Keeping Cat-Mother company...
I reckon my cats have a roster. 'Hey, guys - it's Thursday. Who's on 'Keeping Cat-Mother Company' duty? Big Fluff-Fluff, it's you! Off you go, quickly now, don't lose her. She's just going past the herb spiral. Looks like you're on bonfire watch.'
Fluff-Fluff the Cat on Gardening Duty
Dear Fluff-Fluff! I'd already done some tedious weeding in the narrow garden along the water race. I was getting sore, tired, and cross. The bonfire was my last task for the day. And then I saw him sitting on a post, beautifully ornamental. I raked and tossed rose prunings and dead gum leaves up onto the flames and I smiled. 'Here I am, Cat-Mother' he squeaked back at me. My fluffy treasure!
Friday 9th August
But today that 'sore' bit has flared up. A weeding injury to the Moosey rib! Three weeks of coughing, then an afternoon strenuously over-reaching to pull out weeds - resulting in an unpleasant wake-up call at mid-night. In pain! This will not do! So today I am taking it easy. No weeding. I'm off to have morning tea with my friends, and then I'm picking up five concrete garden gnomes.
Oops - More Gnomes
Dear things - I just had to rescue them from a second hand dealer. 'They're coming to a good home', I told him on the phone, and I could tell he had no concept of this. They still have all their finer features (fingernails, face wrinkles, etc.) still visible and intact.
Beautiful Pink Camellia
Just A Wee Bit Later...
Hee hee. The gnome trader is my new best friend (I made a big fuss admiring and patting his dog). He knows of another ten concrete chaps, plus three larger ones, and he will mail me directly he gets them. Aha! I have a gnome agent! Oops - better hope Non-Gardening Partner doesn't get wind of this.
Right. It's a fairly mild day outside, but I'm not even going to prune one rose. After taking my dog for walk I'm on the couch watching Midsomer Murders. I enjoy looking at the charming thatched English cottages with their summery gardens.
Saturday 10th August
So - it's grey and semi-drizzling outside. What do I feel like doing in the garden? I'm off to prune some more of the house roses, just to make a start. And who's on Cat-Mother duty today? Surely it's Tiger the Tortoiseshell's turn - it's high time she experienced the Great Outdoors, felt some fresh air whistling around her belly...
Sunday 11th August
Hmm... What to do today? It's drizzling again, and I don't totally feel like getting wet. So the plan is to revisit the house-and-garden store, get some more seed-raising mix, and sow some more seeds in the glass-house. Then, if the rain lightens, I'll weed and tidy up the interior of the Island Bed. It needs something structural in the middle - an obelisk, maybe? Too pretentious? But it could have a rose climbing all over it. Now there's a thought.
Hee hee - I've just downloaded a free set of DIY plans for building a wooden obelisk. My garden 'will soon look up with this stylish climbing frame'. Non-Gardening Partner could make me one for my birthday! Hmm... Funny how he has mysteriously disappeared.
Monday 12th August
I have work to do. Poor NGP - he has retired to bed with (he claims) my head-cold. Apparently he is a victim of my sneezing and coughing all over the house for the last weeks. He is no mood to look at plans for wooden obelisks.
Primroses? Polyanthus? Pretty!
Right. First some more seed sowing, then the front patios are getting some primroses planted in pots. Am I sure they are primroses, asks my expert friend? Do they have only one flower per stalk? Must check. Aha! Apparently it is not quite this simple. Have a peep at this extremely informative primrose/polyanthus article for details!
Later...
+10I've done the seeds, I've done more cuttings, and I've been on an early spring blossom hunt. Fluff-Fluff has been with me in the glasshouse providing cat-company, but Rusty the dog has refused to leave the house. Why? Because NGP (his very best friend) is in bed, a bit sick. Rusty hopes NGP will magically appear and take him on some AMAZING and FUN adventure. Gardening with the Head Gardener is dull and soooooo boring for dogs. Well, thank heavens for cats, I say...
Merino Ewes and Lambs
+10I've been for a walk with Lilli-Puss to check the sheep - one of the ram youngsters keeps getting his curly horns caught in the fence. He hasn't yet worked out the concept of going backwards. All's well in the orchard paddock. The lambs bounce around in a group, and are already munching grass like their mothers.
Now I'm going back outside to clean up the Driveway Lawn and surrounding borders. Then Fluff-Fluff can have his reward (some fresh pet meat, yum) and Rusty can have a boring dog biscuit. That'll teach him for ignoring me! ME!!!!!!