Ready and waiting

 It wasn't until "lockdown" 2020 that I ever paid much attention to gardening, beyond cutting the grass and pulling weeds from the block paved, off road, parking area at the front of our bungalow. The realisation that a garden can be well presented, yet not a full time occupation, was a wonderful upside to the woes of the pandemic. I'm not, never will be, a gardener, know "jack shit" about plants and associated stuff, yet am still able to gain immense satisfaction from looking at the scene and appreciating it for what it is. Flowers are pleasing on the eye, even when you haven't a clue as to their id. So there, in a nutshell, you have my slant on gardening! 

Convolvulus Hawk-moth feeding on Nicotiana outside my study door.
This is why I now pay so much more attention to the plants in my garden

What I learned during 2020 was that it is far easier to maintain a garden, once established, as opposed to fighting it because of a lack of effort. 2023, and I'm in a rut. The only plants which needed attention were those which also attracted moths! Red Valerian, Nicotiana and Buddleia being all that mattered to me until we went up to Sheffield! Sitting in Jayne's back garden, engaged in the usual banter, made me realise how much I'd taken my foot off the gas. No hanging baskets, wall or patio planters, had been prepped and I knew that it was something that needed rectifying. I've lost count of the number of compliments caused by the display of colour which adorns the front of our bungalow, thus readily visible from the Vine Close pavement, during this past couple of years. Why had I not carried it on?

Now back from Sheffield, Bev and I took a drive across to Elham, yesterday, where the Vineyard Garden Centre (aka The Fifth Trust) offers plants, at fantastic prices compared to other Kent garden centres, due to their charity work involving adults with learning issues and other disabilities. Please feel free to click the link, it's in yellow, to discover more about the incredible work done by this superb initiative. Bev and I pushed the trolley around the garden centre, picking up whatever plants took our fancy as we passed. Petunias, Begonias, Fuchsias, Lobelias and so much more, were placed inside the wire basket, on wheels. The plants we purchased have been enough to fill four hanging baskets, three wall mounted planters and four patio planters for the princely sum of £43.55! You certainly won't match that at a Wyevale? Of course I know that June is very late to get this sort of stuff underway but, knowing how much negative influence has been applied by the constant low temperatures caused by the incessant NE winds, feel that it will still be worth the effort. Bottom line has to be "if you don't try - you'll never know?"

A day later and I feel much better about the 2023 gardening efforts. Indeed, having got the ball rolling I now find myself with un-used planters which will require a further visit to Elham in order to purchase even more plants. Funny old life, isn't it? Prior to lockdown, under no circumstances could I foresee a situation where gardening would feature, at all, in my priorities. Now retired, it is already part of the daily routine and a source of great satisfaction when things go to plan. 

The frustration caused by this current weather situation doesn't mean that I won't be ready and waiting when conditions change and insect migration becomes a possibility again. The food sources, and a 125w MV Robinson Moth Trap, await any moths arriving on Thanet from Europe or further afield? Quite how things pan out in 2023 is in the lap of the gods, hopefully with a bit of green fingered input I will be able to sway things in my favour?

I'm still buzzing about the Gold Swift which turned up. It's, apparently, the first Thanet record (although it ain't getting reported by me) so really quite weird given the current weather pattern. Dylan and gardening - who'd have thought it?