My good intentions to join in with Patient Gardener's 'End of Month View' seem to have gone off the rails. I have not posted since August. I was away from home at the end of September and then again in October so this post is late. I holding head down in shame also have to report that that the border has been in suspended animation since August. At the moment it is limping along, as I have been doing this last couple of months. In the middle of September my left knee suddenly gave way, made a dreadful crunching noise and has subsequently been the cause of some considerable pain. After hopping along with a walking stick for a week when we were away at the end of September, I made a doctor's appointment as soon as we got home. The outcome of this was a prescription for some 112 paracetemol (cheaper to buy over the counter) and a referral to a physiotherapist. I swallowed the odd paracetemol but did my best to manage without them. As the weeks have gone the pain has slowly but surely lessened, so much so that by the time I saw the physiotherapist earlier this week I felt a bit of a fraud. After various manipulations involving much undignified waving of the legs, the verdict was that there is nothing seriously wrong with the said joint. However the ligament in the left knee is apparently not as taut as in the right. I now have exercises to do regularly to strengthen it and perhaps hopefully avoid future problems.
Whilst this has been going on not only have I been most grumpy and miserable but I have been approaching physical tasks with caution and rather gingerly, not wanting to aggravate the knee further. So I have neglected both the garden and the lottie which is most annoying. The autumn clean up is going to be one frantic rush. I still have to clean out the greenhouse, lift up the dahlias, plant bulbs, sweep up never the seemingly never ending leaf fall, mulch and generally tidy up. I am quite breathless just thinking about it and as for what needs doing at the lottie ...............
So I am putting the end of month border to bed for this year - you would not really want to see it just now - like my knee it's not a pretty sight. Instead a view of what I was glimpsing at with some degree of iwantitiness at the end of October. The garden is my parent's garden and the plant is a clematis that I bought for them some time ago - label long gone but I think it is clematis cirrhosa - which one though I don't know for sure but possibly 'Wisley Cream'. Whichever it is it is flourishing and the fence behind provides shelter from the bitter winds that blow in from Russia to East Anglia. My mother observed that it's in flower earlier than usual this year - apparently it usually it comes into flower in December with them when I imagine it would be even more welcome. Many thanks to Patient Gardener for hosting the end of month view and hopefully my postings will resume in the new year.
Sorry to hear you've been suffering with your knee. Let's hope that the exercises do their job. I'm sure you're sitting there worrying over all the jobs which need doing in the garden and at the lottie, but if you don't manage to get round to them this year then they'll still be there next year. Don't cause any more damage to your knee if things will wait. I love how your parent's clematis frames that beautiful statue.
ReplyDeleteHi Anna,
ReplyDeleteTry not to worry about your garden, things can always be sorted next year. Thankfully this time of year everything has pretty much stopped.
Sorry to hear about your knee problems. I have similar, if less painful problems, it feels like a nerve is trapped in the knee and it can range from a twinge to a sharp, short serious pain which takes your breath away.
As a result I too have to be careful, too much kneeling, getting up, then kneeling again will cause a warning ache.
I love the clematis, very pretty at this time of year - is it evergreen?
Sorry to hear you've been hopping around in pain rather than with glee Anna.
ReplyDeleteI gave up constantly sweeping the leaves ages ago, and just do it in one go when they've all dropped. I found it really depressing to sweep and then find everything all covered again within hours! It's not much bigger in terms of size of the job and at least I have the satisfaction that the job's been done!
I'm with VP on the one big sweep up of leaves - definately the way to go and some of them I just sweep under trees and shrubs!!
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear that your knee is on the mend. I have tendonitus in my right hand and the Dr has told me to take very strong paracetamol but they can upset your stomach so you cant win really!!
Hi Anna , I'm so sorry to hear that you have been in great pain. And glad that it is getting better. I have been out in the garden today to take in all the Geraniums, it is to cold for them in the greenhouse so now they have to stay in the garage until spring. I must say I miss your old header one of the most beautiful I know.
ReplyDeleteLove to hear from you and read your posts.
Tyra
Dear Anna, I am so sorry to hear of your troubles. This year has surely been an extremely difficult one for you and it is, as you say, so frustrating when one can see what needs to be done but one is just not able to do all that is required.
ReplyDeleteThe Clematis in your parents' garden is most elegant. I think that it is a form of cirrhosa and it does look to be thriving in their care.
Sorry to hear about your knee Anna.
ReplyDeleteThe leaves can wait, best left for a quiet dry spell of weather. I'm assuming it's breezy and wet at times over there right now, it certainly is here courtesy of sharing the same weather system affecting Angleterre.
What a beautiful clematis!
Rest up.
Something a gardener dreads - a dodgy body part that interferes with gardening. Mine is my back. I hope your knee gets better soon. At least it is the end of the season so you can prop your feet up and look at gardening catalogues instead!
ReplyDeleteI hope that the physiotherapy and exercises help your knee heal soon. You don't want to be worrying about whether it will allow you to enjoy yourself.
ReplyDeleteLike patientgardener said, I often brush the leaves under the trees and onto the beds. The make a good winter mulch and protection here.
So sorry about your knee Anna, how frustrating. I feel for you, I'm often prevented from doing the gardening jobs that are beckoning by poor health. Please be careful that the job build-up doesn't make you do more than you should when it starts to feel better...
ReplyDeleteRe leaves, maybe you could follow VP's advice and think of all the insects that are enjoying the blanket of leaves in the meantime? I reckon bulbs can always be planted much later than you ever think, they may not be as vigorous next year, but the year after will reward you. Your parent's clematis looks lovely, I've often wondered about getting a winter flowering clematis, just never worked out where to put it...
Anna:
ReplyDeleteLeave it to the knee to give out just when we're trying to get things tidied up for the winter. I am oh so familiar with the crunching noise you mention. Mom has had both knees replaced and something tells me it is hereditary! Keep a stiff upper lip! Its amazing how resilient the garden is, and what gets missed this year, well its always there next, right?!? The Clematis is gorgeous.