the garden(er)

Here are some images of some of the plants in our garden








and two papayas from our tree (one before and one after)

I've been occupied with the garden, and particular the gardener lately. Telling him what I want changed, what I would like etc, and he seemed to be working hard.

So when Evariste the gardener came to me to say we needed a new hosepipe, I agreed that we would get one. I understood he said that he knew a man...and we could get a good deal. OK - I agreed. The next day the guard came to me, to tell me that the gardener is a thief, and that the hosepipe was part of the houses belongings - he showed me that the new hose was identical to the existing one and came with dutch packaging... Shit... I thank him and say I'll look into it, and also speak to my husband....hate the idea that we may have to fire a man with 8 kids just before Christmas

frantic email back to the Hague where the previous tenants are now living - did they leave the hose behind ? Reply - no idea - new house is still full of boxes...
in the meantime, I have a conversation like ... so Evariste, I mentioned the new hose to Lon, and he thinks we paid money to Robert-Jan for a hose along with many other things for the house, wasn't there one here?? subtle like Sherlock Holmes me...he replied, no there was no new hose left behind.

New email to DH, asking less cryptically did they give the hose to the gardener?
24 hours pass, during which the gardener keeps looking at me through the window, and the guard gives dirty looks to the gardener.

Then the gardener eventually knocks on the patio doors, and gets to his knees and begs me not to fire him. Stand up I say (he stays on his knees), he then admitted that he hadn't stolen anything, but had not been honest by explaining he was selling me the hose himself, but that he needed the money. He then went on to list all the things given to him and all the other staff by the previous owners. I still had no confirmation that his story was true, but decided to give him the benefit of the doubt, and I said that I was disappointed in the way he behaved, but would only fire him if the reply I got from the Hague indicated the hose was not his to sell.

Friday afternoon was Christmas Box day, so we gave everyone their gifts, and explained that the matter with Evariste was closed.

Then late Friday night we got confirmation that the hose was his...

Having staff is far more stressful than I imagined
PS the price was a good one!