Back to the garden when things don’t quite work out

Well the rugby lads didn’t quite manage the result I was hoping for. The half time score was close enough but we were unlucky with the penalties and probably gave away too much in the lineouts. A victory would have disrupted the world rankings and given me boasting rights against some gardening friends of mine from Natal. Never mind. When things don’t turn out as they should, I usually retreat to a corner of the garden and make myself as busy as possible.

I’m not sure whether it’s my state of mind, but everything looked a bit grey and lifeless this week. The weather’s cooled off a touch and leaves are falling faster than I can rake them aside. They’ll make a nice organic mulch to protect next year’s seedlings from the weeds.

I’m abroad again next month so have concentrated on improving my herbarium which is properly sheltered against the cold. The parsley, mint, rocket, and chives are thriving but most of the others could do with a bit of antidepressant therapy. Organic seaweed complex will be just the trick.

Did you know that seaweeds like kelp contain more than seventy micronutrients and approximately twice the nitrogen concentration of chicken manure? As a younger man, I used to gather generous loads of fresh seaweed from the coastal districts after a storm. Nowadays, its convenient to order the finely granulated complex from my organic distributors. This product is mixed with water to make foliar and soil conditioning treatments which promote sustained growth and healthy produce. Unlike some of the conventional fertilisers, the organic certification ensures freedom from unwanted pollution and disease organisms.

I’ve got a few outdoor tasks to complete then it’s time to start preparing for the trip. The itinerary reads Florida (overnight), Montserrat, then southwards to Australia and New Zealand for Christmas. I have so many old friends to catch up with and look forward to meeting new participants at the seasonal garden displays next month.