Real gardening versus web-gardening...
Pale Pink Camellias
Aha! Action! Swimming first, then lots of outdoor gardening interspersed with indoor web-work. There's a website garden make-over going on, and I am required to do my bit. I don't rewrite anything (older material can't be compromised, no matter how daft I sound). And overall - well, it's just like looking after a real garden. The years take their toll, and a website needs a good tidy-up every now and then, the web-soil enriched, oversized web-shrubs pruned, curved edges de-dug, and so on.
Monday 3rd September
Eek. Later today I am rescuing seven garden gnomes. Ouch. Oops. Seven more garden gnomes. Poor things, they called out to me in their hour of need. Hmm...
Later...
I spread some woodchips on the paths in Middle Garden, and took some more photographs of the spring garden. Then it started to rain. I've left my new secret gnomes in the car (hee hee) and I'll paint them tomorrow. My web-gardening is going well - I'm tidying up the Garden Tour section, trying to be more of a welcoming hostess for a first time visitor to the pages. Just like I would in the real garden.
Daffodils in the Grass
Tuesday 4th September
Hee hee. I've got seven gnomes in my car, needing to be painted and welcomed to the pond garden. And a nearly-full trailer of woodchips to spread on some more paths. And squillions of daffodils to notice, and some lovely Camellias to schmooze. And weeds, weeds, weeds... Right. I'm off. I don't have a minute to waste, and my garden needs me.
Much Later...
I have so much to report. But first, let me explain about today. It's the second anniversary of the big 7.1 Christchurch earthquake, the first one, which shook up my house and my sense of inner peace. This morning I decided to have a solemn memorial moment. I scooped up a cup of coffee and my cat Fluff-Fluff, and went to sit and reflect quietly in the koru brick courtyard.
Koru Courtyard :- My koru brick courtyard is a peaceful, blessed place. Well, it's supposed to be peaceful...
The bellbirds were tootling, the spring sun was shining, and the nearby water race gurgled and burbled its soothing, watery noises. I told my Head Gardening Cat (Fluff-Fluff) that we were remembering and giving thanks - for the garden, for the fresh air and the blue sky, and the bricks in the courtyard at our feet (they didn't harm anyone when they fell down in the shake).
Fluff-Fluff the Cat
Solemn and Foolish
It was, however, very foolish attempting to have a solemn memorial moment eating toast with a cat. I droned on (that's what it would have sounded like to a cat) in my quietly serious voice, eyes closed, while he licked the peanut butter off my bread. Aargh!
Then dear Lilli-Puss appeared, miaowing, in the greenery. Aargh! Attack! Big Fluff-Fluff the Bully destroyed the moment even more. Hee hee. Life goes on in a garden with animals.
I've been busy all day - spreading woodchips on paths in the Hen House Gardens, spreading horse manure on the gardens nearby, doing more seeds (the pink lavateras are pricked out), weeding, and so on. During my lunchbreak I half-painted the new garden gnomes and rattled through a groovy Albeniz piano piece (Almeria), as one does. I love my piano. And I love spring. Love, love, love spring.
Wednesday 5th September
OK, OK. I've painted the new gnomes' hats and shoes, practised Jerez by Albeniz, and put the watering hoses on. This is not much gardening, and it's already mid-afternoon. Oops.
Painting The Gnomes
Maybe all I'll do will be to water the pots and the newly planted roses - well, so be it. Consider this a partial gardening day-off (painting garden gnomes doesn't count).