Do you ever talk to worms?

I did some gardening today. I don't know what came over me. You see I don't 'do' gardening. Now this isn't because I don't like it, well maybe it is. I mean digging is not the pleasure for me that it is for others. Planting's good. It's the designing bit I like. I like the final flourish of flowers, the variety of vegetables and the general beauty of the whole thing. However it's Husbands Job! I know, I know, gender stereo types 'r' us. But I have this fear that if I start 'doing' the gardening I'll end up 'doing' the house and the garden too and I don't have time to do both (I didn't mean this to become a rant!). No one else sorts the house so there we are, back to the division of labour all over again.

Anyway, it was a lovely afternoon and Tall Girl wanted to plant the plants we chose on the weekend. Tall Girl LOVES mud! She has an affinity to it. There is nothing she likes better than taking off her shoes and socks and mushing about in a muddy patch (don't forget she's no toddler and feet the size of ski's!). Maybe she'll take up horticulture in the future, or mud wrestling (please let it be the former). So we took out the trowel and planted 5 plants. It was enjoyable and quite satisfying, then she went out to play!

Meanwhile I was getting quite absorbed. There was a lot of chopping back and raking to do (look I know this is probably totally the wrong time of year for all this but I'm no professional and it all looked a bit messy!) So off I went, pulling and chopping and raking, (hopefully Husband wasn't saving that bit, he's away at the moment!!) and all of a sudden I dug up a lovely big worm. And before I really though about it I apologised to him (or her, or are they both? Yes I think they are!). ''Ooh you poor little thing'' I start to coo ''come on lets put you back here''! What am I doing? It's a worm, does it have ears? (I know someones going to tell me they do!) Do they speak English? Am I barking ? I must be, I don't 'do' gardening!

Then there was the earwig family I disturbed in one of the pots, I apologised to her to (they are supposed to be excellent mothers and now I have 'put her out on the streets'). And then there was the black bird rummaging around. He was so enjoying rooting around in all the stuff I had been pulling about. I had a long conversation with him! He found loads of grubs and worked tirelessly, and I congratulated him on his stamina. Mind you it was a one sided conversation, he had his mouth full most of the time.

The time flew by and I thoroughly enjoyed my afternoon! I've made quite a difference to my little patch. I also have a lovely jug of flowers on the kitchen table, which I 'accidentally' chopped off with the sheers (whoops)! What a bonus for all my hard work!

Here he is! He got so close and was so tame I nipped in to get the camera. You can see the grubs in his beak if you click to enlarge.

P.S. I saw my first Swallow of the season too.