Taking Stock

Today I have been ‘taking stock’ in the house. Going through my drawers to decide which clothes are no longer needed, and my cupboards to decide what I no longer use………….and taken the proceeds to Vinnies. My work desk needed tidying too and shock of shocks I dusted and vacuumed the house and cleaned the bathrooms. My husband will wonder if I’ve gone quite mad. But no it was just time to do all those things (in fact well past time but never mind that!)

​Up at the nursery we are 'taking stock' too. We have been busy selling large quantities of plants since spring and now it’s time to see what we have left, tidy it and decide if it needs potting up into a larger size pot, retiring into our gardens or putting into the compost. It is also time to decide what sold well, what is a bit slower to sell and which plants we need to take cuttings from (most of our cuttings for the new season are already taken but there are a few still to go) for selling next season.

And in my garden I am 'taking stock' too. Which plant needs removing because it is no longer viable…………. wrong place, wrong size, half dead, didn’t perform. And what about those exotics Alison? I say to myself, and out they come one by one as I have new natives to add. In some spots I decided to add numbers of the same thing to provide flow in the garden design. Today it was a swathe of Brachyscome multifida pink to line a path. I have asked myself what needs a little fertiliser before the weather finally gets too cold? and watered it in with a good bucket of water so that my plants can  grow fast in this ideal autumn weather. And finally which plants could do with some new mulch while the soil is still warm? (on the to do list still I'm afraid....................maybe next weekend)

Because very shortly it will be time to curl up, tuck away, and view the garden through the windows whilst I read a book by the fire, do some mosaic work or cross stitch and rest while I dream of spring. ​