Roses and green foliage...
Roses are in bloom, there are more and more patches of yellow daylilies flowering, and everywhere there is a mass of green foliage filling up all available gaps, nurtured by the rains and the early summer sun. The garden gets more and more colourful daily.
pink roses
Sunday 4th November
OK, so it's been raining constantly all weekend. I have been 'putting off putting on' my tramping parka, if you know what I mean, and have spent a lot of wistful moments peeping out at the ever changing gardens. Roses everywhere are coming into flower, and I am itching to get outside. However, one makes a commitment when one goes outside to do some mud-gardening - for example, a complete change of clothing is needed to come back inside - so my morning's decisions must be well planned. It's time to get bossy with myself.
Rainy Gardening List:
- Plant newly purchased (sale price) flaxes in Wattle Woods Garden.
- Spread mulch absolutely everywhere there is none, since wise gardeners always ensure that the ground beneath newly spread mulch is moist.
- Seeds in glass-house - place outside to harden off and to enjoy natural watering.
- Finish new driveway border (might be too muddy)
- Do absolutely all possible edges (keeping moving when wet means keeping warm)
- Remove annoying weeds (without sitting down).
Take Outside:
- Radio (in plastic bag? Not sure of this...)
- Hot coffee thermos (Where is my thermal mug? Must find it)
- Gloves
- All possible equipment needed (get best secateurs out of kitchen cutlery drawer)
- New seed packets
- Cats (for company)
Three Hours Later...
So far so good - I am not too muddy, so have allowed myself back inside briefly to check my list and have a hot cup of coffee and lunch. Suitably fortified, I am off to the glass-house, and as soon as the car returns (my new flaxes are in the car which is down the road at fire practice) I will do some major landscaping underneath the Wattles.
Wine coloured iris in the rose garden
Four Hours Later...
I have tried to do absolutely all the edges. I am SO tired. Most of the borders are looking better - neatly clipped edges create an illusion of good order.
Saturday 10th November
I have worked for 3 hours and have decided to have a short rest before the next session. The cricket has started for the summer season, and we are not doing very well. Another cricket year like the last one, I fear, and the start of Moosey's country cricket diary updates.
I am not going to do a list for today - it is pretty obvious that every single border needs weeding and sorting out. More roses are flowering now, and there are some tall elegant deep wine coloured irises which I have no memory of ever planting. As soon as my general tidy-up is finished I will take some photos. How come that last weekend I wrote 'most of the borders are looking better'? There's none so blind, etc.
Seedlings Waiting to be Planted
Later...
The cricket was saved by rain. There are many beautiful flowers in the garden. I have found another pink rhododendron which I will shift tomorrow into the new driveway border. I have planted out the silver beet with the coloured stems and some lettuces and tomatoes (heirloom yellows) into the vege garden. It's nearly dark and I've come inside, after watering the seedlings in the glass-house. I have rather a lot of cornflower plants. Aren't they supposed to be flowering right now? Mine aren't.