Where is my garden?

It seems like forever since I've been out in the garden, certainly since I actually did any gardening. Most of the past week or so has been taken up with sewing, babysitting, and going to Rugby (1) and hockey (5) matches. My daughter asked if I would like to make some dolls clothes to sell on her stall at the markets on Sunday, then a friend said that she would go and buy some for her pre-school. So that meant that I actually had to do something about it; not just think about it. At least I can put the fan on in the sewing room and keep cool when it's too hot to go gardening. Now, anyone who's ever made dolls clothes knows that they take almost as long as an adult garment to make - not as much material but 20 times more fiddly - and I can't bring myself to skimp on the finish. Seams still have to be overlocked, etc. My friend bought some and I'll continue making them (but only on wet days or at night) and see what the demand is. If it all comes to nought, then at least my grand-daughters will have plenty of clothes for their dolls and I will have used up some of my material remnants.

Like the weather over Chloe and Calidore's gardens it was bitterly cold, windy and barely any rain on Saturday and just perfect yesterday. The mornings have a real chill in the air but I hope the frosts are a long way off yet. I'm looking forward to actually finding what's out in the gardens today, although it's my husband's and my daughter's birthdays and I've invited the other children over for dinner so I'd better do some housework first.

Have been reading about Calidore's new BIG garden. What joy to have all that expanse of garden to fill with . . . . . .??? Decisions, decisions! I always have difficulty deciding what to put where because "what if I don't like it there in a few years"? I don't want any more mishaps like the cherry tree that grew from a discarded seed only six inches from the driveway. I'm sure it was only 12 inches high one day, and nearly 12 feet high the next! It provides lovely shade over the driveway, looks magnificent in blossom and has delicious fruit BUT the falling leaves blow up into the carport and garage outside the front door, the trunk leans towards the driveway and cars come off second-best in any confrontation.

Lots of mulching to be done with all the things that need cutting back and soon there will be leaves to collect and mulch. I actually enjoy mulching especially now that my neighbour raised the mulcher so I don't have to bend and get a backache before the job is half over. With the cooler weather I'll be able to plant out some of the seedlings R. has been growing on the deck, though I keep telling him it's too late in the season to be growing some of them and they will only have a very short flowering time, if at all. Still, he loves planting the seeds and watching them grow so I'll just have to convince him that when it says plant in summer it's better to plant in December, not February.