Garden Journal 2011

2011 continues my virtuous themes of being budget-minded and totally committed to garden maintenance. Aargh - sounds terribly sensible, and hopefully will not turn reader off from peeping at my 2011 Moosey Journal pages. I promise there'll be some small eruptions of serious fun...

Happy New Year!...: Happy New Year! And what do I want for 2011? This gets a bit scary, because I think my garden is possibly big enough. I'm going to stop expanding and to consolidate my assets. I really don't need any more roses, or daylilies, or new shrubs...
So far, so good......: Yippee! I've stuck to my New Years Resolution (I only have one) all year. So far, so good - three days of goodness. My NYR is quite simple - I must put on gardening clothes, immediately, if I'm planning to do any gardening that day.
My garden is too big?...: I woke up this morning feeling a little alarmed that the Moosey Garden was too big for one woman. Eek! But don't worry - this is garden guilt, impure and complicated.
What a legend! ...: Welcome to the second week of January. My New Year's Resolution still holds fast - what a legend! But all is not well - I have some concerns about flower colour in the January mid-summer garden.
Pride......: I shiver as I write down that horribly down-to-earth phrase: 'Pride comes before a fall'. For, apart from one slightly moochy day (only two hours gardening), I am very proud of my January efforts. My garden seems so easy to clean up...
Why didn't I stake the dahlias?...: It's a new week already, and the summer garden is yet again being battered by big winds. The house lawns are covered in debris from the big gum tree. How I wish I'd remembered to stake the dahlias...
Concerning my cats......: Blast! Out of nowhere it's started raining, which means my gardening day is semi-abandoned. I've just asked Fluff-Fluff the cat what he thinks I should do first. Take more books out to Pond Cottage, whose hutch dresser arrives today?
What have I been doing all month?...: Hmm... How do I know that January is charging to its conclusion? The use-by-date on my latest milk carton is now the 3rd of February. Aargh! What have I been doing all month?
I promise......: Good morning, January, or what's left of you. I promise to do serious garden maintenance on every remaining day of you. I am going to start this pledge today by raking all the paths near Pond Cottage (my latest obsession).
So simple......: I've spent yet another night in Pond Cottage, this time cat-free. Early mornings are groovy - sitting up in bed with my cup of tea and gazing out at the pond and the trees. Wow. It's so simple, having a holiday cottage in the next paddock.
I love Pond Cottage......: I've enjoyed January in my bright, flowery summer garden very much. I have new seats to sit on, clear and tidy paths, and even some new plants to look after. And I love Pond Cottage, where I've been sleeping semi-soundly for the last week...
A pleasantly symmetric month......: I'd like to welcome myself to February, a pleasantly symmetric month at exactly four weeks, through which I plan to float in spirit, while I physically continue my garden maintenance programme.
Obsessed with Pond Cottage......: Today would have been a wonderful gardening day - warm, no wind... But I'm in my Pond cottage obsession mood again, and I've been busy sewing the patchwork bed cover. All the different materials are in shades of garden green, hee hee.
Allowed to be random......: Gardeners who 'ply their hobby' in Canterbury, New Zealand are absolutely, totally, fully, in all senses of the words, allowed to be random and changeable from day to day. Because that's exactly what our weather is like this summer.
I need some discipline......: Right. No more drifting about - it's time to take my daylight hours firmly in hand. I need some discipline. I'll write down a personal list first, then move onto my garden plans.
Paths and mulch......: To honour the new gardening week, I'm going to try being a responsible large country garden owner. I have paths to sort out and mulch to lay.
A deep gardening secret......: Ah, the garden, the garden. How easy it is to clean up an area when it was already cleaned up last year. If I think I've discovered a deep gardening secret...
Gardening friend helps out......: Yesterday a gardening friend and I finished the path behind the Shrubbery, moved an older park bench in by the fence to be the path's destination, weeded the gardens alongside, cleared out the rubbish, sawed down offending branches of pine trees...
Too wet......: Quite cold rain is teeming down on my country house and garden. Meanwhile the TV bad-news of the earthquake in the city rumbles on. Well, today I'd like to cut down the large bronze-red Phormium by the house decking. But it's really too wet.
First things first......: First things first. I am not bidding for a second hand forest gnome with a pointy hat. Fifty dollars reserve - forget it! I am not even remotely tempted. Second thing - I want to make a brick path network in my garden somewhere, possibly to a koru design.
I'm back in a writing mood......: I'm back in a writing mood - oh dear! Prepare for days of bottled-up, quietly fermenting sentences about life and the garden to gush out.
Is it still late summer? ...: Is it still late summer? Perhaps I should officially declare the changing of the garden season to autumn. One never quite knows - choose an equinox or the beginning of a month, or the time when the beautiful deep pink rose John Clare blooms again...
Mice and cats!...: Mice and cats! Last night in Pond Cottage little Minimus the grey was in serious hunting mode. Result - she brought me two mice in ten minutes, before I rudely shut the windows and door. But I am a big softie of a cat-mother, so then I worried...
Touring the garden......: Aha! A Most Serious Plan for presenting the Moosey Garden is required - a choir will be singing here on (checks calendar) the 10th of April, with guests offered afternoon tea and a tour of the garden. That's four weeks away. So what do I need to do first?
More, more......: Autumn life is suddenly so full. There's more burning on the bonfire, more Agapanthus arriving to be divided and planted, and on the personal front a new 2011 Reshape Up For Life campaign.
Facebook and Twitter......: Oh my goodness - this is a landmark day in Moosey life. For I have finally joined the social networks Facebook and Twitter. As if a good gardener hasn't enough other 'stuff' to do! However, until I get my head around things, my social networking profile will be extremely low!
Agapanthus in my thoughts......: There's nothing like a good night's sleep to refresh the gardening legs and mind. So early this morning, accompanied by young Minimus, Pond Cottage's most recent resident cat, I took a critical tour of the pond area, cup of tea in my hand, Agapanthus in my thoughts.
Clean up those paths!...: Aargh! The choir is coming soon! Whenever I start feeling garden-proud, and just a tiny bit complacent, busloads of older-lady garden visitors wobble into my thoughts. Eek! So which paths should I clean up today? And the garden gnomes need a tidy up, too...
Balancing the real gardening with the virtual......: Autumn in the garden and my new interests (Facebook and Twitter) in the house. Balancing the real gardening with the virtual is going to be interesting. There may come a day when I'll do all my garden work at the computer?
Gardening shoes......: I've been cleaning up by the back door. I've found two pairs of spidery gumboots and eight pairs of gardening shoes. Eight! Eight different shoe needs, according to the changing status of the garden - wet, muddy, soggy, slightly soggy, slightly damp, frosty, neutral, sunny...
So much to say......: I have so much to say that I need yet another March journal page. There's nothing like imminent garden tour visitors to dust off the cobwebs (done that), clean the house windows (that too) and get the garden humming - well, the honey bees and the bumble bees should do that. No wasps please!
A for April...: Aha! A new month, A for April - A for Autumn. I've got two full gardening days before the garden visitors come to wander around my hopefully not-too-wet garden, wearing hopefully sensible shoes. I hope they enjoy themselves.
Proud and garden-tired......: The garden tour (such fun) has been and gone, and all my garden work has left me feeling very proud and oddly a bit garden-tired. I'm taking today off to go hiking over some hills to a beach. Sounds wonderfully mild and relaxing...
Nursery sale bargains......: Hee hee. I find myself in that typical autumn garden mood - it's time to visit the local nursery sales and look for bargains. And I'm keeping a serious watch on the changing autumn leaf colours.
Serious and sensible......: After having spent frenzied hours trying to put everything right for the garden tourists, I've moved away from the cosmetic superficial stuff back into serious, sensible autumn gardening. That means my bonfire!
Monday morning music......: The silliest Monday morning music is playing on my serious radio station - two alternating styles, military martial orchestral and tinkling ballet piano. So this is supposed to start the busy gardening week off nicely - four goosesteps followed by a pirouette?
A day in the life of the autumn garden......: One whole journal page devoted to a day in the life of the autumn garden (and gardener) - my goodness, something special must be going on. It's Thursday 14th April, by the way. All day!
What to do first?...: Right. It's drizzling and damp out there, and I'm feeling a tad dozy. What to do first? Take the dog for a cycle ride to shake off sleepiness, I think. Then hot coffee to warm up the damp gardener-cyclist. Then write a plan, maybe a list, think about bricks and roses...
I haven't finished with autumn yet......: No way am I ready for winter. I haven't finished with autumn yet. But - crikey this wind is cold! And naturally heaps of my most beautifully coloured autumn leaves are fluttering down, down, down... I'm obsessed with brides and bricks, by the way...
The big Easter plant sale......: The big Easter plant sale at the local nursery gets top billing this week. What will I buy? And how much money (eek) will I spend? And how many times will I return, just in case the bargain bin has been restocked with more tempting plant treasures? Watch this space, Hee hee...
Earth day?...: Oops. I think I've just celebrated the wrong Earth Day. But to counter that I've found something called Earth Week. Phew - now I feel better. To be honest, I prefer the sound of Earth Year. And shouldn't every gardener's day be an Earth Day anyway? Mine is.
Oops......: Yet another 'oops' to throw on the compost heap of my life (don't worry - compost heaps are good and useful things, and last for almost ever). I've finally purchased a complete set of Enid Blyton Famous Five books. I am not allowed to buy any garden gnomes for at least six months.
Some words of praise......: Some words of praise are needed for my late autumn roses. Othello is blooming again - he does this every year, with solo blooms top-heavy on tall stems. John Clare does it in clusters, with new buds and much bravado. In the house borders The Fairy roses, tiny pink treasures, are flowering too.
When's winter?...: More days of what I'm calling late autumn spread out before me. The garden is full of beautiful leaf colours in the trees, and more late roses are blooming. OK - so when's winter?
The sun!...: Great weather excitement, for the sun - the sun! THE SUN! is almost visible again, though 'shining' might be an exaggeration. I really think I might be able to finish the brick courtyard now. Hmm... Even I can see the specks of doubt in that sentence.
Digging......: According to the newspaper's daily horoscope, 'Digging (up information about a favourite topic) should keep me out of trouble'. Well, I'm going to be digging up some squashed roses today, as part of my garden's pre-winter clean-up. This counts?
Brick spiral......: Let me say this really slowly. The... Brick... Spiral... Koru... Courtyard... is... Finished. Yippee! All the bricks fit in one continuous spiralling floor, level enough for me while relatively kind to the tree roots. It's beautiful.
A feast or a famine......: There's either a feast or a famine with respect to recycled garden gnomes. Weeks and weeks go by, gnomefree. And then suddenly I have three new chaps to name and put behind the pond, and three more in on-line auctions which I could bid on...
A new winter garden project?...: Do I really need a new winter garden project? So my garden isn't already far too big for one woman (me) with ancient knees and absolutely no system of sensible seasonal management? Just because things slow down a bit after autumn...
Aargh! And eek!...: Aargh! And eek! All this month's money spent on new spectacles (and garden gnomes, but they don't really count) - and suddenly it's like I've awakened the wallet monster. Spend meeeeeeee! That's my Visa card shrieking, thinking about the nursery down the road.
Yet more garden gnomes......: Yet more garden gnomes pop up on the online auction site, and a brand new gardening plan pops into my head. I want to build a tree house on the willow stump, overlooking the water. Let's rephrase that. I want to encourage and help Non-Gardening Partner build me a tree house, hee hee...
It's supposed to really be winter......: June has started well. It's supposed to really be winter - no way, even if I do have a streaming head-cold. There's not a sniff (unfortunate word) of the winter gardener inside me yet, even if I'm thinking about pruning the roses soon. And buying some new ones!
Make every moment count!...: Still the mild non-winter gardening weather continues. Make every moment count! And talking about counting - I have two new shabby chic garden gnomes to pick up, and plans to buy x new roses, where x is an integer greater than or equal to 12. Hee hee.
The countdown towards the winter solstice......: The countdown towards the winter solstice stands at 15 days. Fifteen days is nothing! I can do heaps of gardening in fifteen days - well, at least I can spend lots of the housekeeping money on new roses and recycled garden gnomes, etc. Naughty!
My garden budget......: Aha! It's back to normality with my garden budget, where the 'gnome' word only applies to a variety of Canna lily, and I successfully resist the temptation to buy white Iceberg roses. I have spent far too much 'little money' these last weeks.
Another wonderful, winterful week......: Another wonderful, winterful week has started. The sunsets are delightfully pink (thanks to a volcano erupting all the way over the sea in Chile) and the earth is (please) settling again after the 6.3 magnitude aftershock. I'm busy hiking as well as doing my winter gardening.
Miss Marple is an avid gardener......: Oh dear! I had such plans for major chain-sawing this weekend. Well - my plans were actually for Non-Gardening Partner. But it's raining gently on my garden. Maybe I should spend the afternoons with Miss Marple. She is, after all, an avid gardener...
A damp and soggy garden......: The days are getting longer! Well, maybe by a few seconds a time, in this the first week after the winter solstice. But oh my, the garden is so damp and soggy to work in. That's why sensible winter gardeners wear gumboots - naturally, I don't.
So satisfying......: Mid-winter gardening is so satisfying, with the trimming and sawing down of overgrown shrubs and trees, the late afternoon bonfire, and warm illusions of garden improvement. Yes, my garden will look so much better this coming spring. And summer. Yes! It really will...
Contrasts......: My July is already full of contrasts. A hike in the frosty, wintry, snowy Canterbury foothills one day, then zoom! Off on a short plane ride to Rarotonga in the tropical Cook Islands for a short summer holiday.
Rarotonga Holiday 1...: I am on summer holiday - a week in Rarotonga, in the Cook Islands. But I am not a typical tourist - well, hopefully not! I want to go hiking and exploring in the mountains, rather than flopping on the beach.
Rarotonga Holiday 2...: My lovely Rarotongan holiday continues. I've done more walking, plus some swimming. And I've driven round the island quite a few times - as one does! I'm still fascinated by the abundance of roosters and hens, which the locals call 'wild chickens'.
Rarotonga Holiday 3...: I'm enjoying myself in Rarotonga. I love the colourful plants and the glossy green trees - and the fact that there are no really nasty bugs or creatures. Nor are there any stinging nettles, just a little pink flowered weed in the lawn with tiny barbs to catch the barefooted...
Back home - yippee!...: After gliding across the international date line in the middle of the night we're back home. Yippee! And yawn... Good morning to the Moosey cats, and to the house which is toasty warm. I can hear the bellbirds, and dawn is just breaking. Wonder what my garden will look like? Cold, I guess...
My dog is desperate......: Oh dear. Rusty the desperate dog has taken up his morning feeding position underneath the bird feeder, where he can literally feast on the crumbs. I've been drinking a leisurely cup of tea, re-reading my journal, thinking about holidays and gardens...
One of those days......: It's going to be one of those days. I've just given Rusty the dog some grapes, and taken a bite out of his breakfast dog biscuit. Yuk! And Fluff-Fluff the cat has twice walked over my computer and twice prompted it to shut down. Aargh - cancel! How does he know how to do that?
In theory......: I am happily testing the theory that a rather random gardener, mature and keen, can have at least three amazing 'best-of-the-best' gardening days in a row, in the middle of winter. It's bound to be true!
Welcome to Moosey's Country Bed-n-Breakfast......: Welcome to Moosey's Country Bed-n-Breakfast (new visitors are arriving), and a domestic chores morning, since the temperature is still only two degrees Celsius outside in the garden. Hmm. I'd much rather be gardening...
Snow!...: Good morning, snow. Welcome - but please don't think of staying too long. No offence intended, but I'm about to venture outside to knock you off my evergreens.
A deeply empathetic gardener......: Here's what I think. As a deeply empathetic gardener I allow my weather to be as random as I am. But fiercely snowing one day, and a balmy nine degrees (Celsius) at 8:30 the next morning? This is surely a rather extreme variation!
Room for more roses......: My month of August is going to be well guided by the august presence of the Moosey Head Gardener (me). But August is exciting - it's nearly spring. I have room for some more roses, and it is the rose-planting season, hee hee...
Something I love about August......: Here's something I love about my August (understanding that June 22nd is mid-winter's day) - the days have much more time in them. They are bigger and lighter, and the mornings are more welcoming.
Some structure needed......: Over the next weeks I need some structure in my daily gardening life. A digging-a-new-garden plan would be useful. But all I can think of is felling some pine trees (not a suitable task for a lady gardener) and spending money at the rose nursery. Now that I can definitely manage!
I need a decent winter garden project......: I need a decent winter garden project. Spreading compost (I'm onto my third trailer load) doesn't have the zing and pizzazz I require. Welcome to my gardening journal, where you can read about Moosey the Mundane shovelling, wheeling, tipping, raking, and yawning...
Winter snow forecast......: Hmm... Yesterday I implied the forecast for winter snow to sea level was a 'tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing'. I would like to apologise, semi-humbly, to anyone whose expertise I insulted. Yes, it is snowing.
Snow-gloomy......: I must stop being snow-gloomy in this journal. But it is snowing again, third day in a row. Blast! Oh yes, I can hear my North American friends giggling and clucking like chooks. How would I like three weeks? Or three months? OK - fluttering snow is pretty...
What a week!...: What a week! It started with a major snow-sulk, downgraded to a semi-sulk by Wednesday, and now the Moosey mood is back to normal - just because the Moosey body can go gardening again. A good mood for the simplest of reasons, hee hee...
Bellbirds whistling and dogs barking......: My garden is really 'birdy'. The bellbirds flit above my head and whistle away madly to my gardening Ipod. They love Bartok's String Quartets. Blimey! This music isn't quite my idea of chiming birdsong. Rusty the dog's barking provides a rather unnecessary accompanying ostinato.
Chain-saws and shredders......: Aargh! No time to waste. Non-Gardening Partner has promised me two whole days of his undivided attention. I'm talking chain-saws and shredders here, for a whole weekend. Two whole days! I am sooooooo excited.
Non-Gardening Partner behaved himself......: I will need all week to recover from my brilliant weekend - brilliant because Non-Gardening Partner behaved superbly. He did all his chain-sawing, and wasn't overly critical that I required certain things (like a conifer) sawn down to the ground.
S stands for Spring......: Yippee! It's September, where S stands for Spring, and Sunshine, and Serenity. No Shaky Stuff (earthquakes), please, like last year. Sulking is banned during September this year. As is Snow (oops - they both start with the letter 'S' too).
Shamelessly celebrating......: Dear Reader, this is my birthday week, and this year I am shamelessly celebrating. All I want (apart from birthday compost) is for goodness and peace to come to the fore, in everything that everybody in the world does. Too much to ask?
My September birthday......: Aha! Older, but not wiser. Sillier, I reckon. This has been my best, busiest gardening birthday ever. And such wonderful presents - a trailer load of compost, garden gnomes, a paid visit to the dentist... Eek! New birthday teeth!
Am I enjoying my compost?...: Non-Gardening Partner has suddenly become very compost-attentive. Am I enjoying my compost? Is it good compost? And when would I like him to get me a new trailer load of compost? Ha! I suspect he's planning a weekend of ski-ing...
9/11 remembered sadly and quietly......: 9/11 - remembered sadly and quietly, with some gentle gardening, and hopeful thoughts about world peace. Ten years ago I planted the rose Golden Tribute, as my small tribute. It's a beautiful rose, and has lots of new spring growth right now.
Birthday socks, birthday gnomes......: Birthday socks, birthday gnomes (one chap, holding a little forest creature in his arms, is just gorgeous), and now birthday Agapanthus. When will it all end? Unfortunately it ends today - I am allowed one week for this shameless self-focus, and one week only. Blast!
Gardening goals......: I wonder if this might be a good week to write down some gardening goals, since spring is progressing so quickly. For example, I could try to finish at least three important things. Hmm... Suspect that goals need to be a little more specific.
I don't want to miss anything!...: It scares me how quickly September is passing, with scores of daffodils below and floating waves of cherry blossom above. Each day the new rose shoots seem to double in size. I don't want to miss anything!
Reality blurs......: Reality blurs too easily for this dedicated web-gardener, when starting a new Moosey journal page is almost as exciting as digging a new garden. Oh dear! Shut the computer, grab the gardening gloves, ignore the drizzle and get real - at once!
Shovelling compost......: Tra-la-la. I know where I'm gardening, and I know who's gardening with me (my dog). I know what I love... Except I will be shovelling compost all day, but that's OK. Change the last singing line to 'I know what my garden loves', perhaps...
Doing battle with the weeds......: Yippee! October, you've arrived! That was quick. Welcome to the Moosey Garden, where the Head Gardener is ready to - do battle with your weedy side? Enjoy your flowery shrubby side? Whatever it takes to enjoy the garden...
Lots of wet droopy daffodils......: My garden and I do appreciate some fairly decent October spring rain. Honestly, we both do. And there are definite spin-offs - like lots of wet droopy daffodils to pick for the house vases. Not to mention some enforced, quality, in-house time... Eek! I could spring-clean the house...
I need to regroup......: I need to regroup (even though there's only one of me) after the rainy days earlier this week - my gardening tempo has gone molto adagio. Solution - get some general October garden goals? No, no - get a new blue gardening shirt. Much less scary...
Not fair!...: I'm getting an early Christmas present from Non-Gardening Partner. Aargh! It's another paid dentist visit to seriously repair another tooth. This just isn't fair. Why can't I just eat mush and enjoy a new rose garden? Or a huge new pond with a waterfall?
Surrounded by pink blossom......: It's an exciting weekend. I'm going to be gardening surrounded by pink blossom. The big flowering cherry trees, the little Azaleas, apple and crab-apple trees are flowering. So it's pink, a touch of white, then more pink. Pale pink, bright pink...
Greetings from Rarotonga......: We are on the island of Rarotonga, staying in Daughter of Moosey's cottage just up the road from the Turangi tip. It's nicely warm, nicely breezy, green and rooster-free...
Further greetings from Rarotonga......: Further greetings from Rarotonga, which could easily get the nickname Rooster Island, or Isle of the Short-Legged Dog. Allow me to present my first palm-tree-on-the-beach photograph. This was artfully snapped (well, almost) from the front seat of a rattly topless island rental car...
Welcome home, Moosey......: 'Welcome home, Moosey' said the pink rhododendron in the driveway, and the Dogwood in the Island Bed, and the first rose Canary Bird. 'We survived the big wind, just for you' said the new frilly yellow tulips, and the Pond Paddock cherry blossom, and...
An uber-gardener?...: Back home after my holiday, the garden needs me to transform into an uber-gardener, immoderate and extreme, a gardener with the energy of one thousand charging buffaloes...
No panicking!...: I have another new gardening policy. Panicking (too much to do, days are flying by, not enough gardening time etc.) is banned. So this morning I am taking myself off on a local country garden tour. Yes, I can spare the time. There is no rush. Everything will fit...
I promise......: Good early morning to you, November. You feel like early summer. I promise to enjoy every day of you without panicking. I am going to be a calm, consistent gardener, and I won't forget to water anything - promise!
Magical in the moonlight......: I love the reality of flowering cherry trees. They're so beautiful, even when their blossom is finishing and falling. I pass underneath them on my way to Pond Cottage, and it's magical - particularly in the moonlight.
Delightful signs of summer......: Two delightful signs of summer - the Wisteria racemes (is that the term?) are in transition. Top flowers are drying and dying, with just the bottom four or five buds left to open. And the first barbecue of the season - that's later this evening...
Sharing the roses......: November - so far you've been good. I love your warm days, while your coolish nights allow a hard-working gardener (like me) to enjoy a comfortable sleep. And I love your roses! Well, I guess they're my roses. Tell you what - we can share them...
More roses in bloom......: Every day there are more roses in bloom in my garden. Now sultry Othello, the master of rose fragrance, is flowering by the patio. Sorry about the few bits of black spot on his leaves. But then he'd be too perfect, wouldn't he?
Three-day weekends are so groovy......: Three-day weekends are so groovy when it's still only Saturday. And there's been more overnight rain, which the pre-summer garden (and gardener) loves and needs. Better nature's rain than my piddly little hoses, I say.
Beyond the call of musical duty?...: Here's the plan. Photograph the latest roses and irises. Play chamber music with my flautist friend. Then con her into helping me dig out some more Agapanthus. This may be beyond the call of musical duty.
The proper me is back......: The Head Gardener pats her dog, smiles, takes a coffee-slurp and shrugs her tired shoulders oh so gently. The proper me is back, after four days spent digging huge clumps of Agapanthus out of someone else's garden, a difficult, daunting task. Agapanthus - aargh!
The proper me is back......: The Head Gardener pats her dog, smiles, takes a coffee-slurp and shrugs her tired shoulders oh so gently. The proper me is back, after four days spent digging huge clumps of Agapanthus out of someone else's garden, a difficult, daunting task. Agapanthus - aargh!
Beautiful flowering roses......: Eek! It's the last week of November - so soon! But what a month - full of huge surprises, little treats, and beautiful flowering roses. And lots of good gardening work, done by me, grump-free. And I haven't finished yet!
The littlest things in a day can bring the greatest joy......: The littlest things in a day can bring the greatest joy. Half an hour of robust Brahms piano practice, half an hour planting pink and white daisies, half an hour zooming around the local recycling store... And a choir concert to sing in tonight with an orchestra. Lucky me!
Irises, please don't flop......: Yippee! I'm up super early to enjoy the morning, before the wind starts up. Big bearded irises flopping on the ground is one thing, but my foxgloves and lupins had better not fail. C'mon all of you - whites, apricots, blues, and pinks - stand tall, be strong. What's a little wind?
Roses, roses, roses......: Roses, roses, roses. I love you all, even if I know barely half of your names. And the warmest of welcomes to the 'new' recycled roses, flowering for the first time. You are all very beautiful. Enjoy the rest of your life in my garden...
Time for the big irrigation......: Oops. Summery December has taken me a bit by surprise. The temperature has gone up a notch. The garden is gasping in this sudden heat, and my little hoses and water buckets provide little help. Time for the big irrigation to come out of winter recess, I reckon!
The pre-Christmas singing season......: It's the silly but lovely pre-Christmas singing season, with morning carols in the sunshine and serious warbling concerts held indoors in the heat of a summer afternoon. Would I possibly rather be gardening? Oops - naughty!
No more digging out other people's roses......: OK. I remember saying I wouldn't dig out any more roses from other people's gardens, because summer was well advanced, and I didn't need any more roses. Then I felt sorry for this pinky-salmon beauty, and it was only one dollar, and...
A good eye for terrain......: I'm quite nervous. Today I'm creating the complete route for the new Wattle Woods stream and organising the little pond at the bottom of the slope. And it's not so much of a slope, so I'd better have a good eye for terrain...
The yin-yang of gardening life......: It only takes a couple of rainy days and my plants are exceedingly happy - as are huge swathes of grateful weeds. So be it. The yin-yang of gardening life, methinks, and I wouldn't want it any other way. But wait a tiny moment - how about a garden without excessive weeds? Hmm...
Landscaping my new wriggling stream......: I've started seriously landscaping my new wriggling stream through the Wattle Woods. It's hugely exciting have gently running water (and a gently sloping garden) to play with. And a little pond. There will be much watery dribbling and gushing in the journal this week...
Some new gardening rules... ...: I have some new gardening rules for myself. One concerns my car. When the car boot is full of plastic bags of horse manure, there is no such thing as the gardener (me) 'being too tired'.
Happy Christmas!...: Summer sunshine, bellbirds singing so beautifully, cats behaving oddly (Escher the bouncing brown puppy stayed overnight), and my house family-full - life is really good, if one can forgive the surface interruptions (i.e. the pesky, scary aftershocks). And it's Christmas!
It's very summer-hot......: Suddenly it's very summer-hot. Sun-block, hat, cricket radio, and gardening shorts become important accessories of the summertime gardener. My horribly big task is to finish cleaning up all the hedge trimmings - before next year!

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