Such great gardening...
President Roosevelt
Wow - it's the second week of October already. I have been doing such great gardening - time whizzes past. So it will be Christmas soon? Eek - not that fast, please!
Thursday 8th October
Today I have two plans, neither of which involves relocating Agapanthus clumps (over the last three weeks I've filled my car up five times with bags of this workhorse plant). I'm concentrating on smaller things today. Firstly I have seeds to prick out - mustn't forget the colour enjoyment gained from planting summer flowering annuals. I do enjoy downsizing the focus of my attentions and doing my own seeds. Small thought - if I hadn't spent all my money on garden gnomes I could buy some ready-made trays from the nursery...
Garden Life is Full of 'Should Be's...
The paths at the very back of the Wattle Woods need clearing of annual weeds. It is with some personal sadness that I go to work in here, deep in the depths of the peaceful greenery, with the bellbirds whistling in the trees above. A little stream bed wiggles its way down through the garden, and my waterwheel should be providing it with trickling water. Should be. Should be. My two small ponds, ringed with stones and fluffy grasses, should be filling with water. Should be. Should be. Hmm... Well, at least the path near the stream-bed should be weed-free...
Much, Much Later...
I have accomplished so many small things today that I'm allowing myself a list.
Small Things Done Today
- Pricked out Swiss giants pansy and Russell lupin seeds.
- Weeded all around the rugosa roses behind the glass-house.
- Planted Heuchera and blue Scabious along edge of glass-house path.
- Cleared the Wattle Woods path.
- Burnt all my rubbish.
And now I'm off to visit my singing friend who has bought me a hosta. What a nice thought! Not a car load of hostas, just a modest single one.
- 'Gardeners need to think small as well as big.'
- -Moosey Words of Wisdom.
It's very restful having a day thinking small in the garden. Gardeners need to think small as well as big. Attention to tiny details gives the eyes a welcome break from field-sized visions. And I need a break from mass-planting Agapanthus. Aargh!
Friday 9th October
Rain - it's very nice for the garden. Good for all my Agapanthus plants (which have to get used to my tough love programme - they haven't really been watered). I'm not going to do anything outside today. It's quite cold for spring, and hopefully there is no hint of snow...
Canary Bird Rose
Saturday 10th October
Right. The rain has stopped, though it's still a bit cold and a lot damp outside. Rusty the dog is off to get the newspaper with Non-Gardening Partner. Then I've persuaded him (NGP that is) to help me digging out the last of the free Agapanthus. We will load all the plants into the trailer. Phew!
Blossom in the Pond Paddock
I hope my big pond trees still have all their blossom. I don't trust our southerly spring 'storms' - even when mild, the wind tends to huff and puff. As soon as I've got my coffee I'll check. The light is beautiful for taking blossomy photographs, too...
Mid-Day... Humph!
That's 'humph' in the nicest possible way... Non-Gardening Partner, wielding two spades at once, has made light work of digging out the remaining Agapanthus clumps. And, having strong-man arms, he hasn't needed to divide the clumps - he's just picked them up in a hug and dropped them gently into the trailer. He's done in twenty minutes what would have taken me three hours plus.
Hosta
All this afternoon's plans involve the Wattle Woods. NGP has promised to put some grease on the waterwheel and try and get it going. One of the Moosey BIG birthday presents was a personal GPS unit. I am sending Non-Gardening Partner into the Wattle Woods to track the network of paths, so I can get a drawing of them. And I'm planting all today's Agapanthus clumps nearby. Phew!
Sunday 11th October
Yippee! What shall I do first? I have a few more Agapanthus divisions to plant - these are the very, very last ones. Then I can sit back and enjoy the bulk greenery - and maybe some summer flowers.
Dwarf White Agapanthus :- I've also planted these in a row along the side of the garage.
To keep a good balance between big gardening and small gardening, and while on the subject of Agapanthus, I've found some white flowering miniatures to shift into a small space in the stone retaining wall, back of the house. And I know that more of my seeds are ready to be pricked out. I'm always amazed when handling the tiny two-leafed seedlings. Their need to grow is much greater than my laziness, thoughtlessness, and neglect. I am thankful - honestly...
Dandelion Weed Flowers
Even NGP has noticed the amount of work I've put into the garden this spring. He says (with some admiration) he's never seen me working so hard. That's good, because I might need him to - ahem - 'buy' me three new weeping standard roses (it's another online plant auction, oh dear, oh dear, and I've run out of money).
Lunchtime...
Sitting in the sun on a nicely swept patio (out of which unsightly flowering dandelion weeds have been cut), surrounded by freshly repotted succulents - that's where I've been. I've been reading my British detective book, and eating, and sending all my spare energy to Daughter of Moosey (who is in East Timor, and is a bit sick).
+20
Tiger the cat has actually wandered outside to provide some solid cat-company. I am honoured, Tiger - usually you can't be bothered. And showing off your flabby white tummy to the sun, too...
Late Afternoon...
I'm inside, I'm clean, and ALL the Agapanthus have been planted. This is an historic moment. I finished my day with a quick weeding session in the Stables Garden.