October

It's Spring. Rugosas get planted, daffodils are admired, and a big spender is let loose with a Visa card on the October local nursery sales.

Friday 1st October

Today we had a giant gorse burn-up. This week has been amazing - absolutely no wind. Some cool things are out, like the variegated honesty, and some species tulips which are really low with stripy leaves.

Saturday 2nd October

What shall I do first? I will make a list - here goes:

Garden Design
• Make Island Bed bigger (i.e. dig).
• Plant the spare roses - where?
• Redesign the plantings in the shady bits of the driveway border.
• Pinch/shift assorted natives for new over-the-water-race garden.
• Maybe spare roses could go in Frisbee Lawn border. Hmm...
• Clean out Toe Toe in Island Bed which seems to have split itself into two and died in the middle.
• Buy some of that cool spotty plant (I think it's a Ligularia, a spotty version).
• Do some pots.

Sunday 3rd October

I was hopeless - all I did was some edges and weeding. The Island Bed is still a MESS.

Monday 4th October

Did a lot of stuff. Dug. Now I think that the rugosa bed is full size. there is room for a tree - cool!

Wednesday 6th October

I have finished the digging of the rose border and shifted in all the remaining vege garden roses. And I went and bought some of that cool spotty plant. They cost me $14.95 each. That is a bit expensive for a bargain bin addict.

Thursday 7th October

I am awesome - well, I have been awesome for three hours. I have dug the top bit of the Island Bed. As soon as I have had my cup of tea and found my Christmas saw the Mexican Orange bush is going to die. I love my garden. Cool.

Friday 8th October

I finished digging the Island Bed today. I don't think my garden has ever ever looked this beautiful in spring before.

The path from the breakfast chairs is so beautiful. The blossom tree is so beautiful. There are only two days to go in my holiday - not a pleasant thought. I forgot to kill the Mexican Orange bush - it is reprieved.

Sunday 10th October

I bought some trees from the sale at the Halkett Nursery:

New Trees
• Manitoba Maple (for Stephen)
• Snake Bark Maple
• Scarlet Oaks
• Black Boy Peach (yum)
• Variegated Elm (stylish)

Oh, and also 6 bargain bin Rhododendrons, a Flax and a silver Astelia. I love spiky plants. My holiday is over.

Saturday 16th October

Ha! I have returned to the Halkett Nursery sale.

Bargain Purchases
• Robinia Casque Rouge
• Elm (that Stephen likes)
• bargain bin rhododendrons
• Odd flaxes
• Hebes (cool)

Where should they all go? It all depends on where I put the path from middle bridge. I will draw a plan. The biggest stump can be turned into a comfy seat, maybe with nice smelling stuff - or covered with clematis?

Sunday 17th October

Today I received a telling off from my family for spending too much money on plants. My cashflow / ATM card has been hidden and eldest Son will not lend me any money. Bah!

Saturday 23rd October

Today has been amazing. I have been digging and planting and have visited TWO nurseries. The irises are out.

Sunday 24th October

The irises are a cool colour thing in late October. I have stacked wood and planted trees in Middle Border. I am having a real dilemma. To round-up or not to round-up - that is the question... There is a NASTY CREEPY GRASS over the water race (I could cheat and get Stephen to do it). I am an organic fraud.

Saturday 30th October

Things to write about that are nice this year - the wallflowers that I grew from cuttings. They're bright orange, strong yellow, mellow lemon and one type is beautifully fragrant and dark dark red. I've planted the variegated mallows in the Wattle Woods Garden. I have also done some cuttings. I am going to "naturalise" pale things under the Wattle trees - like white honesty, foxgloves, and Nicotiana sylvestris plants.

Sunday 31st October

Planted vege garden and watched rugby. We lost. So now we suck at rugby as well as at cricket.