More and more spring things...
Blossom with Red Rhododendron
More and more spring things are pushing themselves centre-stage in the Moosey Garden Drama Festival. Little perennials like Stachys are suddenly looking tidy, with fresh new growth. And all the lawns are green as green!
Monday 12th September
There's something small but nice about a Monday morning (even if misty) for a semi-retired gardener. Waking up and knowing there will be time today for the garden! Yippee! Ok - so what lovely things should I do today? And what should I do first? Pressing questions...
Good morning Stumpy the cat, sitting on my lap - and to Tiger Puss, striped, brave, with legs far too short and tummy far too fat. I think she is the cat responsible for clearing out the rodents from the garage. Tiger has claimed the roof rafters as her sheltered daytime snoozing spot - and a minor rodent problem (of the rat variety) has simply gone away!
It seems fair to award Tiger a Head Gardener's Most Valuable Pet Competition bonus - five brand new Monday morning points - for services to the good health of the Moosey garage. Sometimes I think that her lovely brother cat Smoocher took a little attention and energy off her. Tiger, you are a legend too! Can your legs grow just a bit longer, so visitors (and the Moosey House Guest) don't laugh at your body-shape?
Tiger in the Sun
+5And now - a serious Monday morning list, which will be full of a nice variety of well-managed tasks (courtesy of the very slightly sore hands - no need for repetitive strain injuries from excessive weeding).
Monday List
- Plant the following roses:
- Gloire de Dijon roses on Archway Number Four, Celine de Forrestier on Number Thirteen, and the two roses lurking in the bucket of water - where to plant? Find somewhere with sun and fresh air!
- Sow the following seeds:
- It's blue focus day. Blue petunias, blue cornflowers, some pansies called 'Denim and Lace', and some blue sweet peas (probably too late for sweet peas). But - BUT - find permanent marker pen so all can be labeled.
- Start the following cuttings, under plastic:
- Penstemons, variegated Schrophularia, Lupins, Delphiniums, Pelargoniums, Daisies. Let's get organised for a feast of summer colour - now.
- Do at least half an hour of each of the following:
- You guessed it. Weeding, doing the edges, pruning more Hazelnut Orchard trees, walking with Rusty the puppy, burning the rubbish...
It's much later, and I will proudly recount the details of today's gardening triumph. I did absolutely everything on the above list. And after the longest puppy walk I did some more gardening - some silly bendy-weeding wearing my good dog-walking clothes.
Daffodils by the Front Fence
Tuesday 13th September
Nearly two weeks gone this month! Eek! This morning I only have three early hours of freedom - I plan to float around a bit (in my sit-down-to-weed-and-get-muddy jeans). No lists allowed!
Succulent Twittering?
Yesterday I really enjoyed poking around in the glass-house sowing seeds, doing cuttings, and cleaning and repotting my succulents. The big green - a Jade plant? - Crassula? - now has a proper trunk. I wish I knew more of their proper names - I am embarrassed to read my vague twitterings in the succulent pages. Then again, I've known gardeners who call every succulent a sedum!
Later...
I weeded by the Willow Tree. It is actually quite easy (weeding, I mean) - but wasn't I doing this just a few weeks ago? The new roses in the extension are budding, and there are small patches of mixed daffodils flowering - when did I plant these? Tomorrow I have almost the whole day in the garden. Yippee!
Thoughts on Spring Bulbs
I wonder how much longer the spring daffodils will last? Each morning for a week now has been moist and misty, and more and more groups are dying off. The fence-line flowers are almost all drooping. Still I'm picking bucketfuls every week for the vases in the house. This afternoon I found a large clump of flowerless bluebells stuck in shade underneath an expansive rhododendron. I will need to move them? Pity about the tulips, too- some new stock is definitely needed!