Next door as you know are elderly, a bit confused and disabled , not that he admits to any of those. He ordered a lucky dip perennial plant mix of 12 plants in 2.5" in pots. The problem being he hasn't got a clear area of border to place them, then is unable to get down to the soil to plant them.
He did his very best to clear the mat of couch grass, nettles, bindweed, dandelions and lily of the valley from the front of what used to be his very neglected flower borders but quite honestly didn't succeed very well with using a prong with one hand and holding on to his walker with the other. I was hesitant to interfere as I didn't was to imply he couldn't do the job. He planted some of the plants from a standing position but they were destined to fail, not being heeled in or watered, poor things, so I bit the bullet and offered P to dig through the patch and de-weed and I would plant out. He accepted reluctantly. He was a bit cross at the plant supplier saying they didn't label the plants so he didn't know what he was planting but it turned out that the labels were on the pots themselves, he just hadn't seen them. So my job today was trying to identify the plants, remove them from the partially cleared patch, dig over, then tomorrow is replanting, with neighbour helping, so he has at least some input.
He did his very best to clear the mat of couch grass, nettles, bindweed, dandelions and lily of the valley from the front of what used to be his very neglected flower borders but quite honestly didn't succeed very well with using a prong with one hand and holding on to his walker with the other. I was hesitant to interfere as I didn't was to imply he couldn't do the job. He planted some of the plants from a standing position but they were destined to fail, not being heeled in or watered, poor things, so I bit the bullet and offered P to dig through the patch and de-weed and I would plant out. He accepted reluctantly. He was a bit cross at the plant supplier saying they didn't label the plants so he didn't know what he was planting but it turned out that the labels were on the pots themselves, he just hadn't seen them. So my job today was trying to identify the plants, remove them from the partially cleared patch, dig over, then tomorrow is replanting, with neighbour helping, so he has at least some input.
Gardening is an excuse not to do housework
Greetings from Salisbury
Qualified member of the Confused Nutter's Club