Ouch!
I've had a slow start to the gardening month - no sore knees, no sore hands, but no accomplishments either. Ouch - it's time to put that right! And if I feel like being dreamy and repetitive - well, there's always a little light weeding!
Crab-Apple Blossom
I have good flowery news. The little smoky blue irises in the Birthday Rose Garden are flowering. I love them! My neglected tulips are, too - here a blob of bright red, there a small collection of pale lemons. Whoosh goes the wind and down go the tulip petals. Feeling a tiny bit guilty, I remember a promise made months ago to take tulips more seriously. Oops - no new stock got planted, and I think that's really what I meant.
Rhapsody Garden
Today I plan to finish planting the small Rhapsody in Blue rose garden. The planned colours (ha! be impressed) are blue, creamy yellow, white, and clean green tending to lime. And I don't care if it sounds like a restaurant colour scheme! I am trying to have these colours present in all four seasons - so far, so good, with daffodils, rosemary, and the Yellow Wave flax.
The Koru Sculpture
The Koru sculpture sits in the middle, looking like an ancient slab, a rock of ages. I've spent many quiet moments here - now a few active moments are required.
My pile of donated old newspaper is about as high as I am, so another sensible morning task would be to use it on the garden. The trailer is half-full of compost - it's not much use sitting in there, feeding the trailer bottom. And I need more stones for the dog-paths and for the low retaining walls by the water.
Blue and Yellow
Things To Do...
Aargh! Things to do? I think I have far too many things to do! Time to get out and make a good start. What should I wear? How cold is it? And where is my cricket radio? No grumping allowed. Maybe, just maybe I could plant all my new things - then I could zoom off to the nursery for more! Hee hee...
Lunchtime...
A well-behaved gardener who has stayed on task all morning is well rewarded with a smoked salmon and salad sandwich. Yum! And how's this for good sense - I have two eight dollar climbing roses to find places for, both Souvenir de Madame Leonie Viennot. According to research, the Madames are extremely vigorous, and would do their own thing well on a rustic fence. Obviously not to be satisfied climbing up a little house trellis! Whew! That was close!
So apres-smoked-salmon I'm off back outside to find a suitable fence. I've already planted the Rosemary shrubs (Rusty in torment at the almost immediate bee visitors), the Butterflies rose, and one flax. And I have weeded the Willow Tree Garden, trimmed the edges, and put the bright blue garden seats back in their gardener-at-rest position. But there is still much to do. And the lawns over the water race were not mowed last weekend! Disgraceful!
Ready For the Visitors
Cat and Dog Company
Rusty the dog has been my constant friend, hopping in and out of the water race, while Fluff-Fluff has provided attentive dry land cat company. So I've sneaked them both some special rump steak for lunch. Shush... Don't tell the other cats (or the carnivorous humans).
Friday 5th October
Oh dear. It's nearly 2 pm and I have to empty the trailer of compost before tomorrow - it's sheep shearing day. It takes me ages, even with the long handled shovel. Oh well - better get started. Think of the joy that compost brings to a garden, after it's been spread around. My plants will love me!
Cats in a Tree
Blowing in the Wind
The hoses need to go on, too, and my glass-house plants and seedlings need watering. I need to get out there (am feeling slightly lazy) and simply get going. There is no need to say anything more. No more procrastination. OK, so it's warm, and the wind is blowing quite fiercely, and it will be noisy under the gum trees - poor gardener!
Three Hours Later...
The wind has roared and whooshed and gusted - rumbled its bellyful like the wind in King Lear. It's been annoying and tiring and noisy - head banging weather! My cats have been fearlessly climbing trees, and dangling from the ends of light branches. Eek! I hope my hens haven't blown away.
I've emptied the trailer, and weeded Rusty dog's Lavender garden, and it's taken me three hours. What is it with me and shovels? I must lean on the handle and wander off in a daydream, without noticing.
+5
Meanwhile Rusty has been zealously guarding the Frisbee Lawn from marauding packs of pigeons. And the occasional jet plane, streaking high overhead, which he has successfully chased off the property. Good dog! It's a shame about the duck manure, which he's managed to plaster over both shoulders. His fur is a rich shade of green - yuk!
Contrast this with my beautiful Tiger cat, sleeping in the sun amongst a pile of son's guitars and some Indian fabric cushions. She looks radiant. I refuse to take pictures of my disgraceful dog with his 'mane' of pond-green fur.
Cat Composition
Saturday 6th October
Yippee! It's the weekend and I have human company, as well as cat, dog, sheep, and chook. This morning the sheep are going down the road to be shorn, and I need to buy some bags of chook wheat and layer pellets, plus some potting mix. My little car will be well weighted down!
Go the All Blacks - Please...
It is the weekend of a dreadfully important rugby match, too. If the New Zealand All Blacks lose... Aargh! We just can't contemplate that. Will I even have the nerve to listen to the match? I will plant my patriotic little silver fern flag somewhere in the garden, for good luck. Ahem - go the All Blacks - please...