In article ,
Janet Baraclough wrote:
This week I spent a morning clearing zillions of griselinia littoralis
seedlings out of woodland (one of those unfortunate introductions which
threatens to take over) and another morning weeding a bed of exotic
plants in the sunny sheltered walled garden. Last week I spent my time
spreading spent hops as mulch in an area I'd previously weeded, and
barrowing compost from the heaps to new beds. Winter work included path
maintenance, bramble clearance, shifting and burning debris after the
clearance of dead or fallen trees, and helping with the clearance and
construction of a new garden area for scented rhododendrons. Oh, and we
planted out 7,000 pansy seedlings in a formal area.

Yow! That's an impressive amount of work! Do you have special tools or
techniques that make it go faster, or do you have a crazy amount of
energy?

I've just picked up a bunch of old irrigation gear that I'm in the midst
of fitting into the garden (beats the bits out of watering the weeds and
the plants with a sprinkler, since the garden's still being built) - and
there are hoses _everywhere_, not to mention earning a regular shower!

Then there's the challenge of trying to get the sifted compost from
where I'm sifting to be beds being built. I'm beginning to dream of
having the broom from the sorceror's apprentice...

Anything by Beth Chatto and Mirabel Osler (living UK authors); I like
their balance of practical ideas and inspiration/philosophy. From
earlier last century... Margery Fish, Theo Stephens, Vita Sackville
West, Marion Cran.

Oooh! New names to go and track down! Thank you ;

cheers!
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"A cat spends her life conflicted between a deep, passionate and profound
desire for fish and an equally deep, passionate and profound desire to
avoid getting wet. This is the defining metaphor of my life right now."