Poor Rusty the dog!

Poor Rusty the dog! Which would be more boring - a day in the dog kennel or a day gardening? If dogs could choose one human word to say I reckon it would be 'humph'...

 Oh dear!
Bored Gardening Dog by Olearia

Thursday 15th April

Yesterday, while Rusty stayed in his kennel, I was out hiking on the Peninsula's Port Hills. The forests we walked through were full of birds - singing bellbirds and floppy wood pigeons - and Pseudopanax of all sizes.

'I never get tired of evergreen New Zealand shrubs and trees.'
-Moosey Words of Wisdom.

I never get tired of the family of evergreen New Zealand shrubs and trees. And I grow them in my own garden with pride and love - not because I think I should. Ha! This family has different greens and leaf designs, shapes from squat fat balls to elegant spikes - there's contrast, but everything still fits together. Like human families!

 With evergreen Pittosporums and Flaxes...
New Zealand Green Cordylines

Today, after swimming and sushi, I am going to quietly work in my own garden. What area? Shade would be nice, and I do have eight hundred daffodils left to plant. Then again, maybe I should weed along the water race. Rusty the dog would enjoy that...

Later...

I'm pleased to report that I've trimmed back all the Shasta daisies in the Dog-Path Garden, helped by Rusty the dog who stood in the water race to chase any escaped stalks. I planted pockets of daffodils by the water's edge - they'll be visible next spring. Only two hours work, but that's OK. Now I'm going to have afternoon tea on a garden seat and ponder my next move.

Most Valuable Pet Competition

And before I forget, several friends and relatives are busy voting in the Most Valuable Pet competition. Ha! Are you voting too, I wonder?

 Oops...
No Cheating Now!

I am being scrupulously honest (well, trying to be) - this week's cat vote goes to Minimus (last week it was Percy). I am sharing the love around, and trying to get all the new, live, contestant cats up in the rankings above the dearly departed poultry. Methinks this might take me until next spring, but I'm determined.

 Finally! Almost flowering - and almost the first frost...
Late Canna Lilies

Friday April 16th

I've been sooooo good! I am a mini-legend! For I have been swimming, and gardening, and I've even cleaned the kitchen benches and dumped the compost. And all of this without needing to write anything down about what I think I might do, or should or possibly could do, or need to do, or plan to do today...

Gardening for Hours...

I've also been gardening for hours - weeding, planting daffodils, and mulching over by Duck Lawn. I've spread bags of horse manure out in the corner Frisbee Garden. I've found lots more mulch, too - piles of shreddings underneath the parent Leyland hedge. I'm really happy because it rained properly in the night, as well as my big irrigation running. Little Minimus and big Fluff-Fluff have provided brilliant cat company, and vigilante Rusty the dog has chased all the aeroplanes off the property - with his usual 100% success rate. Phew! No erupting plumes of volcanic ash to shut down Moosey airspace...

A Bach in the Backyard...

And yes - I have just ordered a kitset garden shed, AKA 'holiday bach' in the backyard. Think of the money and time I will save Non-Gardening Partner - many of my wealthy country friends have holiday baches which take all day to drive to.

 A beautiful tabby.
Histeria the Slimline Cat

Time to relax and read - and feel proud, I reckon! Thanks to my personal Shape Up For Life campaign several pairs of far-too-loose, oversized gardening jeans have just been thrown out. Hee hee. If only the equivalent could be said about Tiger the cat...

Saturday 17th April

Oh boy - what should I do first? Plant some daffodils or spread some horse manure? Or take some photographs of autumn leaves? Ha! All three, in no particular order...

 The start of the golden leaf fall...
Autumn in the Driveway