Ready for winter?
Lady of Megginch Rose
Yeay! The weekend! Not that it make any difference. And almost the last day of May. Winter in New Zealand officially begins on June 1st for meteorological purposes. Eek! That's in two days time. I don't feel that I am ready for winter.
Am really enjoying the flower overlap of the early Camellias and the late roses. Their lovely splashes of colours contrast beautifully with the mainly greens and browns in the garden. As long as the Camellia blooms don't get spoilt by the frost.
Saturday 30th May
Worked for two hours this afternoon clearing more ferns and iris roots. I've been doing this all week. When will it be finished? Today? Not quite, maybe?
Then spent an hour in the water race wearing my waders. Have a fern issue, not sure if I want them growing waterside here. Will have to use the axe to get them out. Decided to think about it, while I pulled weedy grasses out of the ornamental Acorus. Hands in the cold water - not so pleasant.
Acorus by the water
To finish I collected loads of dry mess from underneath the Leyland hedge and lit the bonfire. Mixed it with today's slightly greener stuff, added the Carex mess I'd left by the cottage, topped everything up with dry oak leaves and dead Cordyline leaves. Aha! The anatomy of my bonfire!
William Lobb :- William Lobb is a beautiful moss rose.
Working my way along the water race is fun, though I can't sit down without getting really muddy. I've gone past William Lobb (he's not been a very happy rose, struggling in the waterside grasses) and almost reached the clump of 'cutty grass'. Am uncovering a lot of my original stone edgings, which look really nice. Still not sure what to do about the fern roots.
Camellia Takanini
Good morning, garden. The warmest of mornings, nineteen degrees Celsius, amazing for the last day of autumn. Good morning to the Liquidambar tree, looking beautiful on the edge of the house lawn.
Liquidambar Tree
Have already spent two hours in the water race doing more cleaning up. Tried the axe to remove the fern roots - was not successful. Am experiencing touches of vertigo (I think), so swinging the axe waterside is probably not a good idea. Need some gardening with no sharp movements or quick head turns.
Yellow Daisies
Bulbs to plant...
I also have daffodil bulbs to plant and bags of horse manure for the Pond Paddock Gardens. I will dig out any rogue pieces of Lamium or periwinkle, then throw the manure around, and put the hoses on. Will plant the bulbs where they can face the spring sunshine and be seen (preferably by me).
Two hours later...
All is going OK. Lots of bulbs planted, hopefully in sensible places. Just having a quick cup of tea, then am going back outside for a modest bonfire - dispose of my mess the same day that I gather it up. Very sensible. I can do this.
Two more hours later...
I finished weeding the Laundry Garden, then wheeled stuff to the bonfire and burnt everything. An excellent day. Am off to bed - hope my head doesn't do too much spinning.