Saturday

Yesterday I pootled off to the garden centre and made some purchases. Firstly I bought this lovely big pot, made from some sort of lightweight metal, suitable for outside, frost resistant, etc . . . It wasn't exactly the pattern I wanted: that had pots in all sizes but the size I needed, which is always the way, isn't it? Never mind, I do like this one too. I also got gravel (for drainage) and enough soil and well rotted horse manure (delightful) to fill the pot. Then I searched for stakes and got the shortest one they had. It took me ages to find the thingies to attach the stake to the plant but I tracked them down eventually and also found, in the same place, some green thingies (yes, I'm in a technical mood this morning!!) to pop on the top of the garden canes. You'll be relieved to know that I won't be putting my eye out on them now, I'm sure! And just to top it all, it cost an awful lot less than I had expected. Sorry Wyvale and B&Q, I've just shifted loyalties!!







So - off home to lug everything round the side into the back, after which I set to, to mix the soil and the manure before pouring in the gravel and then the soil mixture. Finally I did what I should have done a fortnight ago - got my little Redlove Aunty May apple tree properly planted. It's proper name is just Redlove, of course. The rest is because it is in memory of my Aunty May



I might have taken a while to plant her out, but she was in a substantial pot to start with and seems happy enough, as these new shoots testify. Now I have to learn up about looking after apple trees. it all looks terribly complicated but there has to be an idiot's guide somewhere. Something in A B C with technical vocab at my level (thingy, whotsit and the like) would be just right.

Gardening is very much an act of faith, isn't it. I have no idea whether my new little apple tree will ever grow into something capable of producing any of those beautiful little red apples for me. I have no idea of how to help her to either, not yet. But I bet my Aunty May is smiling up there and saying 'go for it, girl, you can do it'.

So I will.