Four hundred and thirty eight roses...
One of My 438 Roses
Early this morning I finished spraying the roses - and counting them. Oops. The count, approximate, includes a recycled Flower Carpet rose which looks deceased, and a tiddly little white Banksia which will eventually smother the Island Bed's plum tree. I also think I've missed a few. It's four hundred and thirty eight. That's 438. Oops.
Wednesday 3rd November
My first watering assignments today are the Shrubbery and the hydrangeas at the back of the Jelly Bean Border. Last night - wonderful night noises - the big irrigation went on over the water race. The odd drooping peony stalk is a small price to pay. And today I promise not to get gloomy - I'll just go about my work, move my hoses, get some buckets of water onto anything I see struggling (like some of the new shrubs behind the pond may be).
Disgraceful Dog News
Some disgraceful dog news - Rusty can 'suffer' from digestive irregularities, usually as a result of eating something disgraceful (like my bird feeder, a huge blob of lard covered in seeds).
Rusty the Dog
But his latest food escapade takes the cake - well, not that he's eaten any cake. He's pinched the goldfish food (I use it to feed the tadpoles in the bathtub) from the garage and eaten the lot. Eek!
Pink Rhododendron
Much Later...
I feel much, much better. I've had a great day, I've made much improvement in the garden, and my watering system (hoses and buckets) has been working. It takes a while, but the Shrubbery roses are getting a good soak, as now is the little hosta garden in the Jelly Bean Border.
Also I've burnt my dry rubbish, and cleaned up the new garden behind the pond. The golden Philadelphus is thriving in the shade of the Chestnut tree, and the Agapanthus seems really happy. Some of my newly acquired roses in there are sprouting some seriously wicked canes. Oops - maybe they're rampant ramblers... Oh well, wait and see I guess...
Two reasons why today has been so good - I stopped for a short morning tea, taken on the patio, and a short late lunch on the pond decking. I had dog company, tasty food, drinks, and my water bottle with me (most important).
- 'A big part of enjoying a garden is sitting in it.'
- -Moosey Words of Wisdom.
A big part of enjoying a garden is sitting in it. I know this - but just sometimes a relaxing moment turns into a 'humph' as I spy some new garden work needing my attention. Today I was wise - read my book, and squinted at the garden borders, smiling to myself, when looking around. Much safer - and it seemed to work!
Phormium in The Wattle Woods
I'm off to a concert tonight, with clean hair and well-scrubbed fingernails. This is most unheard of (I mean me going out to a musical event when not performing in it), though the singer isn't. One word can be the hint - Hallelujah. Hee hee.
Blue Stu Lamb :- Stu lamb has his own page in the cats and dogs section.
Meanwhile, I've shut Stu the bleating lamb in the front paddock with the others (two ewes and two lambs) just for tonight. Harden up, Stu - it's either that or get irrigated for six hours! And it's part of your new sheep integration programme. In three months time your thoughts will be completely ovine.
Thursday 4th November
Non-gardening, musical revelation - Dvorak writes wonderful easy-listening music for string quartets. The thinking woman's elevator music? That might be a bit harsh... Gardening revelation - the garden is freshly irrigated and lots more of my four hundred and thirty eight roses are out. Climbing Masquerade is already rusty (but I've dealt to that). If this rose didn't have personal sentimental significance I'd give it the chop - every year one of the first roses to fail, health-wise.
Today I might be a bit slow after a late night at the Leonard Cohen concert, which was rather a treat, in a moochy, time-warped sort of way. I've already fed Stu the lamb, forlornly lurking by the fence of his new paddock. I miss seeing him curled up underneath the Omar Khayyam rose on the edge of the Shrubbery. Perhaps now the rose will be able to keep its leaves and actually flower for me.
Welcome, Mary Rose!
Flowering News
Some flowering news - the Lilacs are now blooming, and my latest, called 'Sensation' is just about to start. Impressed? Don't be fooled, I've only got three! The first Mary rose is looking pink and pretty, like its owner... I mustn't forget the blue perennial Salvias and Aquilegias - I'm always brushing past them, rarely stopping to take a photograph. And the mass of budget new hostas I planted in the Island Bed are all a soft lime green with darker edges. I didn't know that!
Right. Mindful of the responsibilities of owning a random grey cat (Lilli-Puss, who I haven't seen for a couple of days), and knowing how distraught I get when she seriously disappears, I'm off into the Wattle Woods to call for her. Knowing my luck I'll get Fluff-Fluff, who is very possessive in the garden. What did Lilli ever do to him? Nothing! But he will impolitely 'escort' her to the fence-line, then strut nonchalantly back to me and resume his gardening-cat duties. Daft.
Ten Minutes Later...
Found her! We sat in the sun, we talked, she ate her food, she purred and clawed my legs, and she smooched Rusty the dog... Strange cat, Lilli, but loyal - in her own random way.
Friday 5th November
OK. It's raining, and this is a really good thing for the garden. Stu lamb is doing really well in the front paddock, hanging out with the others. I've already found Lilli-Puss (strange cat) and fed her. And now I'm going to have a hot coffee and put some socks on (the southerly is dropping the temperatures). Snow to 600 meters - phew! Five hundred too high for this garden. And anyway - isn't it supposed to be spring-nearly-summer?
Later...
It's raining really heavily, so there can be absolutely no gardening done today. I need to shut any offending house windows (oops) and to check the storm-water drains. I wonder how wet Stu lamb is? This is probably the wettest day of his life - hopefully he's hunkered down underneath the big pine trees out of the wind with the others.