Surrounded by pink blossom...
It's an exciting weekend. I'm going to be gardening surrounded by pink blossom. The big flowering cherry trees, the little Azaleas, apple and crab-apple trees are flowering. So it's pink, a touch of white, then more pink. Pale pink, bright pink...
Crabapple Blossom
Saturday 15th October
I'm busy writing holiday lists - we are off on another short visit to Rarotonga where Daughter of Moosey lives and works, leaving on Monday. So I have three days to get the garden properly organised. What else? Non-Gardening Partner is in the mountains today and promises to mow the lawns tomorrow 'even if it's raining'. Now that's some promise!
Pink Azalea
Now I'm off to pick up some variegated iris clumps for the pond. Grown as marginals in water, they're probably weeds to some gardeners. But I've got lots of water and I love variegated leaves. Win-win!
Lunchtime...
A car full of irises, a garden full of weeds and beautiful pink blossom, and just the tiniest bit of panic - will I finish everything before we go away? The answer, obviously, is 'no', but I intend to have fun trying. I'm off to divide up the irises (I have rather a lot).
Much Later...
Firstly, let me welcome four huge buckets of variegated irises (in water) to the Moosey garden. It may be a week or two before I plant you all, but there you are - chopped up nicely and cleaned of any rogue strands of grass.
Secondly, my camera is full of photographs of pink blossom (hopefully - I'm about to check) and beautifully weeded paths. I have a new technique (am a rather slow learner, perhaps) where I raise the camera high above the path and angle it down. But all my path photographs look the same - possibly because all my paths are mulch covered and river stone edged...
Rusty the Dog and Middle Garden
Thirdly I have dealt to the Hen House rugosa garden. I've left the big sprawly white rose, but three other sad, straggly rugosas have been shifted over the path into more sun. I've divided clumps of miniature Agapanthus and replanted them in nice little lines along the garden edges. The main path has been shifted over from the huge green Phormium (again!) and the garden is well-covered with manure, compost and mulch. And now the hose is watering everything. I'll get some little shrubs (like Hebes) organised to plant in the gaps in the middle.
Go Wales!
So it's been a really good day, apart from the boot of my car being muddy and stinky. Now I have to wait for the rugby semi-final (go Wales) without falling asleep...
Sunday 16th October
Blast! Wales was robbed (in the rugby). Now I have to pick up yet another new garden gnome, and some little paint pots (for gnome flesh and some clothing). And then I have to work like a woman gardener possessed until dusk. Or else! There's no time to twitter on about it now. I need to be out there enjoying all that lovely blossom.
Spring in the Pond Paddock
Late Lunchtime...
I don't mean to grumble, but... In other words, I definitely mean to grumble! I've been weeding, and it seems to work like this. The more I weed, the more weeds I see. But the less I weed, the more weeds I see, as well. So there is no solution, other than going around the garden with my eyes closed, or employing a band of happy professionals and going back to work to pay them. Aargh!
Much Later...
Because I dared to complain, I made myself weed for two more hours, finishing in the water race carefully digging out dandelions and spraying other weeds on the sloping banks. And now I'm inside and weeding is nothing, really, in the grand scheme of things. My one dollar edging shears are brilliant, and I'm going to return to clip more of the lawn edges with them, to aid in the recovery of my good garden humour. I don't like being a weed-grumpus.
Here's a list of nice things about today:
- All the lawns are mowed.
- The Hen House Garden is watered.
- The pink Crabapple blossom is magnificent.
- The blue Ajuga is flowering.
Tomorrow afternoon we fly out to Rarotonga for a week. Non-Gardening Partner is planning to swim and snorkel, while my plans include cycling and hiking in the mountains. We two should have a great time following each other around!
Monday 17th October
I'm taking young Minimus to the cattery, and going swimming. But garden life goes on, too. Eight more clumps of free Agapanthus are arriving later this morning (no, I won't have time to divide and plant them) and I have to pick up a couple of garden gnomes. Oops.
Bye for now, Moosey Garden. Cherry blossom - stay up there until I get back. Moosey cats, be good for the pet-sitter. Purring is appealing, but no claws on knees, please.