Moosey News : March 2007

Dear Subscriber,

Lots of gardening fringe things are sprouting and growing like weeds! But my garden itself languishes lazily in the summer heat, and half the garden tasks get half finished. Trouble is, I've gone off writing lists. Oh well, never mind! There's always next month.

This month's features :

1. New Zealand Journeys - On the Tops
2. Cat Rescue - Judith's Story
3. Moosey Living
4. What Plant Am I? - A Questionnaire for Gardeners
5. Sam McGredy's Roses

Regulars :

6. Plant of the Month : Darmera peltata
7. Animal of the Month : Sifter the AWOL Cat
8. Garden Quote : Lists
9. Garden Gallery : Lavatera and Bee
10. Forum Focus : Avatar Competition
11. Gardening Advice : Lists Revisited
12. Searching for Moosey : Free Garden Calendar Download
13. Coming up this month : Mellow March

This month's features

1. New Zealand Journeys - On the Tops

My first serious bush hike of 2007 turned into an eight hour epic! What a journey - up through beech forest, mist, past white flowering Gentians, and onto the tussockland 'Tops' above the bushline.

2. Cat Rescuer

I've written an article about my friend Judith who feeds a colony of stray cats and rescues kittens. The Moosey website is planning to sponsor the very next kitten that Judith catches. Question - are six cats really too many?

3. Moosey Living

Look, this all started in a moment of vanity, when I thought I could possibly have my hair cut like Martha Stewart's. Then the idea grew - and grew...

4. What Plant Am I? - A Questionnaire for Gardeners

If you haven't tried out the Moosey What Plant Am I? questionnaire - here's your chance. Better do it discretely, or your relatives will think you've gone a bit barmy. Don't sulk if you end up being a prickly gorse bush. And no shouting out phrases like: Yippeeeeeee! I'm a coral peonieeeee!

5. Sam McGredy's Roses

Here are some colourful new rose pages to enjoy, featuring hybrid teas and floribundas bred by Sam McGredy. Perceptive readers might notice that these rose photographs are much improved - something to do with the Head Gardener discovering a cute little button on her camera...

Regulars

6. Plant of the Month : Darmera peltata

Meet my ornamental Indian rhubarb which grows by the water in the Hen House Gardens.

7. Animal of the Month : Sifter the AWOL Cat

Alas, Sifter the large tabby hasn't been seen for years now, but I've used his enigmatic photograph for the cover of the Moosey Cats Calendar. Sifter! Where are you? I think we still miss you...

8. Garden Quote : Lists

'Who needs lists?' - That's what the Head Gardener said in the early days of February, full of bluster and confidence. Little did she know...

9. Garden Gallery : Lavatera and Bee

I can't resist clicking the close-up button and lunging with my camera into beautiful flowers, when the bees are busy.

10. Forum Focus : Anna wins the Forum Avatar Competition

This month some of the forum friends have been pouring their gardening energies into creating beautiful avatars. Anna wins the Avatar of the Month competition - congratulations, Anna! A fellow forum member, Dixie, actually drove past you and recognised you from your dog avatar. It's a small dog, a small world, and a wonderful reason to award you the prize!

11. Gardening Advice : Lists Revisited

Oops. A month with no lists, and nothing was getting done! And so the Head Gardener saw the error of her ways. And her new advice is as follows: Write those lists! That way at least something will get finished in the garden - won't it?

12. Searching for Moosey : free garden calendar download...

Free Calendars to Download

Ha! Responding to public demand, I proudly present the first four Moosey Calendars for 2007. They're free for you to download and print, in full colour, very lovely, featuring the best Moosey images. You can choose between Gardener's Journeys in New Zealand, Animals (strictly cats and the dog), Moosey Roses, and the Moosey Garden. Enjoy! And please try not to find any silly spelling mistakes!

13. Coming up this month :

March is my mellow gardening month, when I make lots of new plans, perhaps start digging a new garden, that sort of thing. Oops - I'm not sure that my garden should be allowed to expand any further just yet...

Cheers,