A quiet garden achiever...
Right. This week I'm going to become a quiet garden achiever. Edges, raking grass, clearing rubbish, weeding, burning, pruning... you name it, I intend to do some of it EACH DAY.
Monday 8th March
So far so good. I've cleared two barrowfuls of unwanted shasta daisies and brought back two barrowfuls of rubbish to burn. I'm working my way along the back lawn border (the one with the rose Mermaid along the fence - ouch!!). 'Gentle and Mellow' is out for this March.
The First Autumn Burn-up
At the end of the day - I've been on task. One day down. I have now arrived at the breakaway raspberries on the back lawn fence. Tomorrow I intend to dig out sample plants to build a row in the orchard paddock, then dig/poison all the remaining runners! 'Fierce but Sensible' is my new gardening motto.
Tuesday 9th March
I'm off outside to do another good day's work. I like the idea of being a 'fierce but sensible' gardener. I'm going to make a start on the big raspberry rip-out. But before I do, my March Animal Report (abridged)...
March Animal and Bird Report
- Taj-dog has got over his weekend bicycle ride.
- The visiting sheep went back home this morning.
- The duck has gone AWOL again.
- All cats are present and correct.
- The garden is full of squeaking zooming fantails - one even does a daily swoop in and out of the house.
Fantail
I'm back, having had a small battle with the raspberry canes. I have won a small area of cleared ground, and have a bucketful of canes which will form the basis of my official berry patch. It's a struggle to clear the roots from this wee garden area, though (I have really tried hard, but have had to do a bit of subtle spraying, oops). Anyway, my week continues to be a gardening success, if not rigorously organic.
Wednesday March 10th
I have harvested some purple beans! And the tomatoes are finally turning red. And there are self-sown lettuce seedlings everywhere. Yippee! All I have to do now is process the ten plus bucketloads of (Black Doris?) plums still on the tree. Does one bean harvest make a successful vegetable gardener? Here it does! Now I have to remember to cook them.
Garden Journals :- My original journals were all faithfully hand-written. These days, typing straight into the computer seems to be the thing...
I also have a deep philisophical question - should I write in my diary before or after my morning's gardening session? For example, I haven't written a gardening list for ages. And the first cricket test starts today... So you can see there isn't a moment to lose. An action-packed morning is about to begin.
Two Hours Later...
Well, an action packed two hours, at least. I've been further battling with the raspberry roots and general mess in the back lawn garden. The rose Mermaid runs along this fence-line, so you can imagine what happens every time I lose balance, or even stand up too quickly - eek! Mermaid is an ugly yet beautiful brute - a rose that requires gauntlets and hard hats.
Mermaid Rose
Friday 12th
Right! After yesterday's no-work policy (a day thoroughly enjoyed, however!) today I am back to attack the Moosey garden. However, as I sit here thinking of what I'd like to do today, I can't think of much that needs doing. This cannot be correct! So I'm going to tour the garden mentally, and write a general list. Then we'll see how much gets done!
- General List of Things to Do
- Clear the gum tree rubbish by the Pumphouse, and burn it.
- Weed the semi-successful vege garden.
- Pot up seedling tussocks properly.
- Rake paths in Wattle Woods.
- Rake lawns over the water race, do edges.
- Do edges in Pond Paddock, weed and clear borders.
- Start clearing the area behind the Pumphouse.
- Start clearing the Hump, and burn it.
Pretty boring list - should take me at least a month!
Pat Austin
Later...
An excellent morning's work - I've actually done some of the first four items on my list! As an instant reward I am allowed to rest up, read my book, and watch a bit of the cricket on TV, while the remains of my rubbish fire smoulder outside.
I've never been home during March (our first official Autumn month) before. It seems to be a really great month - settled weather, still days, cricket, and lots of treats in the garden (like the roses blooming again, and of course my purple beans which taste beautiful).
I'm back after another two solid hours, clearing behind the Pumphouse (see, it was even on my list!) - what a wonderful day! To think that last year I would have been surviving at work on such a day (and tired out, too). I wouldn't even have had time for the cricket!