September

Sheep on the Stable Driveway

The months of waiting are finally over - the gums over the water race are down. Gorse rubbish is cleared and burnt. Digging starts on the Hen House Borders.

Saturday 4th September

A real weekend! (i.e. not in Wellington with my students.) We have lambs - two sets of twin lambs, and two single lambs so far. I love my garden. This weekend, I will start by the Hen House.

Later...

I didn't.

A Gorse Mess - Where the Hen House Border is Today

Saturday 11th September

I spent ages this morning doing a plan for the Hen House Border. I would like to possibly live in the hen house. I could turn it into a rustic sort of den, making cups of tea on a little stove, etc. There is a long concrete trough in which I will plant the red geranium with the variegated leaf. Eventually I will complete the rustic look with a rose rambling over the roof. My family will think I've gone completely batty if I move out here. I will have to keep it quiet.

Sunday 12th September

I gardened all day. I am awesome. I started clearing the rubbish just over Rooster Bridge and Stephen started the great gorse chop. We both did a tag-team burn up.

Apple Tree Border Daffodils

The daffodils in the Apple Tree Border are looking good. The blossom seems quite late this year... I will edge the path immediately over Rooster Bridge with some Iris Japonica and some Renga Renga which I shall pinch from the Wattle Woods.

Friday 24th September

There are 7 hours until the start of my holidays. This will be the start of my Over-the-Water-Race developments. I have tried to sensible and have drawn a plan which has little crosses for trees and 2 huge areas labelled "grass mown"(ignoring the fact that it is a very lumpy totally rough paddock). I'm not sure if it's to scale. Gosh this is exciting stuff.

Roll on the holidays! I have to clone lots of Bowles Mauve Erysimum (wow - had to check the spelling - crazy name) and daisies and buddleias and Lavatera Barnsleys. I have a lot of spaces to fill.

Saturday 25th September

Cool! My holiday has started. I spent three hours clearing gorse into piles for burning. Gorse is an angry sort of plant; it's horrible stuff to handle. Then I dug the new rugosa border on and off for three hours. I am the digging queen. But my hands are really sore from the gorse prickles.

New Rose Border

Sunday 26th September

I did some stuff. The rose border got more digging and I planted 5 rugosas. More gorse got piled in piles. I hate gorse. I love my garden.

Monday 27th September

Filler perennials are now planted in rose border (sedums, penstemons which I hope are Purple Passion, Red Achillea and loads of Lambs Ears, etc).

Two more chunky rugosas from the vege garden have taken up residence. It's hard starting with nothing! I hope there's enough cool foliage.

Tuesday 28th September

Wow. Another day of major digging. The camellia by the car lay-by is starting to bloom. The overnight southerly has flattened some of the daffodils. The red rhododendrons in the JAM Garden are cool. Tomorrow I will lay the native garden with newspaper and pea-straw. And the new path lets you peep through at the flowering cherry (which is flowering).

Island Border Path

Wednesday 29th September

I am just deciding what to do first. Yippee! I have new batteries for my cricket radio. I will do the pea-straw. Then I will dig like crazy. I might shift the red flax and the small Toe Toe (wearing my gorse-gloves). Or I might just potter around...

Later...

I HAVE KICKED BUTT!!! The native border is DONE. My hands are quite sore, I reckon that I've worked for 6 or 7 hours.