Moosey News : November 2006

Dear Subscriber,

Summer's nearly here - what a dynamic time to be in the garden! I'm afraid to blink (or have a day off with my walking group) in case I miss something. Hope you enjoy this November newsletter.

This month's features :

1. New Zealand Kowhai Tree
2. Dog in Disgrace
3. Think Pink
4. Rhododendron Saffron Queen
5. Nature's Water Feature

Regulars :

6. Plant of the Month : Gorse - Aargh!
7. Animal of the Month : Fred the Pet Sheep
8. Garden Quote : Think Big, Garden Small
9. Garden Gallery : Japanese Iris
10. Forum Focus : Snow in Summer?
11. Gardening Advice : Gloom and Joy
12. Searching for Moosey : Flowery cats.
13. Coming up this month : It's the big rose month. I adore roses - and I've recently been on rather a lot of new rose shopping sprees...

This month's features

1. New Zealand Kowhai Tree

The snow storm (way back in June) opens up yet another part of the garden to fresh air and light. And my Kowhai trees respond by putting on their best ever flowering display.

2. Dog in Disgrace

Rusty the Red Border Collie has certainly had a month of it - doing disgraceful things, that is.

3. Think Pink

Pink is my new favourite colour - from the beautiful rhododendrons now flowering to my new pink gardening shoes (with matching gardening socks)...

4. Rhododendron Saffron Queen

I want to thank my rhododendron Saffron Queen for her generous yellow contributions to my late spring garden. And I must apologise profusely to her for...

5. Nature's Water Feature

A modest New Zealand waterfall, difficult to capture on camera, just might be the inspiration for me to create my very own. Read about my trip to Ryde Falls.

Regulars

6. Plant of the Month : Gorse - Aargh!

Just how, exactly, did this dreadful plant, introduced to New Zealand by colonial settlers and now running wild and free all over the place, ever get nominated for Plant of the Month? Aargh! This must be some sort of sad gardening joke - right? Next month it'll be Oxalis...

7. Animal of the Month : Fred the Pet Sheep

Congratulations to my woolly pet sheep Fred on his big graduation day - his first shearing.

8. Garden Quote : Think Big, Garden Small

I am inspired to look after all the little things in my big garden.

9. Garden Gallery : Japanese Iris

The colour of these water-side irises is spectacular. I hope that my photographs do them justice.

10. Forum Focus : Snow in Summer?

Brr... Forum friends from the northern hemisphere are starting to pack away their gardens. The first snow pictures are being posted. Eek!

11. Gardening Advice : Gloom and Joy

Garden gloom is as natural as garden joy, and we all experience both. My journals read rather like emotional sine curves - up into heady, enthusiastic cheerfulness, then down into the depths of too-much-weeding gloom. But please let me never forget how lucky I am!

12. Searching for Moosey : Flowery cats.

Flowery cats

The perfect phrase to search the Moosey pages for. You'll love the painting of my two gardening cats Fluff-Fluff and Beige Puss. What a talented painter Jane Maday is! I've also enjoyed looking at Nancy Tichbourne's cats-in-the-garden watercolours..

Watercolours of Flowery Cats.

Both these artists are famous! I've just bought a fabulous 2007 calendar by Nancy Tichbourne. And Jane Maday has a lot of lovely painting books published - do a google search on her!

13. Coming up this month : It's the big rose month.

I adore roses - and I've recently been on rather a lot of new rose shopping sprees... I can't wait to see if my new Blushing Pink Icebergs match the colour of my pink-cheeked summer gardening face!

Cheers,