10 out of 10...
You're Always Welcome!
This has been the speediest month I've ever gardened through. But boy! Have I been good! I score myself 10 out of 10 for perseverance, good spring maintenance, general hard work - and vision. Mustn't forget the vision...
Saturday 26th September
I've spent all morning in my glass-house potting up succulents and pelargoniums. I've pricked out the first seedlings - some blue cornflowers. Yippee - the beginning of my flowering annual colour! Good for me - these things needed to be done. Fluff-Fluff the cat has been an absolute nuisance.He sits on my potting bench and flops onto my seed pottles. He just loves the feel of warm potting mix - my seedlings have to be tough to survive his bulky attentions.
Then I weeded. So Fluff-Fluff lolled in the dirt where my hands were. Ever weeded around a large fluffy floppy cat? He got soil all over his tummy and I had to keep pushing him away.
Beautiful Camellia :- Check out the images of this beautiful Camellia and see if you know what it's called...
Now I've gone apres gardening and on a serious hunt for the names of my prettiest Camellias. I've found a Fairy Blush and an Easter Morn in a local nursery online plant catalogue whose images are a perfect match. I tried to slow down my grasshopper mind and test the names - no reaction what-so-ever.
- 'Write down names of new plants.'
- -Moosey Words of Wisdom.
Blast. I am a hopeless chronicler. I write pages of nonsense and miss out the important details. I must, must, must remember to always write down names of new plants. Trust the aging Moosey memory? Please don't!
Hopeless! I have journals spanning - twelve years? I repeat things and write huge, detailed lists. And still I don't know what the names of my Camellias are.
Bluebells
Sunday 27th September
My morning started with a wander over to my new Agapanthus plantings. Ha! Just as I suspected - they needed splitting up a bit and spreading out more. So I did just that, and wheeled in more compost and horse manure to build up the soil. Then I planted three flaxes around the big gum tree near the stables mural. It all looks so much tidier.
Phormium and Spiraea
I've had another happy day. I'm tired, and I love being a gardener.
Monday 28th September
Ha! I've had a brilliant idea for the planting of some of my second-hand Lavender bushes. Just by the Koru Garden a little path leads to the water race, and the garden area over the path is in need of a make-over. Patches of variegated Irises (well, that's what I used to call them) grow there, intertwined with weeds and grass. I'm going to dig everything up and plant the Lavenders along the path edge, and then replant the weed-free irises. I will even try and dig out the gorse bush - aargh! - which is gaily flowering at the moment. Shame!
Rain, Rain...
But I will do all this tomorrow, when it will not be raining. Not that I mind the rain - the garden was getting dry, and my recently transplanted shrubs are really enjoying it.
Wet Driveway
Tuesday 29th September
Hmm... I worked for a few hours near the Koru sculpture, but only planted three of the new Lavenders. I've dug out the irises and cut them into proper pieces - they're in buckets of water.
Spring in the Koru Garden
The Cotinus has a few dead branches - very odd. But there isn't quite as much room for Lavenders as I'd imagined, though I can squash a few more on the sunny side of the Copper Beech tree. The invasive Euphorbia which a friend (or was she a friend? Hmm...) gave me is flowering, and the red Monarda perennial clumps I planted late last summer have bulked out beautifully.
Planting Agapanthus
No Gnome
The garden gnome whose auction I'm watching has gone up to $55! This is a ridiculous price, so I'm sorry to say he won't be joining the Moosey clan. He can go and pee in someone else's pond. Perhaps I have inadvertently started a trend?
Wednesday 30th September
Hee hee... I didn't go walking today - it was too drizzly. Instead I've been digging out more Agapanthus clumps. I've come home with one car-load - as soon as I'm rested and refreshed I'm going outside to plant them.
I was destined to have these plants - they were free for the digging. They certainly make up for the disappointment of not winning the auction for the rude $55 garden gnome.
So, September...
So, September, you've been and almost gone. My goodness you've been colourful. And I've hardly had a lazy gardening day all month. I've planted all sorts of new things, fixed existing garden design problems, and generally had the most wonderful month (including the best birthday ever).
Wallflowers
As I said before, I give myself 10 out of 10 for effort. And ingenuity! And keeping a great balance between being organised and being random...
Later, Apres-Gardening...
Aargh! Should have quit while I was ahead. I've gone apres-gardening and have just wandered around to take some last-day-of-September photographs. Hmm... I've seen huge patches of weeds, and I know exactly where I'll be gardening first thing tomorrow and what I'll be doing. Blast!