Summer gardening life
Madame Caroline Testout Rose
Still happily sorting out the summer scruff. So far today I've looked at two needy garden areas. But not just look - I started remedial action! Worked for an hour on each, managing to stay in the shade. Started, not finished. But that's summer gardening life, I guess.
The Orchard roses...
First I put the drippers on the orchard roses and started weeding underneath them. The main culprit were hazelnuts which had seeded, producing sturdy little seedling trees. I don't spray these roses, and they are not well groomed. I am appalled at Madame Caroline Testout. As usual, she's almost bald - a most unhealthy look for a rose of any pedigree. Bantry Bay (a New Zealand rose, not a favourite) is similarly semi-clad, and the leaves that remain are spotted with the remains of rust and black-spot. Humph. So I trimmed a lot of foliage off him. And really - do I want to persevere with these unhealthy roses anyway?
Fun with the Chooks...
Then I had quite a bit of fun cleaning the gum leaves etc. out of Henworld, near the Hen House. Henworld is a deep-set circular garden underneath the huge Eucalpyptus trees, and houses a wee collection of ornamental outdoor hens and roosters.
Rooster in the Agapanthus
The only plant which grows well is Agapanthus. Granted, some of the Astelias are doing OK, but the Hebes are in distress, leggy, leaves wilting. Chop. And the large Phormium in the middle isn't so happy, either.
The Water Race
Into the water...
Got too hot, so put on crocs and shorts and went into the water race to cool off. Did my biennial ankle-height trim of the overgrown green Carexes on the banks. Their roots stop the bank from eroding, and they will re-sprout. Scooped up an awful lot of submerged dog sticks, too, lost by Winnie.
Walked back to the house and spied beautiful Black Buster lolling in the Bowles Golden Grass in the Herb Spiral. It's time I trimmed the Lychnis etc. from the surrounding garden. Took photographs of the cat, tried not to notice the mess. Didn't want to spoil my good mood!
And then - the best thing of all! It took ages, but I did it! I went around picking up absolutely all my mess, dumped it all underneath the hedge, while the lawn mower (yippee) mowed absolutely all the lawns. What a wonderful look! No scruff to be seen. Well, not immediately and easily.
You see, there are two levels of visual contentment in gardening. One is deep, if bitter-sweet : the gardener knows that messes have been cleaned up, even if the garden still looks dreadfully scruffy. But the other is definitely superficial. Yeay! Everything looks better. Whether (or not) it actually is (or not)...
Buster in Bowles Golden Grass
Buster the cat has the right idea. Lie in some grass, half close your eyes, and enjoy the summer.