Brr...
Autumn Wisteria Leaves
Brr... I was warm while I was doing mobile gardening - I've been carting and burning gum tree rubbish. But seven degrees Celsius are not enough degrees for static outdoor comfort - for the wimp in me, anyway.
Saturday 9th May
Today garden maintenance seems ever so slightly, a teeny weeny bit - boring. Sorry! Trouble is I've been checking out gardens to visit in Washington DC, peering at warm photographs of near-summer garden displays. Then I go outside in the gloom to clean up another part of the damp fence-line rubbish and wonder why I'm plodding so slowly...
Self-Seeding Weeds
At this time of the year I decide that my self-seeding programme is a crock. My weeds join in the open invitation, and I wish I could just throw mulch over everything in the flower gardens - as I can in the shrubberies. Hmm... And I must have a squillion Lychnis plants where I only really require, say, twenty in a border. If, say, Lychnis plants were valuable and desirable I would make enough money in a day to buy that pukeko sculpture I like. Humph...
There are many things I need to finish before my warm-weather two week's holiday in Washington. For example, all pelargoniums and daisies must be protected from Mister Frost. Oh well - guess I'd better return for another couple of cold hours. Sorry if I sound gloomy and lazy - those wonderful Washington photographs should have inspired me. OK - If I get hopelessly moochy outside I'll organise Non-Gardening Partner to help me (then, obviously, I will have to set a good, cheerful example). Back soon.
Back Immediately...
Blast! NGP has just this minute escaped with Rusty the dog. Since I love them both to bits I will stop moaning and deftly unplug that which has plugged up the pipe from the great reservoir of Moosey energy. Ha! Older-Lady Gardener has problems with plumbing...
Roly Poly Rusty Dog
Much, Much Later, Apres Gardening...
Ha! It's 5:30 pm, nearly dark, and I'm in my pyjamas and dressing-gown (I'm allowed). Percy the ginger cat is sitting on my lap, leaning in and being smoochy. I am so ashamed of my earlier journal sentences - and so proud that I have redressed the balance of the day. I did two more hours burning - that's all - but my route took me back and forth along the water race. Thus I could admire my submerged stone wall, and check the autumn leaf progress. The gardens on the water's edge looked so beautiful!
Euphorbia :- Euphorbias are hard working little shrubs in my garden, and I take them completely for granted.
Then I poked and prodded at the fire and talked to myself about gardening stuff. Like how I love the Euphorbias which are popping up along the sloping edge of the water race.
And how I really love gardening and being outdoors, even when it's seven degrees. Honestly - I really do...
Web-site Spelling Mistake Fines Now Total $193
My web-site spelling blitz continues, and I've now found 193 spelling mistakes. At a dollar per error that's quite something. I've promised to donate the self-imposed fines to charity. Son-In-Law-Of-Moosey (SILOM?) has suggested that I sponsor a street cat or dog in Bangkok (that's where Daughter of Moosey lives and works). I've been looking at the SCAD Bangkok website and getting quite teary-eyed.
Two Rescued Moosey Cats
Lucky Cats!
I think of the feral cats at my friend Judith's colony, now all happy, healthy, neutered adults. I look at the colony kittens I've adopted over the years - namely Fluff-Fluff and B-Puss, then Histeria, Percy, and Lilli-Puss.
And I look at little Minimus the new Moosey kitten, found wild and starving in my woodshed. Now she is the happiest, healthiest kitten, and so very affectionate. My goodness the Moosey animals are lucky!
Sunday 10th May
Happy Mothers' Day!
And Happy Mothers' Day to meeeeeeee. Wow! I am one of the older, bolder - and soon to be colder - mothers, by New Zealand's pre-winter gardening standards anyway. It is TWO degrees Celsius outside and I'm determined to do some Mothers' Day garden work. Digital dexterity is impaired below eight degrees, so I might be a bit sloppy.
Actually there's driving vertical rain outside, so I think I'll have a second cup of hot tea and wait awhile. All the downstairs cats are curled up in cat boxes, and Minimus the kitten is playing cat-soccer with a hazelnut. The bad weather reminds me - Minimus is so lucky to be a Moosey cat. I often wonder what happened to her wild siblings (the little tabby and the black that I couldn't catch).
Later...
No way! I don't do THREE DEGREES gardening (that's Celsius)...
The Cold Water Race
Monday 11th May
At last - sunshine, after zero degrees Celsius to start the morning. I took Rusty the dog on a really long cycle ride over the warm lunch window (that sort of makes sense) - instead of doing any gardening. Then I watched some TV. That's two whole days during which I've been a lapsed gardener. Oops. Haven't lost my faith, though - it's just been cold and damp and I did do all that tremendously hard work getting the garden ready for the Garden Club visit...
Tuesday 12th May
Another oops. But my friend and I have been drinking lots of coffee and discussing a visit we'd like to make to the next Dunedin Rhododendron Festival. That's in October - I went last year.
Cats and Dog on Willow Bridge
And then I've been wandering around my garden with the animals taking photographs. Rather wintry looking, I'm afraid. For proof, see above!
Thursday 14th May
Today is a day for the garden - the lovely weather is back. And some lovely botanical surprises, yesterday, while walking on the Peninsula Hills. Lots of New Zealand pepper trees (Pseudowintera) were growing underneath the bluffs by the track. They were very green in leaf - mine are very blotchy red (caused by sun?). I love this shrub.
Daisies :- My favourite daisies at the moment are my pink ones - I don't want to lose these plants.
Today I am dressed for gardening, and rather than impose a list I will flit, free as a bee, from task (mulching) to task (burning). Pelargoniums and daisies only have three days to get themselves into the glass-house, and the lawns all need raking. Hmm... Perhaps 'flit' isn't quite the right word. And from what I've seen of bees they're not exactly free, either - they're more like hard working slaves.
Later...
Hmm... I've been weeding and mulching the Stables Garden. Blast! I've found a patch of irises that should have been divided and replanted months ago. I've been covering up heaps of seedlings with my mulch - that's just too bad. Apologies to all squashed pansies and forget-me-nots.