out your hot weather coping strategy, but nevertheless I feel compelled to remind you to take good care of yourselves out there. Nobody knows your tolerance levels better than you do, so even with the most caring colleagues and supervisors, you still ought to carry out your own mental risk assessment of working situations, then make adjustments if necessary to keep safe from the impacts of the sun and heat.
A few public service pointers for what they’re worth:
– Stay hydrated – obviously… (We can at least thank the World Cup for trying to normalise hydration breaks!)
– Use very high sun protection cream (SPF 50+) and cover up if you can – wide brimmed hats are particularly helpful.
– Negotiate and start your working day much earlier, when it’s cooler.
– Save tasks in the shade for the hottest part of the day.
– Neck fans and micro-fibre cooling towels draped around the neck work for some – explore these options if you can to see what works for you.
I’ll leave it there, for now, but if you have any other cool tips do let me know.
Showtime
Before moving on to write On the Work Front, I must record a little gardening highlight that occurred recently.
My attention was called in June to a request from the Greenfingers charity for volunteers to help with a show garden build at BBC Gardeners’ World Live. Long story short, I sent the enquiry email before I had time to talk myself out of it, and a few days later found myself mucking in at Birmingham’s NEC with the ‘Trains in the Garden’ show garden.
You might well have seen the garden and its creators Andy and Louise Christie on Gardener’s World that week, where their build up to the show was covered in some detail. (iPlayer link below). It was a complex but carefully engineered design that included a working scaled-down steam railway that visitors could engage with via remote control. Intermingled with the rails were full sized railway collectibles from yesteryear, and an eclectic mix of planting with an inspired use of wildflower turf.
I managed to contribute three days to the build in all, a mere hop and skip compared to the months of preparation and more than a week of on-site build up by numerous volunteers. The experience was incredible I have to say, not just helping with the build but having the opportunity to see many other gardens during their construction phases too – I learned a great deal from the experience.
I won’t dwell a moment longer but would say that should a similar opportunity come your way then do go for it. It was incredibly hard work but very entertaining and educational, and I’m glad to report that the garden achieved a gold award! My thanks go to Andy and Louise, and to the people at Greenfingers for bringing it all together and making me feel so welcome.
On the work front…
Last time I wrote for my garden journal I was about to leave a major working role and signed off saying ‘let’s see where I pop up’. Well, I’ve surfaced not too far away at a local charitable organisation who hold responsibility for a few venues linked to a certain Will Shakespeare – his name might ring a bell?!
Though simple in its form my gardening role there is diverse indeed, and a few weeks in I’ve already got to know the gardens at Shakespeare’s Birthplace, New Place and Anne Hathaway’s Cottage very well. I’m on a reduced week due to present capacity within the team, so really can’t be sure how long the role can sustain me or vice versa, but nevertheless I’ve been warmly welcomed into the garden team who are very focussed and enthusiastic.
As for my own input on this particular work front, well I’ve simply turned up and delivered what has been asked of me. Weeding and tidying, planting, pruning and presenting the gardens, indeed anything that’s needed doing; and it’s been a real breath of fresh air. My personal shift in working ways has clearly been substantial, and if you’ve followed my journey these past twelve months, then I’m sure you’ll see that horticulture is central to my existence. Just try and tell me that gardening isn’t a great healer!
In the Garden
At home I’ve been busy pottering away, but aside from watering duties have tried to stay out of the sun – I get more than enough of that at work just now. At home due to the drought the ground is concrete-like and dust dry, and has been for weeks.
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Just before the rain dried up however I did move to amalgamate three small beds in the middle of my front garden. Making a larger bed was for two reasons: firstly to increase both interest and biodiversity, and secondly to lose a little more lawn. There is also a thirdly, in that I had a small collection of plants that desperately needed to go into the ground, and so in they went.
Naturally I took time to improve the soil before planting and dug in a couple of barrow loads of well-rotted manure, and after planting and watering I mulched the entire bed with shredded bark to lock some moisture in. I kind of knew that it would likely be the last chance to work the ground before summer did its thing, and at this stage can report that all the plants are doing well, although they have been given a good drink every three to four days.
In terms of the allotment, I choose not to dwell… Let me just say that we’ve made a good effort to welcome wildlife to our family plot, although not all fauna it turns out is conducive to the growing of produce.
We were overjoyed to find newts had moved into our wildlife pond with the frogs this year, and love seeing the blackbirds and goldfinches forage, the solitary bees, damselflies and lady birds too. But honestly, the rabbits, fox, flea beetles, cabbage white caterpillars and moles; well they can genuinely do one! I’m not even going to mention the rust on my broad beans or the ridiculously poor root crop again… Don’t worry, I’m already making plans for next year – I’m not going to be beaten that easily!
Looking Ahead
I’ll admit that although my garden journals are few and far between, I have generally written less this summer due to changes to my normal run of days. I sincerely hope this garden journal entry marks a return to my gardening and writing ways, where my words need to blossom once again.
Work, in all fairness, still has some settling down to do as I mentioned above, but I have to say that I’m riding high on positivity just now, with a feeling that something special is just around the corner. Let’s see what turns up with tomorrow’s full Buck Moon, shall we?!
On those moonlit notes I’ll sign off for now and bid you well until next time, do go steady on that watering and be sure to take care in the sun!
Gary Webb. Gardening Ways.
Gardening Ways 