Somewhat Slack
August 8, 2011 at 7:19 pm 17 comments
I just clicked on my blog and realised it is over a month since I posted anything. How can that have happened? Apologies – not somewhat, but very, slack of me.
As always, there is no excuse other than being totally preoccupied by weddings and weeding. I have taken on significantly more weddings this year than ever before and I am still prone to the odd night of “WHAT HAVE I DONE?!!” fear and thoughts of whether it would actually be that indefensible to just pack up and emigrate (any future brides reading this, don’t panic – my passport’s run out). That usually happens on what I have come to think of as Wobbly Wednesday*, although thankfully it is happening less and less and, so far (don’t jinx it), there have been no disasters.
The other thing constantly nagging away at me is the weeding. Everything seems less important. Horticulturally speaking, it may not be as vital as you’d think – the flowers seem to grow just as well in weedy beds as in neat, tidy ones – but that’s not the point. The weeding acts as a barometer of how I am doing. A weed-free bed delights me – I feel on top of things, organised, competent and in control. It empowers me. It makes me want to do more, better. Messy beds and unstaked, unpicked flowers make me want to curl up and howl. I become paralysed by a sense of there being so much to do that there’s no point doing anything. I start doubting my abilities, talk myself out of doing anything positive and usually end up going home, where I lie on the sofa for a couple of hours berating myself for not being at the field working. And so it goes on…
So, anyway, the point of telling you all that (probably unwisely) is to explain why blogging has fallen down the list a bit. I shall try and put some pictures on occasionally but you will have to forgive me if I don’t write much. A few photos from recent weddings to mollify you:
* That awful day when it’s too early to do anything constructive but near enough to the Big Rush to feel you really ought to be doing something – anything.
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1.
Katherine @ Florist in the Forest | August 8, 2011 at 9:33 pm
I’m totally with you on the weed front, can’t let them beat us!! Glad you are keeping so busy. Katherine
2.
jwblooms | August 9, 2011 at 8:09 am
Thanks, Katherine! Jx
3.
jane piddled ellis | August 9, 2011 at 12:56 pm
Love the flowers – they are BEAUTIFUL!!!
4.
jwblooms | August 11, 2011 at 10:46 am
Thanks, Janey! You are very kind. Hope all is well and Becky not caught up in the trouble in London. x
5.
Gill | August 9, 2011 at 7:31 pm
I love all the pictures but especially the heart.
6.
jwblooms | August 11, 2011 at 10:47 am
Hi, Gill. Thank you. I really like the heart, too, and love doing that kind of thing, although I find customers aren’t overkeen on wreaths – even heart-shaped ones – which is a pity. Jan
7.
Belinda Norrington | August 10, 2011 at 5:38 pm
Delish flowers!
Totally with you on the weeds issue, why o blimmin why do we make the state of our flower beds symbolic of the state of not just our minds, but frankly, the entire sortedness of our lives? It is clearly ridiculous, but I do it all the time!! I feel like I am failing to be a competent human if the garden looks a bit crap!! We have been away for a couple of weeks and the weeds are lining up in serried ranks on a mission to send me over the edge! Honestly, we gotta relax slightly about the weeds haven’t we – I will if you will!;)
Sounds like business is brisk, it is in an August slump here while we have been away and now four kids off school, ‘resting’ in the actorish sense of the word! xxxxxxx
8.
jwblooms | August 11, 2011 at 10:49 am
Hi, Belinda. Glad you are getting a break. August is normally slow for me but this year I have more weddings this month than in May, which is weird – hence the lack of weeding time! You are right that it is clearly ridiculous, but it is good to know I am not alone! J xx
9.
sandra | August 11, 2011 at 3:37 am
This is a labour of love, as my mum’s computer is probably a 1950′s model and it takes about an hour just to load anything, but wanted to say your flowers look as lovely as ever, even despite the weeds (which I’m sure you’ve exaggerated as I’ve seen your fields) so pretty sure you’re not slacking. xx
10.
jwblooms | August 17, 2011 at 12:52 pm
Thank you – I know I normally exaggerate for comic effect but unfortunately this time I’m not! If only there were a market for them… Jx
11.
jwblooms | August 11, 2011 at 10:50 am
Hi, Sandra. Thanks for commenting from afar – hope you are having a good time! I have forgotten when you are back so call me when you get home and we’ll fix up a catch-up date. x
12.
Benjamin Ranyard | August 11, 2011 at 3:15 pm
Didn’t you know weeds are ‘in’ this year…I’ve been putting Carrot Grass in my seasonal bunches and folk go mad for them…glad that you’re busy…I’m getting ready for September sowing….and to do the whole thing all over again but in ‘BIGGER!’. x
13.
jwblooms | August 17, 2011 at 12:54 pm
Hi, Ben. If I had a quid for every time I’ve thought, “Next year, I will do this better…” and all that.
I think rebranding the weeds as exclusive cut flowers is the only way to go. Unfortunately, round here they are all country folk and know exactly what you’re up to! Glad you’re busy.Jx
14.
Martine | August 12, 2011 at 3:16 pm
The wedding pictures show that you really are on top of things Jan – they look so pretty! As for the weeds, they would drive me to drink if I had the time to sit down and drink anything……maybe one of those water backpacks full of gin and tonic would help me? The weeds were rampant before I went on two weeks holiday. On my return they leer triumphantly at me from above the flowers. We find that the cutting and bouquet making to supply a shop six days a week seriously interferes with the maintenance and planting schedule. However, I mustn’t complain as it is obviously good to sell one’s flowers!
I have come to the conclusion that 30 metres of sweet peas are quite time consuming! Also had awful mildew this year and everything is flowering too early, apart from that it is all jolly good fun
15.
Charlie Ryrie | August 13, 2011 at 7:07 pm
Good to hear you’re busy, I have my first two weekends off coming up (hoorah, first since early May!) which is probably not brilliant as we have just SO many flowers but I just couldn’t do more anyway…. I’m slightly worrying about September and October though as many things have been awfully early and although we have tried to be as successional as possible it’s not exactly a perfect science here! Weeding gets in the way.
I’m not sure I agree about the psychological aspects of weeding, I think it’s just that once things get in a real mess it’s kind of hard to get them back if you can’t keep on top of it. I’ve also been panicking about it a bit recently because I’ve got such open windy ground that if we don’t nip weeds before they seed everywhere they really do seed EVERYWHERE, and as it’s been really galey recently it is a bit depressing watching the downy seed spread in clouds! But I guess there’s always next year….. That’s what I love about growing things. the assumption that I’ll do it better next year (even though when I look at photos of last year I think I probably did it better then!!)
Your arrangements are really pretty, I love the way different people take the same flowers and end up with quite different things. I think you are definitely a more tidy person than me by nature!
16.
jwblooms | August 17, 2011 at 1:09 pm
Hi, Charlie. Yes, I think there is a crucial point at which, once you’ve crossed, you can’t get back on top of it all. I feel like I am teetering on it at all times and am only just able to stop myself from plunging over the edge! But I have now decided to put a percentage of each wedding payment into a weeding fund to pay someone to come and do it for me. I am trying to think of it as an inherent cost of doing each wedding. Just having decided to do that has made it feel much more manageable. Weird how it’s all about the psychology of it – the weeds are still there, but in my head, I’m now in control of them!
Enjoy your weekends off! Jx
17.
jwblooms | August 17, 2011 at 1:00 pm
Hi, Martine. LOVE the idea of the gin and tonic backpack! I have one of those camel packs somewhere left over from those long-distant days when I had time to go cycling… Sigh! And, yes, the selling does get in the way of the growing and sometimes I do think, “Oh, no, not more orders to do – I haven’t got time!!” but know that both sides of the business are equally as important so just have to accept that I can’t do as much “proper” gardening as I would wish. When I retire… Jx