Simon Avery wrote in message
...
Hello All

I've mentioned in here before my Grand Plan, one huge pond and lots of
little ones, circular seating area, nice hill planted up. Spent weeks
working on it over the winter, dug out the ponds, cut a 20' circle
into a bank, a hell of a lot of hardscaping and planting. Nowhere near
finished, but enough so I can see what's left to do.

Now, on a hot summers morning I've got my first real taste of why.

snip of wonderful imagery

I know exactly what you mean. Today, whilst I was bunging in supports for my
sunflowers, repotting the rat-tail radishes, donated variegated privet (I
think), strawberries, new (and only!) rose bush and sowing yet more
radishes, lettuce and sprouts (and celebrating the fact that the hollyhocks
are finally showing signs of life!), my husband was finishing off our new
chicken enclosure. Once done, we 'transplanted' the chickens (a traumatic
episode - neither they, nor we, are used to chicken-moving!), and then sat
down to watch (the chicken enclosure is also a
'strawberries-in-hanging-plant-bags' support). Chickens had to be moved
because of my plans for a gravel garden where they used to live. It was
great to just sit there, surrounded by pots of growing things, watching the
chooks get used to their new (and much bigger than before) home. Charlie the
cockerel has already dug a little dirt bath for his 3 'angels'. The
enclosure will soon be surrounded by Coronet apple trees - it's great to see
the garden coming together - seeing our plans become reality. Hopefully the
next week will see the neighbour coming in with his JCB to flatten the
'lawn' where the gravel is to go - and I should have somewhere to plant my
pot-grown plants soon afterwards!

This gardening lark is certainly addictive - a friend commented last night
that the place is beginning to look like a garden centre! The thing that
worries me is what I'm going to do after the gravel garden is complete - we
have half an acre of weeds (brambles, nettles and thistles, mainly) to deal
with next - this could be a life-long job!

Jo