April - Easter
Happy Easter to the Moosey Garden, which is waiting patiently. What will happen first? Perhaps the Head Gardener will plant all the bargains she's brought back from the Big Nursery Sale...
Good Friday 14th April
Ha! This is me, AKA Head Gardener, HG for short, and yes - I have been to the Big Sale. THE BIG EASTER PLANT SALE. A sale of which I had huge expectations, as per usual. Oddly, what I went to get were not represented in the sale table, but I still filled two trolleys.
Autumn - The Frisbee Lawn
I am now the proud owner of the following bargain plants (unfortunately no Pittosporums):
New Plants
- Canna Tropicannas
- Can't have too many of these! These fat clumps, dying disgracefully in their large sale price pots, will just love it here in the house garden.
- Unknown Perennial Geranium
- This shows my style and class - as a grabber of sale price plants, that is!
- Epimediums
- Ditto! Two fat pots, beautiful shaped leaves.
- Kalmia Latifolia Pequot
- Ha! Growing sideways out of its pot, I will plant it to cascade down the water race bank. I will treat it like an honorary rhododendron.
- Phormium Tricolor
- A little plant - but it will grow big and strong!
- Forsythia and Griselinia
- Two old tough shrubs for the Welcome Garden.
- Unknown Grass
- Label says it copes with dry shade - so into the Welcome Garden it goes!
And now, the big moment - what to do first? It's Easter Good Friday, a holiday, which means that I could possibly get garden help, if I act now! Perhaps I could request some carting of rubbish for the burning pile! Non-gardening partner has already been told off for accidentally spraying the Stella D'Oro daylilies, thinking they were a grass weed. I'd better go and sweet-talk him before he decides to disappear for a four hour walk with the dog!
Later
I did it! I have had seriously good burning help. I have promised a credit in the journal (he'd much rather it was chocolate). It was touch and go there at first - suddenly the fixing of a cycle puncture appeared to be of the highest priority. The trick I've perfected is to sigh in a resigned, hard-working sort of way, and trudge off slowly with the rake. I think it's called a guilt trip? Oops...
Pink Aster with Flax
So I've half dug out (and spread) the ash heap, to be fully replaced two hours later. While I started the clear-up behind the pond, my garden helper filled the trailer from rubbish in the Hump. What a productive family we are! Son has been stacking split firewood in the wood-shed, daughter-in-law is making an apple pie for lunch. Yum!
I Love My Family!
The animal family are also having a splendid day. Rusty Dog has spent his morning groaning (it's the only way to describe the noise) at a flittering fantail. All six cats are sun-snoozing in cat-lounge. I love my whole family! That means you, Moosey relatives in the Maldives and London! I love my friends! And, of course, I love my garden (please note that I do not love burning).
Easter Saturday - 15th April
First thing I'll do today is to return to the nursery sale to check up on the Bargain Bin. Today I might strike it lucky and see a forest of potted Pittosporums chorusing 'Buy us! Buy us!' And I will! The second thing involves (oops) the Birthday Rose Garden and Daughter of Moosey, for whom I still need to buy 2006 birthday presents. Two thousand and six roses? Hmm... That's a thought...
I did plant five new coral peonies in her garden a few days ago - but that can't really count. Organic birthday gifts (for example, roses) require a certain ceremony, particularly when the lucky recipient is not in residence. All of this brings me to - the Saturday newspaper! I must find an Easter rose sale - there always is one! Then, off we will go!
Camouflage Cat
As well as the spending the gardening petty cash, there will be more burning, possibly weeding, and definitely some raking. Aargh! A real, responsible gardener could fill her days (and her journal) just with details of these important, repetitive garden tasks. But no - without dreams and silly random plans her journal would wither and wilt! So for the sake of a non-boring journal I feel I must check out those plant sales! Ha! The perfect justification! Later this morning I am zooming down the road to pick up some hostas from one of my new retirement friends. She's digging them up them today. Yippee! So much to do! And so much time!
Back After the Sale
Hee, hee! We found the rose sale. Bought five birthday roses. The Bargain Bin back at the nursery was semi-stocked. Bought Bergenias (Bressingham Ruby), Coprosmas, more fat pots of Cannas - Bengal Tigers, in honour of Tiger the cat - and a beautiful wine purple perennial Verbena.
Later, Apres-Gardening, Pre-Rugby...
Wow! What an amazing day! I've collected and burnt one more trailer-load of rubbish - hot and bothersome work, but no way am I grumpy! My friend has given me clumps and clumps of hostas - also some perennial geraniums, euphorbias, and alchemilla mollis. I intend to break up the large hostas and pot up the divisions. I have never, ever had so many new plants to organise before! Maybe - just maybe - tomorrow could be reserved for planting only! Right. Time to concentrate on the rugby.
Autumn Garden Life
Easter Sunday - 16th April
Aargh! How am I going to organise today in the garden? Have been running mental scenarios since daybreak, worrying (nicely) about serious things like:
- Should I pot up the newly divided hostas, or just put them in the ground?
- Could a few of the birthday roses actually NOT go in the Birthday Rose Garden?
- If I plant the new Cannas in their intended place by the house, will the house painters (whose arrival is imminent) stomp all over them?
Add in the burning question, plus the shame at a garden visitor wandering around the very un-weeded and un-edge-trimmed Moosey Garden late yesterday, plus a proposed walk in the mountains, a dog-bicycle ride... Then how about some piano practice? And the house windows desperately need cleaning, so I can gaze out spiritually at a streak-free garden, when I've finished everything else.
- 'The best way to get started is to start...'
- -Obvious but often necessary advice to self.
What is that famous quote again? The best way to get started is to start... I don't think a list of tasks would be wise - it would stretch off the page. Perhaps less of the dribbling on in this journal, and more of the doing. Right A second cup of fortifying tea, and then I will exit the house calmly, checking that the wheelbarrow contains gloves, hand digger, spade, secateurs and rake. Then - who knows?
David Austin Rose - But Which One?
Much Later...
I've been weeding all day, slowly making my way from the Stables garden, through the Birthday Rose Garden, then over the water to the Willow Tree and further. I've planted two of the new roses - Austin Wonder and Austin Velvet - wonder if there is a rose called Austin Powers... I've done minimal burning and half an hour of dog-cycling. I've had a good gardening day.
Monday 17th April
Good morning to all the Moosey cats and dog, friends, family and garden. New hostas! Happy Easter! Hang on there - I promise I will sort you out today - pot or garden? A special good morning to Stumpy the lap-sitting-journal-writing cat. Now the preliminaries are over, I haven't actually got anything of any substance to say. In self moderation, therefore, I will stop twittering. Over - and out?