Less is more?
Philadelphus and Bumble Bee
If the Head Gardener puts up a whole web-page with just one day's gardening news on it, then that must mean she does heaps of work, and has oodles of amazingly interesting things to talk about. Forget the phrase 'less is more'...
One Day in Gardening Life
Yes, I have the hugest plans for today, the 14th of November 2009. I've already weeded underneath and mulched six of the rose arches in the Hazelnut Orchard - seven to go. I've broken my second pair of loppers in as many days in the great hedge trim clean-up. I have seeds to prick out and punnets of seedlings to deal to - all the blue cornflowers must be planted in the garden today.
Yippee!
Daughter of Moosey arrives this weekend, so her Birthday Rose Garden must be spruced up. Yippee! She will see her peonies flowering. And she can check out all my new garden benches.
Pink Rhododendron in the Wattle Woods
Then I have to grovel to Non-Gardening Partner - I've bought a really cheap cane table and four cane chairs for the house decking, and need him to pick it up in the trailer. I'm imagining restful, semi-rustic, stable breakfasts - the reality might be more wobbly! I will cook him a really scrumptious dinner as a bribe.
- 'Weeding always seems easier once it's done.'
- -Moosey Words of Wisdom.
The Pond Paddock needs its edges trimmed, and my new garden gnome Bob needs to join the others pondside. I've just remembered - the path around the back of the pond desperately needs weeding. Aargh! Must do that first - weeding always seems easier once it's done.
And while all this activity is happening, I can look around and see the prettiest colours - inky purple and old-rose pink aquilegias, deep pink rhododendrons in flower, red ornamental maples in full leaf, the creamy white Moonlight roses scrambling high in the Apple tree, the yellow Banksia rose up in the Plum tree... Any tree you can climb, I can climb higher...
Perennials in the Glass-House Garden
Pale lilac Hebes are flowering, the Gunnera on the banks of the water race is fresh and green, while stately spires of Lupins and Foxgloves tower over the early perennials in a festival of flowery colour. Ha! How's my descriptive writing going this bright and sunny morning, then?
+20
And I am pleased to report some personal milestones. My 'Shape Up For Life' campaign enters the middle of its third week. Tiger the cat is definitely lighter, while NGP and the Head Gardener are generally experiencing looser trousers. Good work, family! And a huge pat on the furry back for Tiger the Tortoiseshell, whose life revolves around busting into the pantry.
Lunchtime...
There's much more going on in the garden than I knew about yesterday and blithered about above. Now the shrubs in the side of the house garden are merrily blooming - a red Weigela, a pinky-red deciduous Azalea, and a gorgeous cream Philadelphus, which is covered with grateful bumble bees. It's all so beautiful...
The Pond Paddock and Gardens
I've been working hard in the Pond Paddock gardens, pulling out weeds and forget-me-nots, planting in cornflowers, and generally throwing my weight around. Ha! That weight is slightly less than it was four weeks ago, too!
Garden Gnome
My Newest Garden Gnome
Bob the newest garden gnome (Robert for long) is now happily standing by the pond under a cabbage tree, and the new roses nearby look extremely healthy. Can I remember their names? I know they're all creams, yellows, and reds... A patch of white irises I planted in here haven't flowered - they're forgiven. I have so many other irises to enjoy.
Meanwhile Non-Gardening Partner has been busy shredding branches from the roadside golden Leylands. In preparation for his table and chairs pick-up I've made him a tasty lunch of cheesy pasta and bacon - small portions, small portions.
Much Later...
Right. Finally my day is finished and I've gone apres-gardening. It's been a day for pulling out forget-me-nots and getting their sticky seeds all over my clothes. Fluff-Fluff has been my cat company, so he, too, is covered in biddi-bids.
Some small details of my afternoon will now be recorded. Some of my new irises in the sunny front of the Wattle Woods are starting to flower. This is exciting because I bought a whole boxful really cheaply, and I don't know what colour(s) to expect. How about purple? Very nice.
Pink Cistus Flower
I Love Pink
The new Cistus shrubs at the back of the pond are flowering, and I've planted variegated Sedums, variegated Thyme, and a Flower Carpet rose nearby. I've potted up rooted daisy cuttings, and shifted a pot of lettuces onto the patio. A pot of pink pelargoniums now sits by the laundry door. I love pink.
I've trimmed the grass edges of the pond paddock, including the very edge of the pond itself. I'm still a bit cross with NGP, who randomly decided to use up some weed spray by doing circles around the lawn trees and straight bits around the pond decking. Grr... He's never done that before...
Watering
Now I'm specifically watering the back of the Wattle Woods in front of the glass-house, and the Mary roses in their bed by the bay window. The dark pink sport I grew from a cutting looks lovely - imagine Mary's form and fluffiness in a rich warm pink. The soil in here seems really dry, now that those carpeting forget-me-nots are gone. Ha! Mary rose is my namesake rose, so it's just as well I like pink...
Fruhlingsgold :- The rose Fruhlingsgold flowers only once, but it's absolutely gorgeous.
I think that's about all I can write. I am so lucky. The garden looks wonderful, and there are new surprises every day. Hurray for my flowering shrubs, and hurray for the rose Fruhlingsgold which is climbing up the Apricot tree. Single roses are so beautiful. So are fluffy ones - there's room in the garden for all.
And Finally...
And - finally - I love seeing my garden gnomes by the pond. Let no-one say (or even think) anything rude about them. I have, after all, resisted buying a glowing gnome in a white Elvis disco suit, sun glasses, and a red mushroom in his hand. We have certain standards here at Mooseys!