'April Acumen'
Oops. Have just realised that it is far, far too late for 'March Madness'. My goodness, how quickly the months pass me by. Quite like the idea of some 'April Absurdity', but suspect a measured approach to the first real autumn month might be better. So I've chosen 'April Acumen'. Thanks for that, thesaurus.com.
Monday 6th April
The first thing I'm doing today is watering my newly planted roses. Then I'm going to plant the new Lavenders and Hebes. They, too, will need to be well watered in. Then I'm dead-heading all the big dahlias. They are still putting on a beautifully colourful show.
Pretty Spiky Dahlias
It's not a good day to re-ignite the autumn bonfire, because big winds are forecast for tonight. Phew! The autumn bonfire is the most non-romantic gardening event I can think of.
2015's First Bonfire :- The first autumn 2015 bonfire doesn't really deserve a photograph...
I've known gardeners who sink into a dreamy reverie, raking leaves and watching gently swirling smoke in their minds. Ha! They've obviously been cooped up with too many books on English four-seasons gardening. Bonfires are unpleasant and the smoke smells. The environment groans a little. End of story.
So why do I do it? I simply have to. I burn Eucalyptus (gum) tree debris, plus squillions of dead leaves from Cordylines and Phormiums. Even the industrial shredders at the green waste dump won't accept these.
Red Maple Leaves
Much Later...
I've had a messy, half-sleepy day, but at least my Hebes and an old rose called Madame Hardy are planted. I hope she's a tough old bird - all her Google entries mention the word 'beautiful'. I've filled in a few more holes along the boundary, and watered all the Pittosporums and shrubs on the level land above the boundary slope. It's silly to feel tired after fiddling around doing small, insignificant things. But I do, so I'm going to wash my hair. When in doubt...
Tuesday 7th April
Too scary. Tiddles the tabby is off to the vet. Again. This is another wound check, and I'm just hoping that this time all is healing properly.
Before we go I'm going to take some autumn leaf photographs. Yes, they are there - several of the golden trees are 'turning', and I've even spied a scattering of red oak leaves. And a little Maple which looks brighter and redder than usual. Autumn, hellooooooo! Is that really you?
Blue Aconitum
Later...
Phew! The vets are pleased with Tiddles. She's back in her dog crate for a few more days, and returns to the vet for a further check on Thursday. This has been a long process, and the vets have been extremely supportive. She must be mightily sick of wearing a head-bucket. Brilliant things, these, for both cats and dogs, though dogs take them for granted after a couple of hours. A cat would never be so foolishly compliant!
I'd bought a long scoopy tennis-ball thrower for Winnie the dog, and was keen to test out my arm. Alas - on my very first fling Rusty got the ball instead. That was the end of the game, for he will not drop it, and I refuse to corner him, grab his collar, and extract the ball from his slobbering mouth. He is such a kill-joy sometimes.
Garden-wise all I've done is to move the hoses, and identified more Hebes in pots which I'll liberate into the boundary garden. Hebe labels always mention things like 'good for tough conditions', and I know from experience that decent sunlight brings out their best characteristics. So, should I feel like a little light gardening, I know what to do. Hmm...
Wednesday 8th April
Right. We've already been to the dog park. It's the perfect morning for a couple of hours burning - not hot, and not windy. And the garden near the bonfire looks flowery and colourful, so I won't get too annoyed. Oh, did I mention that I dislike burning?
Lunchtime...
Have just let Tiddles the tabby out of her crate for some room exercise. She seems so much better - purry and full of life. Hope, hope, hope...
Green Astelia :- I grow Astelias in the garden as well as in pots.
I've been busy clearing (and burning the rubbish) in the Wattle Woods. One of the cute little curved footbridges is completely submerged by a huge, bright green Astelia, and the approach path is also impassable. The green leaves are so pretty, so the solution is easy - I'm shifting the bridge and the path. Mobile paths are so sensible!
Later...
Alas, the path stayed put. On my way there I passed by some oversized Anemanthele grasses (use-by date estimated sometime in 2012), so I dug those and burnt them. Then I ran out of time (had an appointment at the optometrist). But the important thing is that I'm able to see (hee hee) interesting things which need my attention. But when I get my prescription sunnies... My garden had better look out!
Yeay for Tiddles the Tabby!
Tiddles goes to the vet for a further wound check tomorrow morning, and I'm getting nicely nervous already. In the grand scheme of cat health, her issue has been a small one, yet awfully self-absorbing - which is another way of saying 'worrying'. There she is, so happy and joyful, loving her food, purring, loving her human company. Hope, hope, hope...
By the way, this calming (for me) series of white and sort-of white flowers are all in bloom at the moment. The little dahlia seedling is particularly exciting - it's self-sown, and I presume the result of bee-hybridisation. Parents - a large semi-single floppy white (the only white -coloured dahlia in the garden), and a squillion smaller 'ordinary' reds. Just delightful. Now I must remember where it is.
Acuminous?
I hope I've I been acuminous this month. So far, so good? Hope so. Silly adjective, though. Not very down-to-earth.