April - Easter

Happy Easter to the Moosey Garden, which is waiting patiently. What will happen first? Perhaps the Head Gardener will plant all the bargains she's brought back from the Big Nursery Sale...

Good Friday 14th April

Ha! This is me, AKA Head Gardener, HG for short, and yes - I have been to the Big Sale. THE BIG EASTER PLANT SALE. A sale of which I had huge expectations, as per usual. Oddly, what I went to get were not represented in the sale table, but I still filled two trolleys.

 The Ginko tree is turning slowly into the colour of straw-gold.
Autumn - The Frisbee Lawn

I am now the proud owner of the following bargain plants (unfortunately no Pittosporums):

New Plants

Canna Tropicannas
Can't have too many of these! These fat clumps, dying disgracefully in their large sale price pots, will just love it here in the house garden.
Unknown Perennial Geranium
This shows my style and class - as a grabber of sale price plants, that is!
Epimediums
Ditto! Two fat pots, beautiful shaped leaves.
Kalmia Latifolia Pequot
Ha! Growing sideways out of its pot, I will plant it to cascade down the water race bank. I will treat it like an honorary rhododendron.
Phormium Tricolor
A little plant - but it will grow big and strong!
Forsythia and Griselinia
Two old tough shrubs for the Welcome Garden.
Unknown Grass
Label says it copes with dry shade - so into the Welcome Garden it goes!

And now, the big moment - what to do first? It's Easter Good Friday, a holiday, which means that I could possibly get garden help, if I act now! Perhaps I could request some carting of rubbish for the burning pile! Non-gardening partner has already been told off for accidentally spraying the Stella D'Oro daylilies, thinking they were a grass weed. I'd better go and sweet-talk him before he decides to disappear for a four hour walk with the dog!

Later

I did it! I have had seriously good burning help. I have promised a credit in the journal (he'd much rather it was chocolate). It was touch and go there at first - suddenly the fixing of a cycle puncture appeared to be of the highest priority. The trick I've perfected is to sigh in a resigned, hard-working sort of way, and trudge off slowly with the rake. I think it's called a guilt trip? Oops...

 A lucky, accidental colour echo!
Pink Aster with Flax

So I've half dug out (and spread) the ash heap, to be fully replaced two hours later. While I started the clear-up behind the pond, my garden helper filled the trailer from rubbish in the Hump. What a productive family we are! Son has been stacking split firewood in the wood-shed, daughter-in-law is making an apple pie for lunch. Yum!

I Love My Family!

The animal family are also having a splendid day. Rusty Dog has spent his morning groaning (it's the only way to describe the noise) at a flittering fantail. All six cats are sun-snoozing in cat-lounge. I love my whole family! That means you, Moosey relatives in the Maldives and London! I love my friends! And, of course, I love my garden (please note that I do not love burning).

Easter Saturday - 15th April

First thing I'll do today is to return to the nursery sale to check up on the Bargain Bin. Today I might strike it lucky and see a forest of potted Pittosporums chorusing 'Buy us! Buy us!' And I will! The second thing involves (oops) the Birthday Rose Garden and Daughter of Moosey, for whom I still need to buy 2006 birthday presents. Two thousand and six roses? Hmm... That's a thought...

I did plant five new coral peonies in her garden a few days ago - but that can't really count. Organic birthday gifts (for example, roses) require a certain ceremony, particularly when the lucky recipient is not in residence. All of this brings me to - the Saturday newspaper! I must find an Easter rose sale - there always is one! Then, off we will go!

 Tiger and the Slver Birch tree.
Camouflage Cat

As well as the spending the gardening petty cash, there will be more burning, possibly weeding, and definitely some raking. Aargh! A real, responsible gardener could fill her days (and her journal) just with details of these important, repetitive garden tasks. But no - without dreams and silly random plans her journal would wither and wilt! So for the sake of a non-boring journal I feel I must check out those plant sales! Ha! The perfect justification! Later this morning I am zooming down the road to pick up some hostas from one of my new retirement friends. She's digging them up them today. Yippee! So much to do! And so much time!

Back After the Sale

Hee, hee! We found the rose sale. Bought five birthday roses. The Bargain Bin back at the nursery was semi-stocked. Bought Bergenias (Bressingham Ruby), Coprosmas, more fat pots of Cannas - Bengal Tigers, in honour of Tiger the cat - and a beautiful wine purple perennial Verbena.

Later, Apres-Gardening, Pre-Rugby...

Wow! What an amazing day! I've collected and burnt one more trailer-load of rubbish - hot and bothersome work, but no way am I grumpy! My friend has given me clumps and clumps of hostas - also some perennial geraniums, euphorbias, and alchemilla mollis. I intend to break up the large hostas and pot up the divisions. I have never, ever had so many new plants to organise before! Maybe - just maybe - tomorrow could be reserved for planting only! Right. Time to concentrate on the rugby.

 The burning pile, the trusty green wheelbarrow - and check out the cerise red dahlias flowering madly by the pergola!
Autumn Garden Life

Easter Sunday - 16th April

Aargh! How am I going to organise today in the garden? Have been running mental scenarios since daybreak, worrying (nicely) about serious things like:

Add in the burning question, plus the shame at a garden visitor wandering around the very un-weeded and un-edge-trimmed Moosey Garden late yesterday, plus a proposed walk in the mountains, a dog-bicycle ride... Then how about some piano practice? And the house windows desperately need cleaning, so I can gaze out spiritually at a streak-free garden, when I've finished everything else.

'The best way to get started is to start...'
-Obvious but often necessary advice to self.

What is that famous quote again? The best way to get started is to start... I don't think a list of tasks would be wise - it would stretch off the page. Perhaps less of the dribbling on in this journal, and more of the doing. Right A second cup of fortifying tea, and then I will exit the house calmly, checking that the wheelbarrow contains gloves, hand digger, spade, secateurs and rake. Then - who knows?

 This rose flowers a bit later in the season. Friend Wendy thinks it could be Ambridge Rose...
David Austin Rose - But Which One?

Much Later...

I've been weeding all day, slowly making my way from the Stables garden, through the Birthday Rose Garden, then over the water to the Willow Tree and further. I've planted two of the new roses - Austin Wonder and Austin Velvet - wonder if there is a rose called Austin Powers... I've done minimal burning and half an hour of dog-cycling. I've had a good gardening day.

Monday 17th April

Good morning to all the Moosey cats and dog, friends, family and garden. New hostas! Happy Easter! Hang on there - I promise I will sort you out today - pot or garden? A special good morning to Stumpy the lap-sitting-journal-writing cat. Now the preliminaries are over, I haven't actually got anything of any substance to say. In self moderation, therefore, I will stop twittering. Over - and out?