
mooseyscountrygarden.com » Gardening Journals	« Garden Journal 2002 \| Garden Journal 2004 »

Forums

Newsletter

Garden Journal 2003

2003 starts out as any normal year, but ends in triumph, as I become a retired person, ready to try my hands at full-time gardening. There's an odd twist healthwise, as I discover I'm not superwoman. The garden is, of course, completely oblivious to all this drama.

Early January... Fri 10th Jan 2003: Time is rushing past like the water race which runs through my garden. January is my long gardening holiday. Those ubiquitous lilac phloxes appear everywhere, I snack on the fresh peas from the vege garden, and make ambitious new plans.
Late January... Wed 29th Jan 2003: These few weeks turn unexpectedly into a transition period in my non-gardening life. But life definitely goes on, and weeds keep growing.
Early February... Sat 1st Feb 2003: This February I have some unexpected time off work to enjoy the garden. I'm looking forward to spotting all the little changes I usually miss.
Late February... Fri 14th Feb 2003: I am slowly regaining my gardening confidence. And still the weeds keep growing!
Early March... Sat 1st Mar 2003: I am determined to be more relaxed to the garden this month. There will be no frenetic weekend days spent trying to do everything at once. I have transformed into a gentle and wise gardener...
Late March... Sun 16th Mar 2003: I am waiting patiently for rain, while claiming that I have turned into a less frenetic, more mellow gardener. Time will tell if this is the case!
Early April... Sun 6th Apr 2003: The wood shed full of firewood becomes a favourite shelter. Mud gardening, drizzle gardening and even rain gardening become more and more normal
Mid April... Tue 15th Apr 2003: My holiday is going really well. It's often during this autumn break that I start making ridiculous plans for garden improvement. But I seem to have overestimated the numbers of new daffodils needed for the Moosey Spring Show.
Late April... Sun 20th Apr 2003: This is the second week of my holiday. Wonder if I'll be able to keep up my energy levels? There is so much to do.
Mid May... Sat 17th May 2003: It's May, and I feel very guilty, and very tempted to fib. It's now the third weekend in May, and this is the first time I've come to write in my gardening diary. I have made some sporadic journeys into the garden, but nothing of any substance. Very disappointing.
Late May... Sun 25th May 2003: I keep on weeding while the late summer flowers continue to bloom - laughing in the face of winter, which can't be too far away.
Early June... Sun 1st Jun 2003: June is an in-between month. Who knows if it will be hopelessly wintry, or warm and dry enough to garden every day? All my family is arriving this month - hope I still have time for the garden.
Late June... Sat 14th Jun 2003: I am seriously starting to think about becoming a full-time gardener. Wonder if I should do this? I am very tempted.
July Holiday - 1... Sat 5th Jul 2003: It's my two week winter gardening holiday, where I garden all day and contemplate retirement (complete with personal vineyard) all evening. Crisp morning walks with the dog, midday reads on a sunny seat, afternoon burn-ups... What more could there be?
July Holiday - 2... Fri 11th Jul 2003: I try very hard to be Moosey the Winter Gardening Legend, struggling with morning frosts and frozen ground - just exactly where I want to be digging!
July Holiday - 3... Thu 17th Jul 2003: I have a pruning and burning obsession - it's about time that the scruffy Pittosporums are dealt to.
Late July... Sat 26th Jul 2003: After the heady expanses of holiday hours with nothing to do except gardening, it's back to work and one July weekend in which to keep up the winter gardening momentum...
Late August... Sun 10th Aug 2003: These next few weeks see me make the big retirement decision. Yippee!
Early August... Fri 1st Aug 2003: August - the month when the garden starts giving out little hints - seeds are sown and plans for new exciting summer gardens are germinating too. Perhaps this will be the year of the vegetable garden!
Early September... Wed 3rd Sep 2003: It's September! This is the last September before I become a retired full-time gardener. Already there is spring colour - crocuses, daffodils, camellias - and the garden is ready to burst into flower. The rhododendrons are covered in buds.
September Holidays - 1... Fri 19th Sep 2003: I am on holiday! I am so very happy, oddly semi-paralysed by thoughts of all this freedom. So far I've wandered around the garden picking spring flowers, noticed new blossom trees and the red rhododendrons flowering...
September Holidays - 2... Tue 23rd Sep 2003: I hope I don't run out of holiday energy too soon. There are so many big plans inside my gardening head.
September Holidays - 3... Tue 30th Sep 2003: I'm going to run out of time - there are so many things to do in the garden and so many beautiful things happening.
October... Wed 15th Oct 2003: October has been a disaster for me. The 1st weekend it rained continuously. The 2nd weekend I had to go up to Auckland for work. The 3rd weekend is now, and I am dutifully writing up my diary for the first time. In three hours we fly over to Tasmania...
October in Tasmania... Fri 31st Oct 2003: Tasmania is a beautiful part of Australia to visit - the climate is quite mild, and the island is a good size for touring - it's not too commercial or too busy. Tasmanian wildlife is unique, and we were lucky to spend some time watching some Tasmanian Devils...
Mid November... Sun 23rd Nov 2003: November has also been a gardening disaster. It's been work, work and more work. As I've worked to finish all my commitments for the school year, the roses are blooming beautifully, the lawns are growing daily, the edges need doing, and I have barely noticed...
Late November... Sun 23rd Nov 2003: This is the continuation of my Spring Rose Garden Update. The roses have never looked so good, and all I've done is ignore them.
Early December... Thu 4th Dec 2003: It's December already, and I have FOUR days of work left before I retire. Yippee! I can hardly believe it - should I be making terribly serious lists, or should I just let the next few days flow by?
Mid December... Thu 11th Dec 2003: Thursday 11th December marks the first day of my retirement from being a music teacher. As of today I am a free agent. I choose. I have a new lifestyle which I should be able to describe as serene, relaxed, and gently paced.
Christmas Week - Sifter Cat... Mon 15th Dec 2003: It's nearly Christmas, it's stinking hot, and the hot dry wind is blustering about. I haven't been out in the garden yet, but already I've put the small hoses on. There is no real hurry - Ha! Evidence of my new improved attitude.
Christmas Week 2... Fri 19th Dec 2003: It's almost Christmas. It's a great feeling, not knowing or caring what day of the week it is. I've bought the cats some special Christmas dried food - they'll surely appreciate it.
Late December... Thu 25th Dec 2003: Merry Xmas. It's hot, and windless. I've already spent two hours in the Willow Tree Garden, pulling out pansies and cutting them up for mulch. I have tested out my new Christmas Womans Work gardening gloves - they are inspiring, thankyou Eggy and Bex.