Down and out!

 Beautiful autumn colours.
Dogwood Leaves

Woo hoo! Yeay! Yippee! I'm back in the garden after four full days of rain. There's even a smudge of blue sky up there. Am so lucky I garden in New Zealand - not sure how I'd survive e.g. a Canadian Prairies winter. Reading plant and seed catalogues for three months?

Saturday 3rd May

We went to see out friends for morning coffee, and when I got home I instantly changed into my shorts. Took some more autumn leaves photographs (loving the Dogwoods), then into the garden.

Kept going for four hours - not too grubby, just very muddy knees. Hard, physical work. First I dragged some big tree branches over to the bonfire, then dug out some Agapanthus clumps from behind the pond. Planted them around the big gum tree behind the Stables. Then, axe in hand, feeling rather small, I approached the big Phormium by Car Bridge. Half of it was still standing, waiting for me. I could do this!

 What a mess!
Dumped Phormium Leaves

It took three more hours to dismantle what was left, and dig out the roots. Dumped leaves by the fence, wheeled half the burnable mess over to the bonfire. Had to call in Non-Gardening Partner to pull out the very last piece. I can't remember planting it (that would have happened at least twenty years ago). Must have, though, thinking it would cover up the big tree stump. But it was certainly well past its use-by date.

 It covered up the large tree stump.
Where the Phormium Used to Grow

Apres-gardening, I felt really great. The Phormium was down and out! Spent the next hour in a happy daze thinking about what I've achieved. Silly, I know. Another triumph - I finished my jigsaw.

 A beauty.
My latest jigsaw

I did it!