Marlborough Express - Weekend Express
Back to the birds and the bees
If I start talking of birds and bees, some people might read on hoping for something risque´. Throw in the word pollination and those same people may start getting hot and bothered.
Most people interested in reading a garden column will know I’m talking literally, rather than euphemistically. Pollination is something we gardeners think about.
There are many different species of pollinators, the most well-known perhaps being bees. Anyway, my focus on birds and bees is a result of spending some study procrastination time poking through Nelmac Garden Marlborough’s website, looking at the tours and workshops I plan to attend next month.
You can probably guess given the pollination focus I amkeen on hearing bee expert Maureen Conquer share secrets for creating a backyard haven for all kinds of pollinators.
Spring is a great time of year to start a garden project although between fighting off peach leaf curl, taking care of rampant weeds and the lawn growth going into overdrive, it is easy to get focused on chores and feel lacking in inspiration.
I amanticipating that listening to Fergus Garrett of Great Dixter, a well-known English garden, may provide some of that inspiration. One regret I have from when I lived and worked in England years ago is that I did not spend more time visiting some of that country’s special gardens.
Perhaps that’s why I enjoy the chance to hear speakers like Fergus. Hearing someone talk of a garden they are passionate about is almost like paying it a visit. These days, whenever we have a holiday, checking out local gardens open to visitors is generally on the agenda.
It’s fun having a good nosey through someone else’s gardening ideas – particularly if they are down-to-earth and happy to share their stories. That’s one reason I enjoy Garden Marlborough’s tours. If there is anything I enjoy more than being nosey, it’s creating lotions and potions so Tricia and Ripeka Hook’s workshop with its theme of enhancing wellbeing with plants sounds right up my alley.
There are plenty of other interesting items on the programme and it’s a great excuse to get away from the weeding that weekend. Unless you have magic weeding fairies (in which case where did they come from and would they like to visit my place) or an industrious other half, the weeds will wait for you.
The other half does not mind my absence from the garden chore rota for a weekend, particularly if I return with different ideas or pruning knowledge. He may not be so enamoured if I produce highly aromatic potions, however.
The canine members of the household feel the same about aromatic potions. Back when the dog suffered hot spots, a form of canine dermatitis, a natural solution helped immeasurably. It was quite fragrant, however. I am sure he still shudders at that scent now. He would prefer I come home with edible (in dog terms) substances. I told him maybe after the Stihl Shop Garden Fete.