Moosey News : November 2009

Dear Subscriber,

Ah - summer! Long, languid days filled with weeding and watering. Or should that be watering and weeding?

This month's features :

  1. Rose Souvenir de la Malmaison
  2. Visit to an Iris Nursery
  3. Disney Garden Gnomes
  4. Upper and Lower Patio Furniture
  5. Craigieburn Forest Park Hike

Regulars :

  1. Plant of the Month : Rose Corylus
  2. Animal of the Month : Jerome the Grey
  3. Garden Quote : It's Easier to Start Than To Continue
  4. Garden Gallery : Bumble Bee on a Philadelphus Shrub
  5. Forum Focus : Kerole's Place
  6. Gardening Advice : On Grooming
  7. Searching for Moosey : flax in pot
  8. Coming up this month : More summer, Christmas, and...

This month's features

1. Rose Souvenir de la Malmaison

I've always loved the romantic associations of this famous old-fashioned rose. However, the reality is a little more down-to-earth!

2. Visit to an Iris Nursery

I went with the local Garden club to a country Iris Nursery. Interesting - but I do wonder if all those subtle versions of the same shade are really necessary...

3. Disney Garden Gnomes

A quartet of these little chaps, with floppy red hats and goggle eyes, are sitting underneath the Gingko tree in the Driveway. Disney garden gnomes are not quite 'de rigueur', however, even in a quirky garden...

4. Upper and Lower Patio Furniture

Two patios - be impressed! The lower house patio has had its beautiful home-built wooden furniture for a few summers. And just the other week I bought a ten dollar glass-topped cane table and four chairs for the upper patio. Super stylish on either level...

5. Craigieburn Forest Park Hike

This is the best day trip to the mountains I've ever had the good fortune (and legs) to experience. Hope you enjoy the photographs...

Regulars

6. Plant of the Month : Corylus Rose

This rose and I go back a long time, to a holiday touring around some Norfolk Gardens, where I met my first Corylus - and liked her very much.

7. Animal of the Month : Jerome the Grey

Jerome was laid to rest in the Hazelnut Orchard recently, after eighteen years of being a gardening cat. Well - I guess she'd been retired for the last two or three. Celebrations, Jerome, on your great, long, happy life.

8. Garden Quote : It's Easier to Start Than To Continue

Here's some great advice which all gardeners should heed - especially when they contemplate yet another garden project...

9. Garden Gallery : Bumble Bee on a Philadelphus Shrub

The bumble bees are busy as usual in the Moosey garden. I try to provide flowering plants for them all the year round - that's pretty important for a bee.

10. Forum Focus : Kerole's Place

Gardeners keep popping in and out of the forums - we are a busy breed! You'll enjoy seeing Kerole's latest photographs - what a wonderful garden she has.

11. Gardening Advice : On Grooming

Isn't it said that dog owners often look like their dogs? Gardeners often look like their gardens, and both could use some serious grooming...

12. Searching for Moosey : flax in pot

New Zealand Phormium Hybrid in Pot
Flaxes (or Phormiums, New Zealand style) often start their life in my garden in patio pots. When they start struggling with the heat (or, more likely, my lack of watering), off into the real garden they go. Here's my latest hybrid beauty, called 'Evening Glow'.

13. Coming up this month : More summer, Christmas, and...

And the bulk purchase of some wonderful old-fashioned roses. Where to plant them? How big will they grow? Where can I put the monster ramblers? All extremely exciting - and the reason that this newsletter is so late. Oops. Have a wonderful Christmas.

Cheers,

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