Putting off the autumn bonfire...
Green Astelia
The fire ban has come off. And there's nothing quite as horrible as a bonfire, particularly on a beautifully warm blue-skies autumn day, far too nice to spoil. I am sooooooo not looking forward to this.
Thank you, Non-Gardening Partner!
But wait! Sanity prevails, in the form of Non-Gardening Partner. Phew! He says that the ground is still very dry and there will be too much wind. Heavy rain is forecast tomorrow, and after that bonfiring will be much safer and more sensible. OK. Nice. I can wait.
Sunday 3rd May
So instead of burning, I'm clearing in the Wattle Woods, creating yet more large piles of dry, dusty, burnable mess. All around the fence-lines of my garden there are piles of dry, dusty, burnable mess. But I'm not thinking of them today.
Trouble with the Astelias
Today the hoses are on the Camellias at the top of the woods. A bronze and green Phormium is not happy in its uber-dry location. A large green Astelia is lying flat on the dusty ground, and a light leafed Acanthus needs digging out.
Lime Leaf Acanthus
I need some potting mix. Have just ordered some online. I need some shovel energy. Have just ordered some from my inner gardener. Right. Out I go.
Later...
Brilliant! NGP drove me to pick up the potting mix, then I pulled the green Astelia apart and potted up the pieces. I've also potted up Phormium pieces, Acanthus, Renga Renga, and refreshed the mix in pots of spring bulbs.
Fred in the Autumn Driveway
One of the Fred cats has been following me around, and is now curled up in a spare pot on my glass-house workbench.
Monday 4th May
Another lovely day, with no bonfire. Again I've had the hoses on the Camellias, and I've done more potting : more Renga Renga, some Bowles Golden Grass, and an unknown rather delightful perennial plant (see below).
Unknown Foliage Perennial
Then I went to sort out the dead silver Astelia by Duck Lawn - managed to break my scoopy shovel. Hard work. Noticed that another green Astelia just along the way has gone totally flat. What's up?
The Sad Demise of the Astelias...
So 2020 is the year of the Sad Demise of the Astelias? Have they've just come to the end of their natural life span? I imagine a giant overweight fairy sitting on them in the night, squashing the life out of them...
Green Astelias
But I feel awfully sensible having done so much potting up. I am creating new plants for my garden, not wasting anything, And looking forwards. I have twelve pots of new green Astelia pieces in my nursery area. The Astelia is dead. Long live the Astelia - that sort of thing.