Annoyed!
I am so annoyed with my home-made compost. I love the pansy and forget-me-not seedlings in it, but the other dozen or more weedy species are not welcome. It's time for a sacrificial hoeing session.
Saturday 13th October
Yesterday I did some superb weed scratching - aargh! Home-made compost! Weeds for free!
Purple Pansies
My day ended in drama, with a quick dash to the vet with B-Puss. I discovered him traumatised in the bedroom - frightened, breathing oddly and creep-walking in the slowest of slow motions, as if he was really hurt. Phew! B-Puss did have a throat infection, but luckily everything else checked by the vet was OK. I drove all the way there in tears, and sang all the way back! But what an odd cat. Perhaps he's been eating too many moths - it's the moths-outside-at-night season, and all the cats love jumping up the glass doors and windows outside.
B-Puss :- I love my white cat B-Puss very much. He does tend to inspire a lot of gently sarcastic comments from my family. I have to admit he's a bit strange.
The thing is, B-Puss is quite sensitive, and a bit strange - but there was definitely something wrong. I wondered if he'd possibly slid off the roof. And I don't trust Jerome the Grey, who can be anti-social. But silly B-Puss is big enough to assert himself in a catty struggle. It's still a puzzle.
Today I'll keep an eye on him, give him his medicine, and try and help him regain his confidence. I am weeding, clearing the pine-tree mess, and planting seedlings. Garden Helper has promised to chain-saw, shred, and continue the chook-proof fence.
Pink Camellia
Much, Much Later...
I am sooooo tired. But much mess has been cleared, and I now have ideas to open this area up into a new garden! Hee hee... And those Azaleas I was going to buy a few days ago? I've bought a rich magenta pelargonium with lighter pink lacy edges instead. The plan is to divide it up into many cloned plants, and then in a few weeks have these beautiful pockets of pink. Azaleas would be lovely, but they'd suffer in the bright sun.
Apple Blossom
Rustic Fence for the Madames
The two Souvenir de la Madame Leonie Viennot roses are planted by a quasi-rustic fence (the one separating the top sheep paddock from my Pond Paddock gardens). And B-Puss has been behaving in an even more eccentric, dramatic fashion than ever. He's been busy climbing up and down the Wisteria pergola, walking backwards along some of the beams. I think I need to send an apology to the vet.
A group of frilly pink tulips, looking sturdy and strong, have appeared at the edge of the Island Bed. How odd - I cannot remember buying and planting any last year. Has one of my friends has popped them in secretly to be a spring surprise? But that would be silly...
Frilly Pink Tulip
Sunday 14th October
Wow. What a big day! I - technically we - have been so busy. I weeded the Hen House Gardens, and then fast forwarded myself to the other end of the water race gardens. Here my rhododendrons are just starting to break out of their buds. Meanwhile I heard the chain-saw going - good, good. Then after lunch we swapped places, I went to clean up more logs and branches for the shredder, while my weekend garden helper extended the chook fence. Beautiful symmetry.
Like a good gardener I finished my day putting all my tools away and burning my rubbish pile - in a hailstorm. Luckily most of my hostas are still little (some have only just started putting up shoots) and fairly sheltered underneath other plants. Holey hostas! Aargh! That's no reward for a hard day doing reasonably dour things.
Bird Brains?
Now I know that birds have bird brains, but about one minute before the sudden hailstorm my rooster 'pook-pooked' in tones of urgency. He gathered up all his hens and dashed through the orchard back to the hen house. Ha!
And as to the health of my white cat B-Puss - I have no idea why he was in such a dreadfully traumatised state. He is totally back to his old wide-eyed self, spending the afternoon snoozing with the three kittens on the bed upstairs, I have sneaked him some fresh meat, he has had his medicine, and seems fine. A paranormal experience, perhaps?