Too many weeds...
Weeping Silver Pear Blossom
A visiting friend looked around my garden in the weekend, and to my horror we passed far too many weeds, delightfully visible, along the garden edges. So that's my first job for today - I need to do some wandering weeding. Don't be misled by the rather vague descriptor. It is cut-throat, quick and decisive, flexible and fast. Ha! I can do this.
Tuesday 5th October
When I'm being a hostess gardener different friends cause quite different reactions. I'm sending a mental hug to my flute-playing friend who specially wanted to see my vegetable garden, then exclaimed with a huge smile 'It's full of flowers!'. She was referring to those lovely little purple violas, which she calls 'Johnny Jump-Up's. Now she doesn't make me notice the weeds at all...
Later, Morning Tea...
I have sorted out the Shrubbery paths, and the little courtyard. It's been a week since rain and it seems that every part of my garden needs watering desperately. Ah - a difficulty - if I put the irrigation on overnight Stu the pet lamb will get well and truly watered in his sleep. Blast!
Spot the Lamb!
Pet Problems...
You know, pet lambs are not to be envied. It's much nicer for them to have sheep mothers and spend their day shuffling around a paddock. Stu is a bit of a worry - he, too, has been off to the vet for a check-up. He's managing to get his milk up his nose, and then he stops drinking and sulks. I have two more weeks to keep him feeding until I can officially wean him. Hmm...
And Lilli-Puss my elusive grey cat has now been seriously AWOL for over two weeks. Hmm... Pets...
And, as if my above mumblings aren't enough to suggest a tiny speck of gloom, last night we had a scary aftershock which rumbled and rattled on for about 12 seconds. 'Kerplonk' went my favourite photograph of Daughter of Moosey, a seismic indicator of Richter magnitude 5.0 or higher - it was exactly that! Whoosh went the cats for the cat door. Too big, too intrusive - no wonder ginger Percy is still on edge.
Barbara Anne Crab-Apple Blossom
Some nice blossom news - the new Crab-Apple tree called Barbara Anne (sings: Ba Ba Ba Ba Barbara Anne) is gorgeous. The weeping Silver Pear trees are starting to flower, too. I'm off to photograph both trees. They would, I'm sure, much prefer a decent bucket of water. Will do, will do.
Much, Much Later...
Well, I've had a pretty useful and exceedingly lovely gardening day. I've really done some visible weeding, and I've managed to pump (not quite the word) quite a bit of milk into Stu lamb. He's still getting snuffly, but at least he's not starving. I've also done a lot of watering, as promised. Now I'm noticing that the lawns are messy and desperately need mowing! Aargh!
Wednesday 6th October
I should be out with my walking group but I'm in a moochy mood and just want to stay home. So I have prepared a gentle morning timetable - piano playing, watering the Shrubbery, cycling with my dog, and weeding, The House Gardens are my first garden weeding target, and then I'm dealing to the Pond Paddock and the Hen House Gardens.
Early Morning in the Pond Paddock
Thought - if I stop going out anywhere I run the risk of becoming really boring. Second thought - but I'm going hiking on the peninsula with my friend tomorrow, and I'm really looking forward to that. Guess I'm OK after all - I just want to spend time in my garden, which is natural. Ha!
Pond Cottage
Lunchtime...
I've done some great weeding accompanied by the gardening iPod (Rachmaninoff's piano concerti again - the best weeding music in the world). Bright yellow dandelion flowers in the forget-me-nots have been a bit of a giveaway! It's a beautiful warm spring day, and Stu the pet lamb has been reasonably well-fed. What a good morning to be home in the garden. We've only had three aftershocks, all 4.0 or under - piddly ones really, but enough to set the pheasant off honking furiously. He's a beautiful, if noisy, bird (and there's more than one of him on my property).
Gardening notes to self - variegated Liriope appears to be a little frost tender. In fact, the clumps I planted last autumn appear to be dead. So they're going into a pot to see what happens. And silver Convolvulus cneorum does not appear to dig and transplant well. But I guess these little shrubs are east-come, easy-go.
Much Later...
I've weeded and watered the Hen House Gardens. Then Non-Gardening Partner and I christened the outdoor dining table with our evening meal. It's a beautiful place to sit, eat, and drink. Stu lamb has had a reasonably good feeding day, so I can retire to bed happy.