Gardening is good for my soul

M and I have had a number of chats lately about the garden and he gets it.  He understands how good it is for me.

No matter if I can only spend a little but of time out there, no matter how sick I feel, it lifts my spirits and fills my soul with contentment.

I think today we are going to the hardware store. Me to look at irrigation supplies and him to buy things to repair and put back the fly screen screens he removed eons ago.  Funnily enough I had to present a case why I would like them returned. Heavens knows we live with so many insects that you would think it would be a given but no, and after I explained why I thought they should be reinstalled, at least some are going back up.

(Edit: no hardware store trip as son had a slight problem refilling his very large aquarium in his inner-city apartment. 30 litres of water all over the carpet had M riding to the rescue to help out.  All in all a 4 hour trip.)

I had a bad night sleep on Saturday night.  The pain in my hips started about 2 and by 4 I knew I needed extra help.  I could still feel the pain in the morning but it is as if it has been turned down.

Got stuck into the watering system today and miraculously, how to do it,  came back to me.  The garden has changed since I first installed it so I pulled part of it out and redid it.  Made a rookie mistake by putting the risers in first and the trying to make it lie straight so ended up pulling the risers out, re plugging the holes and pinning the hose down and then redoing the risers so they  were all in an upright position.  So satisfying to turn on and have it work.

I also had let the garden become a bit overgrown with violets which I thought looked great but in fact just looked messy and was hiding the sandstone edging.  I had to pull out a lot of plants to find the watering system but it will grow back eventually. Above picture is the work in progress.  Looks so neat now.

In the overgrowth in the garden I found two treasures.  One was a maidenhair fern growing wild and the other was an orchid, a remnant of ones that were planted there years ago.  I repotted both and hopefully they will survive especially the orchid.  If it flowers this year will take pictures.

When I had finished that garden I was trying to work out when I would be able to get back into the next garden as we have friends coming for lunch next Sunday and then I realised that I am on holidays and I have all week.  Well the parts I am not out lunching and having catch up coffee with friends anyway.

Yesterday was finished off with having an afternoon drink with dear friends in their courtyard with their neighbours.

Slept like a log last night.