Very End of May

I'm coping rather well with the short days and the winter sun slinking through the sky. The great Moosey Winter Clean-Up is slowly but surely gathering momentum - still no major morning frosts (or southerly snow storms) to spoil things! Touch wood...

Monday 30th May

'They' have changed the weather forecast overnight - now it is going to be sunny all day. What should I do first? Replant the spring bulbs I dug up yesterday? Probably not - I need to go over the earth once more, trying to dig out all the phlox roots. I've technically 'cleared' these perennials every winter. Then when little green surviving shoots emerge in spring I've gone all sentimental, turned a blind eye, mother-indulgent. This year I will be fierce and uncompromising. I do not want the lilac phlox to grow here. Not now, nor in spring, nor flowering late next summer.

The Miscanthus Zebrinus also needs attacking. Maybe a compromise - I could dig out half of it? The half nearest the Cotinus which will be the hardest to get my spade to? A sound mathematically inspired plan, if there isn't enough room for all of it.

Winter Seed Heads a Flop!

My seaside gardening friend has dug out and divided her Miscanthus Zebrinus grasses many times. The dried seed heads (which should look sculptural) have all done a horizontal flop, spoiling the stylish winter look.

I need another hot cup of tea. I'm procrastinating - trouble is that I scrubbed and scrubbed my fingernails last night and they are pristine (I have to go in to work for an hour later). If I weed too much, even with my gardening gloves on... Hopeless! Any excuse to be lazy! Not good enough!

I should be thankful. It hasn't actually got too cold for morning gardening yet. I've tried to explain this to the Australian Moosey House Guest, who has taken to wearing a warm hat and down jacket inside the house in the evenings (even when the log-burner is flaming merrily). The sun may be feeble, but it's up there! And the Moosey Garden is much lower than Sydney and much nearer the Antarctic (where those cold southerly weather systems come from). Hmmm...

Chelsea Flower Show Envy!

Enough twittering. My web-site manager will tell me off for talking about nothing, filling up space with non-garden specific nonsense. She (naturally) has her head full of summery stuff - The Chelsea Flower Show is on in London, and there are balmy evening barbeques on the balcony (site of the famous London-Moosey Rooftop Garden). Envy! Envy!

Tuesday 31st May

Ha! The last day to sort out my winter gardening programme! I am about to continue the chopping down of perennials - yesterday I worked for three hours in the small garden laundry-side of the house. I've trimmed back the Shasta daisies (Aargh! I don't like them!) and the Lavender (is this actually the right time to prune?) and the yellow perennial daisies called - Hmmm... Grabs perennial book ands checks name - Helianthus? Helianthum?

There are two badly placed standard roses in this garden - one was planted memorially over the first Moosey Ginger Puss ten years ago, and I am about to move it - he would give his blessing, I'm sure. Invasive mint (which I didn't plant - I'm not quite that silly) has gone mad, and marjoram has seeded everywhere. Somewhere underneath all this is a small surviving patch of lemon tulips. I am bound to slice through them, by the first law of winter garden digging.

The Miscanthus by the glass-house still has to be dug out. I have a lot to do - so why am I cowering inside by the little one bar heater with furry Stumpy cat solidly and pleasantly sitting on me? I'm seriously procrastinating - just waiting for air and ground temperatures to rise a little! The Moosey House Guest (still wearing his down jacket inside the house) thinks it's far too cold to garden. He is presently making me a cup of tea, so I cannot comment further.