Pukekos in my garden!
Hello pukeko
Have just been to check on the Stumpy Garden, by the water race - to do a cleaning-up inventory, see what needs fixing, and so on. Quite a surprise.
So kind...
Someone (so kind) has already done a lot of clearing, but they've just left all the mess, loads and loads of it, lying in there. I wonder who could this possibly have been?
It's an interesting area to work in. Several pukekos (New Zealand swamp hens) have moved in from the orchard and seem to be 'living' in my garden. They've been screeching at me from deep in the vegetation. Oh well. As long as they haven't got a nest of babies we should get along fine.
Later...
Three hours work, and not very much to show for it. I've trimmed old stems off the giant Arondo (oops, a naughty plant), collected up loads of dead Cordyline leaves and pieces of gum tree bark. I've weeded and dug around the edge, and raked out all that mysterious mess.
Shastas and Red Hot Pokers
Unfortunately there is much left to do. But why is this unfortunate? It's gardening life. Gardening life is unfortunate? No, no!
Pretty Dahlia
Monday 19th January
So what did I do today? Was on a random journey with my wheelbarrow, busy trimming off Phormium stalks. Said hello to the Shasta daisies and the Red Hot Pokers - beautiful!
Noticed a rough and ugly species green flax, decided then and there to start slicing it down (with my little steak knife - silly, but it's the most brilliant took for cutting flaxes). And then maybe remove its roots with the axe. Oh yes! Easy peasy!
Not very much to show...
Two hours later, and - yet again - not very much to show for my work. But I'm very happy. My tame brown blackbird arrived to poke and scratch around in the dirt by me. She is fearless - once I nearly stood on her, but she just hopped deftly out of the way. All the time I could hear the pukekos shrieking over the water race. Bird company...