Flowering...

The roses are now flowering everywhere. And serious systematic watering of the garden is firmly in place - how short the spring growing season has been!

 Three to four weeks old.
Rusty the New Puppy

Thursday 11th November

I feel so guilty. On Monday and Tuesday all I did was water the garden (I have been seriously working on school work at home, inside, on the computer). I went out to shift hoses every hour, and ripped out Honesty.

Early Summer Garden

More and more roses are flowering - it's magical. The lawns are starting to brown off - not so magical! The big irrigation pump has gone back in the pond and hopefully this weekend will be its first run.

The beautiful apricot rose Crepuscule on the pergola is just about out, as is the apple-blossom smelling scrambler which covers the woodshed. These two roses signal the end of spring. It's a lovely time in the garden.

Yesterday I went to work again. All day. But as a reward I made a return visit to Ilam Gardens with my walking friend. The famous Ilam hybrid deciduous azaleas were in full flower, beds and beds of them - spreading far and wide underneath towering rhododendron trees. Every warm colour imaginable could be seen - the proper emerald green lawn setting off the azaleas brilliant display. Tame ducks waddled about in slow groups, the Gunnera and the Cordyines looked beautiful, and I quickly regained my gardening soul. Thank you, Ilam Gardens in bloom!

 A David Austin single rose - Redcoat?
Red Roses

Today - well, no comment. I am computer-bound again for most of the day. But I get paid for it, and the end is in sight!

Friday 12th November

I'm afraid it will be much of the same today. The new puppy Rusty (a red border collie) arrives in two weeks - eek! We have ordered a 'large' size dog-motel. Rusty is so beautiful. I hope he will enjoy living at Mooseys Country Garden. Poor cats! Poor old resident Taj-dog!

 The Pond Paddock archway in late spring.
Clematis Montana

Tuesday 16th November

Aargh! I've been back in the Moosey garden since Sunday, but strangely I haven't felt like writing anything - I've been watering, pulling out weeds, and checking all the roses. More and more are flowering - I think it's suddenly turned into early summer.

My long hours of computer work for school are officially finished. Today I feel quite tired, so I've taken some rose photographs and read a book in the shade. I have missed the garden, and writing up my diary too.

The irises are in flower. Crepuscule and the neighbouring pink scrambler are looking beautiful. It's time to pull out the variegated Honesty and save some seeds. My production of flowering annuals is in full swing. Everything is going really well.

Ahem - all except my Wattle Woods stream which I can't get going (I have tried three times today). And the hens and rooster still are free-ranging around the house. Rooster now starts crowing about 5:30 am. Chicken has turned into a three-quarter sized hen. White hen is still dazed and confused and is sitting on a nest full of nothing under the big flax. Some things change - some things stay the same!

 Such a pretty colour.
geraniums

Sorry to have gone AWOL for a few days. I'm back!