How can I?
Be Nice to Me!
OK. How can I be a more interesting person when all I do is weed and trim and pick up gum tree bark from the lawns? I am a trundler of wheelbarrows, a spreader of horse manure, a scooper of mulch. Doesn't sound interesting at all.
Hobbies?
What about hobbies? I do enjoy collecting stuff. 'Stuff' varies : cat shaped tea-pots, retro wall ducks, blue gardening shirts, blue apres-gardening shirts... At the moment I seem to be 'collecting' good quality pairs of shoes and boots. I have finally found the perfect gardening boots - Salewa trail shoes, strong yet lightweight, protective of my old toes and feet, stylish when worn with my gardening shorts. I think I look rather purposeful and rugged, old-school country. But is this at all interesting? Not a bit.
Went to the nursery this morning with my voucher (I am still spending my voucher) and bought a black sun umbrella (it was cheap, but has a UV rating) for the pond decking table. Then popped into the Op Shop and bought yet another pair of shoes (indigo leather sandals, closed off toes so there's not a peep of a dirty toenail). Honestly, this has to stop!
Salewa Garden Boots
Not boring for dogs...
But my feet are not boring as far as my dogs are concerned. Footwear is an indicator of potential activity, for dogs. On go the Salewa gardening boots and the dogs squeak and dance on the spot. Yeay! Outdoors shoes! We must be doing something. Off come the boots. Oh blast! Boring...
I've had another good gardening day clearing and trimming. This time I worked my way from the back house lawn over to Middle Garden. I chopped down another Phormium (which had got too big overnight) and picked up huge numbers of fallen dead cordyline leaves (that will be the wind). So the lawns over the water race are now ready for mowing. I've told Non-Gardening Partner this, using my sweetest voice.
Just occasionally (like now) I wish that I still either drank alcohol or ate chocolate. Both would be a wonderful reward for another wonderful gardening day. But instead I'm enjoying a coffee and a few water crackers, and we are going to the pub for a meal. Much nicer!
Saturday 4th January
Aha! It's another great gardening day. So far I've cleared the front house lawn of gum bark, and reminded NGP about mowing the lawns. I've been trimming the Euphorbias in the house gardens (sunnies on for eye protection). And done some rose dead-heading (of the so-called flower carpet roses).
Now the plan is to have the shortest of breaks, a cup of tea, and then go out to the Pond Paddock. My newest garden area needs - ahem - just a little up-sizing. I will slice off the mossy poor quality lawn, lay down newspaper, send NGP off with the trailer to pick up some bags of horse manure, fill the wheelbarrow a few times with mulch, shift a few Pittosporums (so recently planted that they won't notice), and voila!
Later...
Done. Well, what could be done has been done, I've run out of horse manure, and almost run out of mulch. The new Pond Paddock garden is a much improved shape. There's no rush, though. The new gardening year is dribbling on rather nicely.
Naturally, the daylilies are rather gorgeous at the moment. There are lots of other colourful flowers, too. And the lovely greenery which is the most precious thing of all.