Lambs and daffodils...

September brings lambs and daffodils and mail-order catalogues. It's a time of hope, enthusiasm and extreme optimism (and bare-root roses at ridiculously low sale prices). It is also a time for digging and dreaming.

The Wattle trees in flower are spectacular.
Sunny Glass-house and Wattle Tree

Saturday 2nd September

There are daffodils peeping up in all the beds - well, drooping down, actually, from the constant rain / drizzle. Today, Saturday, is disappointingly the same. I have a plan, however, which involves buying just a few more roses in readiness for the new Dog-Path Garden. There is a lot of glass-house work to do - I have visions of huge drifts of humble plantings like purple sage, and it is time to face reality and potting mix.

Sunday 3rd September

For the first official gardening day of spring, yesterday was pretty gloomy. We lost our first lamb, which is buried in the driveway border and over-planted with pansies and forget-me-nots. This makes me pretty sad. Then we took the trailer to a country nursery nearby, a retirement sale, 50% off all trees etc. Humph... didn't need the trailer for 3 pots of apricot irises! Then I weeded the driveway border - and the driveway. It would be so much easier just to weed-kill everything!

The continual drizzle is not good for lambs to be born in, and so the ewes are contained on the Frisbee Lawn near the stables.

Today I hope to dig the Dog-Path Garden and plant the new roses (found some Reine des Violettes at the rose sale yesterday). Twin lambs were born overnight; we will stable them with their mother if it rains.

Later...

I have worked very hard, clearing weeds and laying a stone edge to Middle Border. All the new roses are planted, which means that I am allowed to buy some more! When will it end? Planted a Cornus, Stokes Pink, in the grass near the Dog-Path Garden (which is in my mind's eye already dug, hmmm....). The twins had a good first day, as the sun shone for the first time in 2 weeks. Now the rain has started, so I might cover them for the night. New lamb hypothermia is a worry.

There will always be a blue pansy flowering somewhere in my garden.
Blue Pansies

Monday 4th September

I want to retire from my work and just be a gardener.

Saturday 9th September

Ha! I still want to retire. The garden is changing fast and I need to have mid-week time to notice and appreciate it. We have 3 lambs now, all going well, and I have sewn a few more lamb suits in case the weather deteriorates. The twins spent 48 hours of cold rain dressed in dark blue polar fleece suits (a very odd look, but it kept them warmer, and stopped us worrying).

I am off outside now - it's 7.45am I will check the lambs first.

Later...

I weeded in the new rose garden (half of the potager). I laid the brick paths for the potager and pulled weeds. Pretty boring really. The southerly (wind and rain) came mid-afternoon.

Sunday 10th September

Rain, wind, 5 degrees, and no potting mix - have just returned inside from very cold dripping glass-house. Luckily there are no new lambs, and the youngest single lamb is still wearing a lamb suit. It's SO cold!!

Today I will plan and order from catalogues and write lists.

Saturday 16th 6.45 am

Ha! What shall I do first???? I am going to work really hard all weekend - doing stones... weeding... digging... planting new perennials... checking out the bargain bin... taking more photos... shifting things... enjoying the SUNSHINE...

8.30 am - 10.30 am

Weeded and cleared by the pond and made the Pond Border just a little bigger (have plans for over here...)

10.30 am - 10.50 am

Morning tea on patio with cats

10.50 am - 12.30 pm

Potted up variegated honesty, cornflower and white Lavatera seedlings in glass-house

This is my burning heap, situated close by the water race should I need water in a hurry.
Stephen and Taj-dog tending a Rubbish Fire

12.30 pm - 1.15 pm

Accompanied Stephen in car to return extra-large chainsaw (peeped at rose sale, was terribly restrained).

1.30 pm - 3.00 pm

Burnt rubbish and weeded (planted 2 new hostas).

3.00 pm - 3.45 pm

Went to get stones.

3.45 pm - 5.00 pm

Dug and weeded in Middle Border by the water race, ready for stone wall.

5.20 pm

Apres-gardening (in white loose flowing shirt) ready to read gardening magazine and watch Olympics.

Obviously a lot of work has been done today, and all available time has been efficiently used. As well, Stephen has removed three of the major stumps from the grass area over the water race.

Observations

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