Gardener's update - rain and cups of tea

Day 26 of meteorological Autumn

More rain - will it ever stop raining? I’m looking out the window and watching heavy rain fall right now.

I have been working in the rain this week. Being self employed is hard in this weather and I usually take rain days here and there, however this week, I’ve had to work. I have some very good waterproofs, Dickies trousers and a similar jacket, so I’m kept dry, but my spirit always dampens working in the rain.

Autumn is very much in action and I have a lot of sweeping and raking to do. I’ll gather together a pile of leaves, the wind will pick up, scattering them everywhere as well as adding supplementary leaves. I don’t mind, I quite enjoy collecting leaves - I listen to audio books while I work and it can be quite a mindful activity.

The bulbs I have purchased are hanging in garden sheds, waiting until October to be planted. I will use my hori hori to plant and will try planting my tulip bulbs deeper than usual to stop naughty squirrels. I find squirrels to be a real problem, I’ve used chilli powder and had no success. The only thing that works is chicken wire on top of pots, however I like to plant tulips in the beds so a tricky scenario. The simple solution would be to stop planting tulips, however they bring so much joy to my clients.

These tulips below were growing at Portmerrion last year and I was quite taken by the display. Certainly a wild colour selection but so charming and fun!

I was in Italy for the earlier part of this week. It was lovely, the grand views were so spectacular - I felt quite free from worry. Each day, I would step outside and it would be so quiet, no whooshing traffic like in London. An owl who-whooed outside of my window and one night, a thunderstorm struck and rain pounded at the windows, the lightning colouring the verdant hills a perfect white.

I love the stillness of nature and I do think the rushing, loud, busy London life doesn’t suit me. I do long for the countryside and a quieter life, maybe even a pet dog too?

Wasp spider - Argiope bruennichi

The wasp spider has also made a home in South of England, yet I haven’t seen one here. Their markings are an evolutionary adaptation to keep it safe from predators.

This spider sat on the wall for a few days. I learnt that mating is a tricky game for these spiders, according to The Wildlife Trust, the males have to wait for the female to molt and there is a short window where they will have softer jaws. If they time it wrong, they can be eaten.

Bowl and Doily spider - Frontinella pyramitela

I also found a few of these fascinating bowl like webs - after much research, I believe it to be the Bowl and Doily spider yet it doesn’t appear to be native to Italy. Anyone out there can identify this spider web?

The bowl shape web is designed to capture the insect, the spider will rest upside down beneath the web, biting their prey through the web. I’ve since learnt that they have quite a poisonous bite so good job I didn’t go poking around too much!

I enjoyed all the critters in Italy, small black shiny beetles scuttling around, yet quickly became tired of the flying ants and shield bugs which appeared everywhere, riding around on my clothes or bag.

Cups of tea

It’s easy to please a gardener. I love a cup of tea and a cake / biscuit. Of my huge roster of clients, only a handful give me a cup of tea.

Oh what joy it brings me - to perch on a wall, sit on a patio, a rusty garden chair and drink a milky cup of tea. It turns my whole day around.

I always wonder about my clients who don’t offer refreshments, watching me pruning roses in the frost or raking leaves in the falling snow.

I have come to the conclusion it’s cultural. I love a tradesperson, since I am one, and will always offer a tea or coffee, reluctantly stirring in the third sugar on request for a builder (three sugars seems outrageous).

Having worked outdoors, I understand the importance of a cup of tea or coffee. I have tried to use a thermos, the flavour changes - it doesn’t work. I’d rather no tea than a bad cup of tea.

A client offered me a slice of cake yesterday and ate the cake with a huge smile on my face. I even texted a photograph to my partner.

One of my favourite tea givers was a client that passed away. She would make a huge effort and once even brought me a slice of panettone cake. Even if she was unwell, she would ensure her house keeper would bring me a warm cup of tea - so very thoughtful and a charming woman. I’ll miss her.

I have a collection of photographs from working as a gardener over the past eight years. Each cup of tea shows the client’s personality - whether it be the mug, the type of biscuit or cake, the time the tea has been brewed, the jugs of milk, the bowls of sugar and resting the plate of biscuits on top of the mug to keep the tea warm.

I’m quite proud of this collection of images, together they are quite something. :-)