Some progress...
Garden Details
I don't know about Garden Club preparations being on anything as smooth and obvious as a track! But there is some progress... Some progress... Somewhere I'm sure there is progress...
Wednesday 25th March
Yesterday I started moving down the water race, beginning at the Birthday Rose Garden. The more I do the more I see to do. And I need more river stones - the border edging behind the Stables is a disgrace.
The Importance of Water
These watery garden areas are important - visiting ladies will like water in a garden, this I firmly believe. I'm sure that friend Jack has had visitors who have 'oohed' and 'aahed', transfixed by his dam, and then wandered blindly through the Rondell Garden thinking about what's on TV that evening.
Gunnera :- Gunnera which had self-seeded was foolishly allowed to grow - in the wrong places - by MEEEEEEE!!! Aargh!
So today, after writing my ever-increasing journal (sorry about that), I am off to the river with my dog to get yet more stones. Then - action! The plan will be modelled on yesterday's, and makes sense.
I weed, trim, shift, do edges, and mulch - whatever's appropriate - for a couple of hours. Then I get into the water race and 'do' the banks. I remove any unwanted Gunnera. It's a slow, soggy sweep towards Middle Bridge. Gardens on both sides of the water are finished at once.
Wet Work
I get pretty wet - and cold. So after, say, an hour (when the Moosey toes are starting to dissolve) I get out and quickly trundle some loads to the burning heap. I then trim some nearby Shasta daisies, dance around the fire, dry my clothes (leaving them firmly on), and get warm. It's a simple end to a simple gardening working day.
Just a Few Little Details...
- Mess behind the Stables.
- My Garden Helpers come tomorrow - they will clear the rubbish.
- Rogue Gunnera plants in stream.
- Oops. They looked so cute when they were little babies... Make decision and act.
- Mulch.
- Pea-straw on the Stables garden.
- Willow Stump.
- Saw off ridiculously long sprouting branches.
- Birthday Rose Garden
- Visit rose nursery at lunchtime.
White Flower Carpet Roses
Yippee! The Birthday Rose Garden turns five tomorrow. I have to shift the miniature roses out (too small), and a Coral Flower Carpet (squashed in). My deceased Magnolia Stellata has been removed (no tears - I shouldn't have plonked it in and forgotten about it). Today I buy some new birthday present roses...
Later - Next Morning, In Fact...
Good news on the personal gardening front - my tidy-up of the water race continues happily, and the results are most pleasing. I'm using stones to prop up the stream bank as well as mulch the flatter edge. I have moved on down past Willow Bridge to where my huge Shasta daisy clumps are. Nip, nip, nip...
Water Race Bank Stones
And I've found at least ten wee Gunnera plants, each the size of a large cat, in places where Gunneras are forbidden. Today they come out.
Happy Birthday to Daughter of Moosey
But - I have a huge problem with the birthday present for the rose garden. There is simply no room for new birthday roses at all. This is a planning catastrophe! What to do? Today is THE Day - Happy Birthday to lovely Daughter of Moosey! But there is (as yet) no present! Aargh! How does a birthday pot sound? Some birthday bulbs? Hmm... Birthday Gunnera?
Son-In-Law had his first real gardening experience yesterday, creating the extension for Rusty the dog's Lavender Garden. Mindful of my reputation as a caring and pleasant Mother-in-Law I encouraged him, directed subtly, and provided a delicious BLT ciabatta for lunch. I also bought him some blue-foliaged Hebes and some mid-sized Agapanthus. This afternoon he does the planting and mulching. Yippee! It looks great.
+10
+10All day I had wonderful cat company from Minimus the kitten and squeaking Fluff-Fluff. Rusty the dog stood faithfully downstream in the water race to catch any escaped floating weeds. Fantails flittered and twittered, with occasional scary-nightmare shrieking from rooster and the hens when the native hawk soared high overhead. Just a few benign bumble bees buzzed randomly around.
Pink Hydrangea
Gardening With Animals
I am very lucky to garden with a family of animals. And there's yet more human-family gardening news! Today my two Garden Helpers (son and friend) return for another serious session. Imagine if I had three under-gardeners every day... Enough twittering. If my gardening day is half as long as this journal entry...
Friday 27th March
I just wonder if I could have the day off - I have worked so hard all week, and important bits of me I normally don't notice are sore (arms, legs...) Honestly, it's been a big, big week - well, ever since I said 'yes' to the Garden Club Visit, my garden weeks have grown like giant thistles and cow parsley...
Yesterday was another brilliant gardening day, though. For the first time ever I cleared the very top of the driveway, and laid edge stones. I also weeded and edged Rusty's row of pink-flowering Lavender (just what a dog-dog needs). Then I wandered off into the water race, doing the same job as yesterday. I've now got down as far as the Plank in my weeding and clearing efforts of the water race bank.
My Garden Helpers cleared the messy grass by the firewood pile, back of the Stables. Now that area is beautifully tidy, and they've stacked the old firewood logs.
Minimus :- Is he a boy? Or is she a girl? Tomorrow morning all will be - ahem - revealed...
The best 'look' in the world comes from Minimus the kitten, full-tummied and suddenly tired, who is sitting on my lap gazing up with complete adoration. I've just told him/her about the dangers of the native hawk, who scoops up little wild kittens for lunch. Phew! Dear Minimus - a lucky kitten, with such a loving nature underneath the wildness. And there's good reason for the 'he/she' - tomorrow we go to the vet, where my gender suspicions will be put to rest. Is Minimus a boy, or a girl?
Right. I feel much more positive now - thanks, Minimus! I will spend the morning gently gardening. I'll clean up the Willow Tree Garden opposite the Birthday Rose garden. Gardening symmetry - nice.