Picking up the pieces...

 One source of the bark pieces on my lawns.
Big Gum Tree

What did I do yesterday? I picked pieces of gum tree bark off the gardens and lawns. What should I be doing today? Picking up pieces of gum tree bark, And tomorrow? Etc. Etc. Etc.

Friday 20th January

The big irrigation ran overnight, and my garden and I are both very thankful. Have spent a couple of hours picking up gum bark and dead-heading roses. Now it's too hot, so am inside. But I haven't finished - oh no.

The summer jigsaw...

A small comment about my latest summer jigsaw. Abandoned the three thousand piece jigsaw because the pieces were 'too fuzzy'. Brought out one half as big, fifteen hundred pieces, thinking this would be a bit of a doddle, maybe too easy. Oh yes? Not so.

Have just spent a pleasant (?) hour inside for lunch - one dozen pieces popped lovingly into place. Not nearly as productive as my gardening.

Later...

Worked so hard for three more hours, trimming the edge of the border along the back lawn. Pruned Flower Carpet roses, dug out weeds, Cut out overhanging flax leaves.

 Much better! And a little bit bigger...
The Border Edge is Trimmed

And (hee hee) made the border just a wee bit bigger, to accommodate all the new growth. Then Non-Gardening Partner, who can be the kindest chap, scooped up all my mess for me.

Saturday 21st January

Aha! Another day - this time making the pond path and my not so small collection of garden gnomes more presentable. Trimmed sprouting Viburnums etc. and again picked up loads of gum tree bark. Cleaned up the Reading Stump, picked up a couple of pipe-smokers who had fallen over into the Rock Lilies.

Fishing Club...

The fishing chaps are partially submerged, and therefore a little muddy, but that's a hazard of their hobby, I reckon. They fish directly by the water lily patch, which is slowly but surely growing in size. Hope it won't ever get too big and over-run the pond... Pretty pink flowers, by the way.

 By the ever expanding water lily...
Fishing Gnomes

Another day, another load of gum tree bark to pick. It's the time of the year when my love-hate relationship with Australian Eucalyptus trees takes a turn for the worse.