The season of the gardening shorts
Dog Kiss
It's spring, the season of the gardening shorts. Sun screen on the face and hands, remembering to wash the knees in the day's end shower. Aha! Taking photographs of daffodils, blossom, spring shrubs. Marvelling at the trilliums and peonies sprouting. Splendid spring.
Friday 2nd September
And it's September, which is my birthday month. Yes! I will be older (just a little) - but not necessarily wiser - in six days time. I don't mind if I'm even sillier.
The garden is starting to break out into colour, and the light is warmer. Buds on camellias abound, the early rhododendrons are blooming, as are the huge Wattle trees with their bilious yellow flowers. There's so much of everything to do. And the weather has been divine - I've been wearing a summer cotton shirt, and my gardening shorts, with not even the slightest shiver.
It's funny that the official beginning of spring seems to change things. Getting up in the mornings I feel lighter, full of hope and confidence. My garden is definitely not too big for me to look after! There will be time to do and appreciate every little thing. I will not need to rush. Ha! A new attitude!
Today I've been attacking the creepy grass which infests part of the Frisbee Lawn's garden. I'm doing the roughest trim of the Euphorbia polychroma - it, plus Agapanthus, flesh out this garden. Those grass runners are lethal, though, and I never, ever manage to get them all out. Thought : weeding might be easier if I put the hose on. Another slightly more subversive one : Roundup in a squirty bottle when nobody is watching?
Saturday 3rd September
I'm up early to look through the latest bunch of spring photographs. My immediate thought (am not so brainy first thing in the morning) is that they all look the same as last year's. Well I never! Of course they do - it's the same garden.
Spring Glass-House and Wattle Flowering
Today's plan is to go swimming, then zoom home to start my seeds. I've already watered the new patio pots (pansies, parsley, and so on). I want to be a better 'waterer' this spring and summer. Actually I want to be a better 'everythinger'.
Much, Much Later...
My first seed session is completed (forty pottles - just flowering annuals and lettuces). I've also barrowed loads of soil and horse manure into the curved bit of the Driveway Garden, and I've cleaned up the wee stone wall near the road.
Little Single Red Camellia
Nothing Earth-Shattering...
Nothing I've done has been particularly remarkable, or earth-shattering (hee hee) - just a steady spring plod, lots of weeding, no need to rush. Non-Gardening Partner has been trimming suckers in the Hazelnut Orchard, and Winnie the dog has been racing back and forth between us. The pack is split, and she needs to keep checking us both.
Then we enjoyed an inspiring late afternoon spring garden walk with the dogs, with black Buster representing the cats. The driveway garden itself - lime green Hellebores, a row of little single red Camellias (first year to flower), a large rhododendron (suspect it is called Cornubia), the Prunus nigra with its deep pink blossom. Simple things, too, like a little tree with green leaves just about to unfurl. Looovely!
Alas, due to young Winnie raking my bare leg (ouch), the gardening shorts will have to be benched for a wee while. Anyway, I was only showing off...