From me to me...
Pretty Purple Pansy
Yippee! A box load of seedlings I ordered online has arrived. It is one of my advance birthday presents - from me to me. Decided to outsource some of my seedlings this year to save time.
So I've already planted the spinach and some spring onions in pots, and the rest of the packets are soaking in water. There are pansies, lettuces, lobelia, and hollyhocks.
Then I did some pruning and trimming around the house patio (haven't finished it yet, must remember), took the mess to the bonfire, and burnt it. Not too smokey - lots of gum tree leaves mixed in with the rose prunings, and very dry clumps of grass.
Winnie hung out with me, and I threw her ball lots. She is a darling dog, and doesn't think that I am boring, like Pebbles does. Pebbles thinks that sitting and staring into next-door's empty paddocks is much more exciting than being with me. This is rather disappointing.
Plantation Pink Camellias
Friday 1st September
Honesty is really important in a gardening partnership, right? The tree man came this morning to look at the gum trees Non-Gardening Partner wants taken down (this will provide firewood for the next few winters). I was naughty. I added three scruffy fastigate Oaks to the list.
Messy Oak Trees
NGP will possibly make a fuss. Don't I like fastigate Oaks? Yes, I do, but they have to be shapely, not messy and straggley. But do I really need them to come down? Yes, I do - particularly if I have a team of skilled arborists on site.
Buster the Cat
Amazing...
Today has been amazing. I started off in a very organised mood. I was going to do one task (pruning the hydrangeas) and finish it. Well, that didn't last, but I've done more of the hydrangeas than I did last year.
Hello Buster...
I also did some sit-down weeding (supervised by Buster my secretive black cat) and burnt all my rubbish. Buster likes to sit right on top of the pergola and watch what's going on.
Saturday 2nd September
At dawn this morning I was sitting in bed in the cottage listening to the cricket, the door slightly open. In popped a very cheeky blackbird, who looked at me then started pecking at Minimus's cat bowl. Minimus, cuddled up beside me, made those teeth chattering cat-noises. Bird took no notice.
Later that morning I clearing around Pond Cottage. I dug out an over-sized Anemanthele grass, planted some Lychnis in the gap, filled more of my pots, pruned the Henry Hudson roses, and raked up a lot of mess.
Pond Cottage
Sunday 3rd September
Well, well, well. Guess who swung by the cottage last night, hissing and glowering? Mister Speckles the Stray, who has been AWOL for some days. I gave him some extra food and two bowls of full-cream milk. He didn't want to be patted. Dead-loss cat.