MONO MONDAY - ESCAPE

Escape : a form of temporary distraction from reality or routine

I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that gardening is an escape for Mr. HCB.  Well actually, it’s not so much an escape as a “way of life” for him - apart from cricket, that is and of course, it's one way of getting out of doing the washing up so although it is quite a grey day, he is still out there!

I would say that gardening is his main hobby, because no matter what the weather, he is out there - if it’s raining, then he will be in the greenhouse - cutting things down and tying stems in, watering or just generally pottering - a lovely expression, which means “to move or go in a casual, unhurried way”.  If it is fine, then he will be tending his vegetable plots in the raised beds or hoeing weeds in the flower borders.  Yep, that just about describes Mr. HCB - he is a “potterer” and very laid-back.

They say opposites attract and in our case it is true - because I am a “get up and go” type of person, who always likes to be on the move - and always doing something, so we do complement (and compliment!) each other - and I guess having been married for over 50 years, we have learned to accept each other too.

So today, once again, Mr. HCB has “escaped” into the garden - in fact, he was out there very early again, as is normal for him.  Because we lost so many plants from our flower border during the very hot weather, it being heavy, claggy, clay soil, he decided that it was time to, in his words “give it some oomph”!  That entails digging out every plant, putting it into a holding bed - several of his raised beds are already full of the plants he has dug out - and then he will dig the garden, adding plenty of horse manure, which he will soon be collecting with his friend, Barry, and also sharp sand to aerate the soil.  

Mr. HCB even has his own little robin that comes down regularly to pick up any worms that he digs up, and believe me, even in heavy clay soil, there are lots of those. 

Then in the Spring, the plants, that we hope have lasted through the winter, will be transplanted into their new bed.

Sadly, I can’t do the digging that I used to, but I will be on hand to make copious cups of tea and coffee when needed - and occasionally “escape” myself to go on a Blip meet or two or even to do some retail therapy!

“My way of escaping
     is to get out into the garden - 
          to work and breathe in
               God’s fresh air!”
Mr. HCB