And Relax…

August, balmy days and nights when the garden reaches its bounteous prime, in a few weeks it will have exhausted itself, displaying floppy tell-tale signs of going over, as everything slowly descends to seed… don’t we all.

Well, thank goodness for pots, even if it’s hard work staying on top of all the watering, however, being able to move them to the more shaded areas of the garden has been a life/plant-saver, as the ground has turned to little more than dust due to this record-breaking heat along with the total lack of rain, and now there’s talk of a hosepipe ban.

The long plump ivy hedge to the west side of the garden has become a constant hive of activity with bees and butterflies, it seems word of a new restaurant opening has spread amongst the local insect population, ‘Hey everyone, all the nectar you can drink and it’s free!’

This is the month, particularly as it only comes once a year, one should enforce oneself to sit down, breathe in and enjoy the fruits of one’s labours, as autumn is just around the corner and there’ll be a whole lot more work to be tending to then.

But really, stop! Resist the urge to get up and move that pot ever so slightly to the left or right by a few inches, put down those secateurs and step away from the pruning, the weeds will still be there next week, honestly, it’ll be just fine.

Of course, this is easier said than done and takes steel-like self-discipline for the gardener to do nothing but enjoy and relax, especially in their own garden.