The End of September
Too much to say! Too much to do! I love September, and there are just days to go. I have my New Zealand Native plants to create a new garden with - very exciting, even if the area is not quite dug yet...
Velvet Blue Pansy
Thursday 29th September
I've missed a journal day. But one doesn't have to write up every day in ones own journal (I can see my web manager nodding in relief). No gardening yesterday - thus no writing. What about today? Hmm... I will contemplate the day's gardening possibilities, and the possible healthy leisure activities - for example, a long walk with puppy to christen my new walking boots, a visit to the Ilam Gardens Azaleas and Rhododendrons with my human walking friend...
Botanic Garden-Visiting Season
My walking friend and I have already done our first long spring walk in the Christchurch Botanic Gardens - we went to see what was up (lots), and how much snow damage there was (a bit - not too obvious). The gardens are fresh and lovely at this time of year, and the ponds with their huge stands of Gunnera unfurling were gorgeous. The Magnolia trees, the deciduous Azaleas - lots of bright pinks and purples. Quite inspiring. Except my friend (being older than me and therefore botanically bossy) tried to stop me photographing the various gardeners' wheelbarrows...
Assorted Garden News
The first rose (Canary Bird?) is flowering - one lone bud and one flower in a sea of ferny green. The white flowering variegated Honesty in the driveway garden looks gorgeous. And there is a garden lunch here next week for members of my Latte Club (a group of teachers who dream of retiring from teaching). That means all my paths will have to be fully functioning, all the edges will have to be trimmed, and all the lawns mowed. Forget the state of the plants - it's cosmetic gardening time!
Right. I will make every effort to finish digging the garden by the water tank. Perhaps I can have my new Native Garden planted by the end of the month!
Later...
I worked hard for three hours. The path to the Willow Tree is now clear, and the surrounding gardens are weeded and free of Verbascum seedlings - these sensibly have their own designated, controlled area. One path down - about ten to go! I also pruned another half row of Hazelnut trees (when will I ever finish?) and went for two lovely long walks. This gardening life is good.
Verbascum
Friday 30th September
Aargh! The last day of September! But does this matter one little bit? It's silly that an arbitrary calendar day should have any gardening impact what-so-ever. Gardeners are supposed to have a hot-line to the real earth, weather, equinoxes, moon-tides... Who cares? Must be the semi-retired teacher in me, peeping out of the undergrowth!
Today I have a busy morning - the Water Tank Garden needs more digging, more Hazelnut trees in the orchard need pruning. Same old, same old. It would be nice to finish both tasks by the end of September, though - then I could reward myself somehow...
Rose Canary Bird
Later, Morning Tea...
Well, morning iced water actually, fresh from the Moosey Aquifer. It has just occurred to me (after two hours of annoying, bendy tree pruning) that next week's garden visitors will find my water race and its plants enchanting - that is, if I get the banks weeded. The water race Gunnera would look so much more beautiful without the accompanying weedy grass as a ground-cover. I am heartily sick of the orchard, and digging the new Native Garden is dusty, stony, and unappealing. A diversion! On go my special river shoes, and cross my fingers (and toes) the water isn't too cold!
Gunnera Growth...
It might be time to remind myself that my water race Gunnera 'arrived' from up-stream, and that in four of five years has grown rather big and lovely, and by allowing this growth I am further contributing to the distribution of Gunnera down-stream, and this is not necessarily good environmentally...
Much, Much Later...
I am apres-gardening, and extremely clean of foot. The water race along Middle Garden is cleared, and I've started sweeping the house paths. My garden visitors will enjoy walking on the flat stones in concrete - without slipping on mud or dodging weeds.