Heavy marine layer

Aloe striatula flowering

That is what Matt calls the rain we had today - just "spitting" where I come from, but he calls it a "heavy marine layer" - hah!

Anyway, he was at work today (boooo!) so I went up to the garden and did some work. I cut back a patch of Chasmanthe and spread the leaves around the base as mulch. Then I thought it looked ugly, so I spread 2 bags of compost on top. Much better!

Next I folded up all the plastic bags we have lying around and put them away, as well as organizing a few other things in the shed.

I took a quick pic of the Cotinus coggygria (Purple Smokebush) that I coppiced (cut to the ground) on Jan 1st of this year - it already has 5' tall new canes sprouting up. Looks great - coppicing was the right thing to do after all. Also took a pic of the aphids on the cardoon - being hoovered up by ladybugs as usual and the Aloe striatula flowers - used to be such a tiny plant back in 2009!

Got aphids? Get ladybugs.

After that I got deeeep into the middle back bed and weeded more, then spread some compost there too. Three tubtrugs of weeds to the composter. We are making some lovely compost.

Lastly I took a trash bag and picked up trash, and prepared to walk down along MCG and PRG and pick up all the trash there. Just as I was leaving, I saw a little beastie in the bushes and stopped to video it. It was a little mouse eating the flowers on a Salvia leucantha! Very cute.

Cotinus recovery

I took pics and videoed a while, then someone with a dog came along and scared the mouse away. You see a lot more wildlife when there are no dogs around - I often see bobcats, deer, skunks, raccoons and so on at the barn where we keep our horses, but when people bring dogs it's deserted.