On a serious gardening budget!

Big gardening news (groan, groan) - I am on a serious gardening budget. Seriously serious. No more wild purchases which need the trailer to get them home. No more garden seats which are such a bargain (e.g. twice as cheap as they usually are). I'm going to become a zero dollars gardener.

Sunday 20th December

Today I'm chopping down the large Cordylines on the Frisbee Lawn edge. They were over-sized to be transplanted, and unfortunately haven't made it - even the leaves at the tips have turned brown. I'll plant the two Grevilias in their place.

 Name unknown.
New Apricot Rose

And I have to find a place for the Wintersweet shrub - which, in an opportunist and inspired move, I am giving to Non-Gardening Partner as one of his Christmas presents. He's been 'going on' about how much he likes Wintersweet for the last sixteen years. Hee hee - be careful what you wish for...

 Love you, Fluff-Fluff...
Fluff-Fluff is My Best Cat

Christmas is Coming...

But first I'm weeding the middle of the Island Bed, finishing that which I started yesterday. Good stuff. And I've just used up a few hours of gardening daylight on the Christmas calendars. But great news - I think I've almost finished them!

Late Lunchtime...

The Island Bed is done. Now should I put the hoses on or wait for the rain which is forecast? Some law of gardening is applicable here.

Fluff-Fluff the Cat

My big cat Fluff-Fluff has been gardening his heart out, squeaking, lolling underneath tussocks and nearly getting trodden on, and providing full, furry company. He deserves to feature as the cat's representative on the Moosey official Christmas photograph.

NGP's Wintersweet is going in the Septic Tank Garden - it seems appropriate for such a fragrant shrub. But I'll plant it on Christmas Day. Now it's gone all cold and rainy - it is a dark and stormy afternoon. So that's the end of my gardening day. I've been brilliant, if steady - if that makes any sense!

Monday 22nd December

Right. Hoses - on! Let the watering commence. And I must feed the tomatoes! Eek - I am such a bad vegetable parent...

Later, Mid-Afternoon...

I'm back for another hour of dead-heading and nipping things (like small tree branches off Pittosporums). I'm moving along the Dog-Path Garden, which I've been neglecting of late. But sensible planting schemes can take this.

 Lychnis and roses underneath the Copper Beech.
Summer Flowers and Shrubs

The Rhapsody in Blue roses are finished their first flowering, and there are a lot of weeds. I gathered up a barrowful this morning, with Minimus and Fluff-Fluff for cat company. Minimus will be waiting over there under a shrub - mustn't forget her.

 Not really, Rusty...
Not a Good Look for a Dog

Christmas Calendars

Scary stuff - I am getting my personal Christmas presents (Moosey calendars, surprise, surprise) printed at a proper shop. Eek! There will be no colour printer-ink crises this year. But no chance to fix the mistakes (like putting too many days in November and thus getting Christmas day on the wrong day).

I was going to add little advice-quotes each month. Two such, found in the Moosey journal, are 'When in doubt, dig.' and 'When in doubt, don't dig.' See my problem? This could be very confusing for the non-random calendar recipient.

Later Again...

I've been good. Another barrowful of stuff - the blue Lupins are trimmed, the foxgloves have been pulled out. Many roses are not quite ready for dead-heading, and the Dog-Path Garden needs the big whooshy irrigation on.