Bulrush Typha latifolia
It's cold here today and looks like it could get colder! it doesn't help that I am ill. My wife has passed on her cold to me which of course has developed into full blown man flu ! So it was lucky that I had a days leave yesterday. Actually I hate being ill and need to be pretty bad before I take to my bed (like I had to with the Kidney stones earlier this year!) I feel the best thing is to work it off, so yesterday was a good day to do some tool cleaning. I have a good selection of tools in the potting shed but my favourites are the good old wooden handled ones. The best of all are hand forged, such as Sneeboer or the bronze PKS ones, (I have lost my PKS castor Trowel somewhere in the garden, and am heartbroken!) as they are the only things tough enough for our soil. I have bent 2 stainless steel spades and a fork in a year. So yesterday I got out the linseed oil and treated all the handles. This is a lovely job, I know this is a cliche but it does always remind me of preparing my cricket bat at the start of summer when I was a kid ( For readers in USA cricket is a game that can take 5 days and still be a draw, for any readers in Australia, bring it on next year!). The other thing I remember about Linseed oil is my mums story about when she was a teenager and she wanted some suntan oil but could afford any, my grandfather gave her linseed oil telling her it was the same thing, you can guess the rest!
The other big event yesterday was the Autumn editions of Hortus and the RHS Plantsman arrived. If you enjoy reading about gardens, gardeners and all things gardening Hortus is a wonderful publication, full of short essays and no adverts. So once I had finished my cleaning I lit a fire in the living room and curled up on the sofa with the dog (who I suspect knows where my trowel went!) for a good read. The only problem with reading is you start getting ideas, for instance I am now thinking of growing Molopopermum pelopnnesiacum does anyone know how it gets on on heavy soil
Do you have to be a member of RHS to get the Plantsman?
ReplyDeleteNo, non-member uk £32 per year (4 issues) airmail £45 RHS Plantsman, PO Box 313, London SW!p 2PE. 020 7821 3401
ReplyDeleteHope that helps
Poor Gary! This is my special flu remedy. please do try it. Juice from one lemon, 1 spoon of honey, chili (hot) add green tea and drink it hot and often. I promise that you will soon be on your feet again :-) / Tyra
ReplyDeleteThanks Tyra, sounds good to me.
ReplyDeleteGary
ReplyDeleteThe first time I used the linseed oil on my tool handles I thought of cricket bats, too. Nothing like inclement weather to turn a garden shed into a very pleasant place to spend a couple of hours. And the way our cricketing chaps are wobbling right now means that next year will be a very willing contest I am sure!