Yellow rose photographs...
Patio Lettuce
Before I do any gardening today I have to send some yellow rose photographs to a friend. Oddly I don't take very many pictures of Graham Thomas, my best yellow rose. He's finished his second flush of flowering, so I've missed my chance.
Sunday 27th April
before I start twittering, I need to water the chillies, lettuces, and some droopy basil. My vegetable garden has been the usual semi-disgrace, but the patio pots have almost made up for it.
Snug in bed this morning I dreamed about the shed-retreat, my latest silly idea for a structure in the garden. This all started on my recent walking trip on Cape Campbell, where I stayed one night in a particularly cute rustic shed-retreat called The Chook House. Oh dear.
Problems With the Builder
The proposed builder of the said structure has escaped, gone to rural fire practice, and seems to be reluctant to discuss the project. He has, however, suggested a car crate, but I want ambience, a fancy window, and a little verandah, and... On dear again! I know - if I work really hard to tidy the area where I think the shed-retreat could go, and if I have intelligent plans for size and orientation, understanding the angles of the sun, and so on...
Younger Son of Moosey is supposed to be visiting - I can tell him about my latest idea, and get his artistic input. He is always totally encouraging of my garden plans, indirectly contributing to the following:
- 1. Swapping garden for lawn out the back.
- Totally his suggestion.
- 2. Erecting a summer gazebo over the water race.
- He's taken videos of gazebo structures for me.
- 3. Digging a large matching garden border in the driveway.
- His first garden suggestion - and he helped with the digging!
- 4. Building a feature stone wall.
- He suggested the expansion.
Yippee for Younger Son of Moosey, Garden Consultant to the Stars!
- 'Dog Truth Number One. The River = Dog-Heaven.'
- -Moosey Words of Wisdom.
Right. I'm off outside to finish some shrubbery plantings. Then I'll get some more river stones to edge my newest little path which wriggles into the back of the new shrubbery. Rusty the dog loves going to the river to swim, chase the tennis ball, and help collect stones. Dog Truth Number One. The River = Dog-Heaven.
Head Gardener and Dog
Much Later...
I've had an interesting discussion with Non-Gardening Partner regarding the proposed shed-retreat. He favours an open, windowless construction, more like a Samoan fale, and has suggested it be sited on the pond decking facing the water and the path of the sun. I think I agree with him. I don't want a cute tropical thatched roof, though. This is a most exciting development...
Jobs for Tomorrow
A trailer load of stones is ready and waiting - I've got enough to edge the path behind the glasshouse. There's a load of rubbish on the burning heap - these are jobs for tomorrow.
The Glass-house Path in Autumn
Monday 28th April
And now it is tomorrow, but first I'm off gymming, swimming, and sushi-ing with my friends. I am also feeding another friend's cats - two beautiful tabby boys with white splotches, originally wild cats rescued and socialised by my friend Judith. Then I have to go to the library - some of my books are silly (and, more to the point, they are overdue). I am disenchanted with reading about older ladies cycling through India. Far better to experience the adventure oneself - but possibly not India...
When I finally return Rusty (poor dog) will be released from his kennel, and all those river stones will transform into path edges. Multi-tasking rules - I am taking one of my good library books, called 'Blueprint for a Harmonious Garden', to read on the treadmill!
Mid-Afternoon...
One interesting result of reading a gardening book while pacing along on a gym treadmill - in comparison to the blandness of the exercise, the book's messages seem extraordinarily inspirational!
I'm back, it's a balmy twenty degrees (Celsius), and I'm just about to launch myself out into the garden. After three or four solid hours walking on paths of real earth, carting heavy stones in my trusty green wheelbarrow, I'll have a more critical look at that book. Hmm... Will it get the (green) thumbs up? Watch this space...
Green Wheelbarrow
Later, Dusk...
I'm tired, but really happy with my garden work. And there are yet more beautiful autumn tree colours - now the big flowering cherries in the Pond Paddock have joined the party. My friend with the cats has left me an autumn poem, which I'll now quote. I hope that 'blogs' are exempt from raids from the copyright police, since she didn't leave me the name of the author.
Autumn Poem - Author Unknown But I'm Working On It
Autumn has pulled the plug on leaves
And down they fall,
Which I suppose is why
The Americans call it FALL
And of course when they fall they wander -
They rustle -
In summer apples and pears
Drop - 'thump' - much more final
And they don't blow away.
Tuesday 29th April
Eek! It's almost the last day of April - what a sneaky month! Today I must make the most of the warm weather. A few big stones are left, to place around the Wattle Woods pond. The smaller ones go on the glass-house path. Then maybe a quiet, official 'farewell Dahlias' ceremony - there’s a big southerly arriving Thursday, and chilly temperatures and frosts are predicted. Something I didn't know - dahlias aren't good picking flowers.
But first - I'm swimming, collecting bags of horse manure, feeding my friend's cats, visiting the library, and perhaps buying a Dogwood for the new shrubbery.
Vinca
Much Later...
I've placed stones and weeded and cleared some more of the plum tree. It's a tiny bit windy to burn the rubbish. In fact there are huge leaf-carpet coverings in the Pond Paddock lawn and on the surface of the pond. All my prunus leaves have decided, almost overnight, that it's time to fall. I have retired for the day to peruse my new library books. To balance the euphoric and inspirational I've borrowed a grim, serious book called 'Winter Gardening'. Brr...
Wednesday 30th April
Goodbyeeeeee April. Today I've been walking in the foothills - we cheated the southerly rain, which arrived on us just as we arrived back at our cars. The log burner is warming up my house, and outside it's delightfully raining on my garden - particularly some clumps of Vinca which I transplanted two days ago and didn't water. I know the end of a month is an arbitrary date, but it feels like a chapter closing. Now I've got those gardening library books to read, and a jigsaw to finish, and my Albeniz to play on the piano, if it keeps on raining. April - thanks for being such an adventure-filled month!