Garden Journal 2005

A close-up of the geraniums, to celebrate a new year with close-up button.
2005 - the year of the close-up photo

Will my garden journal for 2005 contain even more detail than past years? When will I run out of things to say? When will the Moosey Garden finish expanding and reach some natural equilibrium? Pressing questions, to which the answers are 'yes', 'never' and again 'never'...

And what about the pictures which accompany the Moosey 2005 Journal? Will the small flying things in the Moosey garden again be interrupted by the camera pressing close?

Let us hope that the novelty of the close-up button wears off and we get back to decent views and vistas, and some decent rural country garden ambience...

New Years Week 2005New Years Week 2005...
Happy New Gardening Year. No need for New Year's Resolutions - perceptive gardeners make resolutions each month of the year. I have a stack of Next November's Resolutions including spraying the roses before they get rust and sowing more pansy seeds.
In the mood...In the mood......
The first week of the new gardening year continues. Finally I am in the mood to garden - settled weather would help! How about some sunshine?
Supposed to settle down...Supposed to settle down......
Gardening weather is supposed to settle down this week - yippee! I do not require East Coast Australian temperatures - just some summer days in the balmy twenties (celsius) would do.
Let the summer days begin!Let the summer days begin!...
Let the summer days begin! Barbecues on the patio, sitting in the garden shade reading, gently raking fallen leaves off the paths, gliding through the gardens at dusk, watching the sparkling water...
Finally!Finally!...
It's now the third week of January, and finally we've had two really hot summer days. Just two! I am ready to do some extreme warm-weather garden watering.
Summer reflections...Summer reflections......
I've been having some summer reflections on the state of the Moosey Garden, where everything (when watered) is growing quite nicely! Even on dry blustery days the garden sparkles. I am very lucky!
Plans to build a shrubbery...Plans to build a shrubbery......
I suddenly have huge plans to 'build' a shrubbery behind the pond. This actually means clear the ground, add organic matter to the soil, mulch, water, and shift in some very small plants...
Mad dogs and old-lady gardeners...Mad dogs and old-lady gardeners......
Yippee - the long hot days of summer continue, and I am trying to garden logically and sensibly. Mad dogs and old-lady gardeners go out in the mid-day sun?
Going on for ever?Going on for ever?...
January seems to be going on for ever - endless sunny days of summer gardening with two cats, two kittens, a puppy and a gang of chooks. The big irrigation is now running at nights - serious watering has begun!
Beth Chatto wouldnBeth Chatto wouldn't be silly enough......
The wind blows, the gum leaves, bark strips (and the odd branch) descend. I'm certain Beth Chatto wouldn't be silly enough to have flowery gardens and lawns underneath huge inherited gum trees.
Semi-retirement...Semi-retirement......
Ha! In past years the first weekend in February would have been spent back in the garden rushing around, trying to forget the pressures of the first week back at work. Ha! Not any more, as I settle serenely into my second year of semi-retirement.
Light gardening duties...Light gardening duties......
Oops! The Year of the Rooster has started a little vaguely. For each of the last three extremely hot days I've had to go in to work. I've been on light gardening duties, and have spent most of my gardening time shifting hoses and watering things.
The Year of the Rooster...The Year of the Rooster......
The Year of the Rooster continues, and my very own bird (bless him) has suddenly, randomly taken himself and his hens off next-door. I feel slighted, and wonder if this is unlucky for my garden!
Garden-lazy...Garden-lazy......
Discipline is required - the weather is beautiful, there is no wind - and I am feeling very garden-lazy. I have one week to get the whole Moosey garden ready for my special garden visitor, and there is far too much garden chaos.
Scruffier by the day...Scruffier by the day......
My late February garden seems to get scruffier by the day - and the mornings are starting to get darker and cooler. It's officially late summer.
Outgrown their positions...Outgrown their positions......
I've gone all fierce - I've suddenly had enough of the big drab Phormium Tenaxes which are dotted around the house gardens. These fearsome foliage plants have outgrown their positions. Large flaxes will in future only be allowed by the water race.
A second large pond?A second large pond?...
Aargh! It's March already and I'm still pottering away in my garden doing small items of general maintenance (and attacking my large flaxes). Early autumn is the perfect time for a major soil digging project - a second large pond would be nice!
No half measures...No half measures......
The flax removal continues - with wheelbarrowfuls of slippery flax leaves, and much flourishing of secateurs and the big kitchen knife. No half measures - I am reminded of my great Pittosporum Hunt last autumn...
A strange time of year...A strange time of year......
The days are getting noticeably shorter, and faster, too. This is a strange time of year, balanced delicately between summer (sun, flowers) and autumn (cool, leaf-drop). I should be digging new gardens, before time runs completely out.
The plant sale season has started!The plant sale season has started!...
The plant sale season has started! Perhaps the small amount of paid work I've been doing has a purpose after all. I love the autumn sales - I immediately want new roses, and new shrubs - and new trees...
Mooching around...Mooching around......
It's nearly the middle of March and I'm mooching around. Where's the energy to put all my wonderful garden ideas into practice? I blame the cricket (which we keep losing, really badly) - this must de-motivate the staunchest of cricket-loving gardeners.
Spending up large...Spending up large......
The early autumn garden nursery sales continue - and I'm now spending up large (oops) buying plants for the Moosey garden - including new roses. I'm sick of being frugal and careful with money - it's about time I went on a new rose-buying spree.
Rejected hostas!Rejected hostas!...
I have ground to dig, trees and roses to plant, and a carful of rejected hostas from a gardening friend. The new birthday garden needs to be finished (and photographed) by Easter!
The Birthday Garden...The Birthday Garden......
It's the Easter weekend, and I've been to the big plant nursery sale once - so far. I plan to have the whole of the new Birthday Garden planted, manured and mulched - as long as the long range weather forecast for persistent rain is proved wrong!
Easter WeekendEaster Weekend...
The Easter weekend hasn't quite finished, and I haven't quite finished the Birthday Garden. It's dug and mulched, but needs just a few more roses to fill in the gaps. I wonder if the rose sale is still on...
Slow down, speed up...Slow down, speed up......
A is for April - A is for Autumn. The garden slows down, but the gardener has to speed up - leaf raking marathons, garden rubbish fires, pruning and clipping to clear paths, stones to collect, firewood to organise. And all those sale plants to plant!
I love my garden in early autumn...I love my garden in early autumn......
The early autumn days continue, bringing a peaceful ambience to the Moosey gardens. Even my digging and burning sessions seem to have become more relaxed. I love my garden in early autumn.
Thirty unplanted plants!Thirty unplanted plants!...
I still have thirty (thirty!) unplanted plants from the Easter nursery sale sitting on the garden bench by the new Birthday Rose Garden. Guess what I'll be doing all weekend?
A funny, in-between feeling...A funny, in-between feeling......
The autumn temperatures are still quite mild. What a funny, in-between feeling there is in the Moosey garden!
Hee hee! On holiday...Hee hee! On holiday......
Hee hee! It's technically the first week of my autumn holiday. I have huge plans, and for once none of them involve spending any money on plants. Mind you, that rose sale is still on...
My garden clearing programme...My garden clearing programme......
The autumn weather is still mild and dry, and my autumn holiday garden clearing programme continues. The very first solo Moosey garden make-over has almost worked...
April Anzac WeekendApril Anzac Weekend...
The autumn Anzac weekend continues - with a surprise stormy kick in the weather. Out comes the full set of gardening (and/or tramping) thermals. Standing in the water race weeding does not appeal, but it's on my list!
OK, so now itOK, so now it's really Autumn......
OK, so now it's really Autumn. The Frisbee Lawn had a frost last night. A fierce southerly storm has blown down half the beautiful autumn leaves on the Moosey trees. And the soft-stemmed dahlias look like they're ready to expire.
Last Weekend of AprilLast Weekend of April...
I have far too much to say this autumn! It's the last autumn holiday weekend, and it feels like my last chance to get the garden ready for winter - which, of course, it isn't. There will soon have to be a mad mulching marathon throughout the garden.
The merry month of May? Hmm...The merry month of May? Hmm......
Aargh! May has sneaked up on me. The sun is now so much lower in the sky. The first big frosts are due. The merry month of May? Hmm... Maybe if I stashed some brandy in the glass-house...
I dug and I mulched...I dug and I mulched......
The autumn gardening song, heard over the water race where the head gardener has been lurking (and singing to herself) - 'I dug and I mulched, and I dug and I mulched - and I dug and I mulched myself sore....'
Path focus...Path focus......
I suddenly have remodelling plans for the gardens over the water race. My focus is paths. And I am worrying about the many Verbascum seedling plants which are appearing everywhere - some sensible preventative action may be needed.
Gardening momentum...Gardening momentum......
I am determined to keep my gardening momentum going after my super-active garden weekend. Autumn leaves are now off the trees and on the ground - I'm planning to make leaf-mould. I'm going to dig and chop back every day.
Blast! ItBlast! It's still raining......
Blast! It's still raining, it's the start of the weekend, and I have huge, huge plans - which do not involve getting wet and muddy.
Well organised?Well organised?...
May reaches an end, and everything in the garden seems to have gone really quiet. So far there have been no real frosts to spoil early morning gardening plans. I've already folded over all the Gunnera leaves - how well organised is that?
Touch wood...Touch wood......
I'm coping rather well with the short days and the winter sun slinking through the sky. The great Moosey Winter Clean-Up is slowly but surely gathering momentum - still no major morning frosts (or southerly snow storms) to spoil things! Touch wood...
The feeblest of suns...The feeblest of suns......
It's the beginning of June - the month with the feeblest of suns, the month of morning frosts and southerly storms - maybe even snow!
The first frost...The first frost......
We've now had the first frost (of about four degrees) - any daisies or pelargoniums still left in the garden will be history! I've temporarily become a winter weekend gardener - blame the weather!
Winter weekend gardening legends...Winter weekend gardening legends......
Winter weekend gardening legends are allowed to write as much as they like about their successful weekends in the garden, with lots of plant details, and much boasting. Ha!
At work!At work!...
This is terrible! I have been at work all week. The only time I've seen the garden is on animal walks with puppy and the ginger kitten. It always seems to be dark when I'm home!
Too late?Too late?...
We are just past the winter solstice. The days have started to get longer - well, just a tiny fraction, but enough to lift my gardening spirits towards spring. Should I plant some more spring bulbs? Is it too late?
Record every detail!Record every detail!...
The sun is low in the sky, the garden is almost asleep - nothing much is really happening to write about. So do I take the hint? No! I desperately wish to record every gardening detail! Here goes...
Where did June go?Where did June go?...
My goodness! Where did June go? Looking back, I should now have every garden border weeded, cleared and mulched. It's much easier to garden in the warm expanses of the mind than in the reality of frosts, southerly storms, and feeble winter sun.
Climbing roses...Climbing roses......
I'm gradually acquiring pairs of climbing roses for the new rose avenue in the Hazelnut Orchard. Which should be 'planted' first - the archways, or the roses which will twine up and over? Hmm...
Frosty mornings...Frosty mornings......
Suddenly these July mornings have turned frosty - it's difficult to start any gardening before 10:30 am. Everything must be in order before we fly to Samoa for our winter-summer holiday!
Visiting NelsonVisiting Nelson...
It's late Sunday afternoon, and we have arrived back - not from Samoa but from Nelson. Brr! I have just wandered around the Moosey garden with my long range spectacles on, to see what's grown and what's changed in the last four days.
II'll have to spend all my winter weeding......
Right. The Moosey garden is not looking its best. There is much maintenance work to be done and remedial action to be taken. Every garden border is full of weeds, weeds, weeds - and then more weeds. I'll have to spend all my winter weeding. Humph!
Why?Why?...
The great Moosey winter mulching machine struggles on - why does it take me so long to cover so little ground? The garden make-over programmes on television don't have this problem - they can plant and mulch in hours. Humph...
Finish the mulching!Finish the mulching!...
I have to finish mulching (manure, newspaper and old lucerne hay) the Moosey garden by the end of July. That's approximately one garden area per day - eek! So far only the Willow Tree garden is done.
The majestic, dignified gardening month...The majestic, dignified gardening month......
Ha! Welcome to August, the majestic, dignified gardening month (according to the dictionary). I guess that means the winter gardener is poised and balanced whenever in weeding stance - the queen of the winter rubbish burning pile...
Maybe little and often is best?Maybe little and often is best?...
The days get longer, but my late winter gardening sessions seem to get shorter. Maybe little and often is best? For example, I could always burn my rubbish later in the day, and go apres-gardening twice...
The Lost WeekendThe Lost Weekend...
A Lost Weekend! Not a XXX-rated episode of Desperate Gardeners, but a journal in crisis! Due to a technological gardener error, two whole days of journal writings are lost somewhere in the cosmos - nothing to do with the flowering annual...
So very lucky!So very lucky!...
I am so very lucky! How can I ever think that even one of my little garden problems is important? Like weeds in the vegetable garden? Or not enough colour in the garden in late winter?
An impressive super-list?An impressive super-list?...
I thought while I am pruning the roses - that's all the roses - this week, I could do a count of them. Perhaps I could write all their names down in an impressive super-list!
Finish pruning the roses!Finish pruning the roses!...
This weekend I must absolutely, definitely must finish pruning the roses, including all the house archway climbers. As a responsible rose grower I need to become more pro-active in providing good, healthy conditions for these noble shrubs. Sounds serious!
Weeding comes to mind...Weeding comes to mind......
All of a sudden August is nearly over, and that definitely means spring is near. The much blessed pink flowers will again fill my garden, and the greenery will grow large and lush. I need to be on top of my gardening game - weeding comes to mind...
Spring!Spring!...
More and more spring daffodils are flowering, and I've spied the first patch of blue Muscari in the garden - sheltered underneath a lovely red-leafed leucadendron. Is it really spring? I hope so!
Have I done enough gardening this month?Have I done enough gardening this month?...
Eek! August is nearly over! Have I noticed everything that is starting to grow and flower - the daffodils, the muscari, the purple honesty? Have I done enough gardening this month?
Spring Daffodil Festival...Spring Daffodil Festival......
I can't believe that it's September already! And suddenly, overnight it seems, the Great Moosey Spring Daffodil Festival is in full bloom. Everywhere I look there are pinks, lemons, oranges and lemons...
How about some birthday weeders?How about some birthday weeders?...
It's the Moosey birthday week - the plum tree spring blossom is beautiful, temperatures are warm, there's no wind, and no rain to droop the daffodil patches. Will a truckload of birthday compost magically drive in? How about some birthday weeders?
More and more spring things...More and more spring things......
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 as green as green!
Go for it, you lovely rhododendrons!Go for it, you lovely rhododendrons!...
Aargh! The semi-official start to Week Three - September is springing is past with such speed! I'm now keeping a colourful-flower-eye on the Moosey rhododendrons. Will they enjoy the coming flowering season? Go for it, you lovely rhododendrons!
The short and sweet snow storm...The short and sweet snow storm......
I'm busy cleaning up after the (short and sweet) snow storm. Snow in late September! The daffodils now have good reason to droop, and the Honesty has been knocked back - as has the gardening confidence of the head-gardener.
Humph!Humph!...
Humph! The more I do, the more I find that needs to be done. Unseasonable snow storms have left soggy daffodils everywhere, and the orchard definitely has magical powers - every time I complete a row of pruning, a new row appears out of nowhere...
The End of SeptemberThe End of September...
Too much to say! Too much to do! I love September, and there are just days to go. I have my New Zealand Native plants to create a new garden with - very exciting, even if the area is not quite dug yet...
Sweep the house paths!Sweep the house paths!...
I am getting the garden ready for a group of lady garden visitors. Eek! Suddenly gardening priorities have changed from sweeping vistas to sweeping the house paths!
Picnics underneath the blossom...Picnics underneath the blossom......
Ha! The Clematis is flowering, as are the big Japanese Flowering Cherry trees in the Pond Paddock. It's time for reading and picnics underneath the blossom - never mind the garden maintenance, or the new garden needing to be dug and planted! Eek!
A week of planting...A week of planting......
This will be a week of planting. New climbing roses, a cluster of native New Zealand plants for a small new garden, a couple of new specimen trees - and one rather blobby conifer, for which a subtle place must be found.
Roses - please donRoses - please don't all bloom at once!...
Aargh! Blast! This week my Moosey garden experiences will be rather thin on the (unweeded) ground. There may even be no journal entries! I hope the garden will wait patiently for my return. Roses - please don't all start blooming at once!
Take time to notice and enjoy...Take time to notice and enjoy......
An assortment of plants are suddenly in flower! Perhaps it's time to step back from the hard garden work and take time to notice and enjoy these little bursts of colour - before the big bossy roses take over.
Roses everywhere...Roses everywhere......
Roses everywhere are starting flowering. Flowering shrubs are, too - and the Rhododendrons by the water race - outbursts of colour and foliage fill every border. The garden is positively blooming, radiant with good health!
Lost in the gardenLost in the garden's greenery......
I am still here! Lost in the garden's greenery, amidst a thousand rose blooms - well maybe! There's been a small matter of paid work, which has kept me rather busy, and will not be elaborated on. I must spend the money on new plants!
Green and pleasant...Green and pleasant......
I think summer has arrived! It's warm, the roses are blooming, and we've started to run the big irrigation. Sweeping lawns do not create a nice framework for the early summer borders unless they are green and pleasant.
Blame the New Zealand sun!Blame the New Zealand sun!...
The harsh New Zealand summer sunlight does exist! Today the weather is overcast and the garden looks beautiful. This is exactly the same garden which glared at me, looking washed out, hot and bothered, in the hot thirty degree sun on Friday.
A new pet lamb...A new pet lamb......
A new pet lamb to look after and enjoy, good books to read, surrounded by blooming roses and vibrantly coloured irises - let the 2005 Moosey Summer of Gardening begin!
Verdant, lush, green...Verdant, lush, green......
The rosy month of November continues colourful and flowery. Everything is looking great - except the lawns. Why do I have such scruffy lawns? Here are some inspiring lawn adjectives - verdant, lush, green...
Not up to scratch...Not up to scratch......
The lawn mowing of the Moosey lawns is just not up to scratch. The cut is rough and uneven, and there is far too much long grass by the edges. Perhaps some supervision is required?
The first official day of summer...The first official day of summer......
The first official day of summer, a brand new month, and the garden is looking more lovely than ever - as long as I don't wear my spectacles, or peer too closely at the rose leaves (aargh!) or the lawns (another aargh!)...
Getting the garden ready for Christmas...Getting the garden ready for Christmas......
I am still getting the garden ready for Christmas - weeding the banks of the water race, watering, trimming the edges of the borders. In three weeks time absolutely all parts of the rambling, random Moosey garden will be incredibly beautiful.
So much to do!So much to do!...
I am fully on holiday. I have been three quarters on holiday for a few weeks, but this is the real thing! The yellow flowering summer shrubs are beautiful. The roses are amazing. The lawns are terrible! So much to do!
A sore-hand-sulk...A sore-hand-sulk......
Hmm... Lovers of positive, optimistic garden journal writing should read no further. Ridiculous - surrounded by my summer garden and loving, faithful animals, I have got into a sore-hand-sulk. Are there such things as power secateurs?
No more gardening grumps!No more gardening grumps!...
It's the third week of December. No more gardening grumps are allowed - but there needs to be some gardening maintenance done. It's time for more dead-heading, and weeding, and path clearing, and so on...
Weeding and trimming madly...Weeding and trimming madly......
I am still weeding and trimming madly so that the Moosey garden can be as beautiful as possible for Christmas day. Oops - only one Christmas present has been purchased so far, a frisbee for the dog. The Frisbee Lawn can come alive.
Christmas WeekChristmas Week...
The Christmas week lurches onward and ever upward (a bit like the Golden Hop) - the Moosey Country Garden joins in, bravely. Minimal money is to be spent on non-gardening items. I've ordered a trailer-load of soil conditioner to be one of my presents.
Christmas DayChristmas Day...
Merry Christmas! New Zealanders get Christmas morning first, before anyone else has had the chance. Good wishes from the Moosey Animal Farm and the Beautiful but Sadly-Neglected-and-Thus-Too-Weedy-For-Christmas Country Garden.
Last Week of the YearLast Week of the Year...
My summer holidays so far are full of kittens, food, and mind-gardening! Today I get my presents - soil conditioner, and a printer for the Moosey computer. Photographs of kittens and roses can deck the walls! Real gardening can recommence!
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