Moosey News : April 2010

Dear Subscriber,

All those clever quotes about things changing come to mind in autumn. Perhaps the loveliest changes of all lie in the garden's light and colour. Nothing too dull, nothing too bright - sounds almost perfect!

This month's features :

1. Harrier Hawk
2. Birthday Garden Seats
3. Dog-Path Garden Perennials
4. Autumn Roses
5. Using Phormiums in the Garden

Regulars :

6. Plant of the Month : Bishop Llandaff Dahlia
7. Animals of the Month : The Moosey cats Minimus, Kaya, Percy, Histeria and Lilli-Puss
8. Garden Quote : New Zealand evergreens
9. Garden Gallery : Bengal Tiger Canna Flower
10. Forum Focus : New Look Forum is Flourishing
11. Gardening Advice : My Quantum Theory of Gardening
12. Searching for Moosey : Seeds for perennials
13. Coming up this month : A new garden shed - it's official!

This month's features

1. Harrier Hawk in the Garden

Australasian harrier hawks are a feature of the Canterbury Plains, soaring high above the paddocks. They're wild birds, but I've had the pleasure of meeting one close up in my garden.

2. Birthday Garden Seats

This has become something of a yearly event - the buying of a garden-orientated birthday present for Daughter of Moosey. She thinks it's just an excuse to buy something new for the garden...

3. Dog-Path Garden Perennials

Perennials are scattered all over my garden borders. One small area in the Dog-Path Garden has two of my favourites - red Monarda and green Santolina.

4. Autumn Roses

Some of my roses which bloom magnificently in autumn are paid the compliment they deserve...

5. Using Phormiums (Flaxes) in the Garden

I've brought together existing photographs of New Zealand Phormiums (flaxes) growing in my garden borders. Enjoy!

Regulars

6. Plant of the Month : Bishop Llandaff Dahlia

This classy red dahlia never disappoints, though its seedling offspring don't quite match the parent for foliage...

7. Animals of the Month : The Moosey cats Minimus, Kaya, Percy, Histeria and Lilli-Puss

All these new cat-contestants are getting votes in the Most Valuable Pet Competition. Little Minimus has received over 100 votes in six weeks. There are some truly wonderful pet people out there - thanks so much. Miaow!

8. Garden Quote : New Zealand evergreens

I love the New Zealand evergreen shrubs and trees - Hebes, Corokias, Cordylines, Pittosporums... There's rather a nice photograph of some on this journal page.

9. Garden Gallery : Bengal Tiger Canna Flower

By late autumn my Canna lilies have decided they'd better get flowering, before the sun's warmth disappears totally. The results are stunning.

10. Forum Focus : New Look Forum is Flourishing

Ha! The clean, super refreshing new look for the Moosey forums continues, and new friends keep popping in to say hello. Maybe we'll see you there?

11. Gardening Advice : My Quantum Theory of Gardening

A flash of quasi-mathematical inspiration, again recorded in my journal...

12. Searching for Moosey : Seeds for perennials

Seeds for perennials

Hee hee - how about some Gunnera seeds? The Gunneras plants that grow in my garden must be the biggest perennials in the world. The seed-heads are 'dead odd' - though actually these are very much alive!

13. Coming up this month : A new garden shed - it's official!

The kitset arrives on the 20th May, and the supplier reckons it can be erected in three hours. Hmm - three weeks later... All the very best for your garden in May!.

Cheers,