Admirable Agapanthus
I love Agapanthus! The big, bulky, weedy species blues. The ones that other gardeners sniff their noses at. Not me.
Summer Blue Agapanthus Flowers
They are a country gardener's dream come true - especially when they're free, the winter's aren't too frosty, and a difficult dry area needs planting.
Raking leaves by the cottage
Sunday 15th May
After a week of peering at wind (technically this is rather difficult - one hears and feels wind rather than seeing it) I have redeemed myself. I've spent the morning pottering around with the Grand Toddler, barrowing horse manure and raking leaves - an an enjoyable leisurely toddler's pace.
When she went home I sped up considerably, and divided up my latest clumps of Agapanthus with swinging flourishes of the spade. With Winnie the dog for company (throw the ball! throw the ball!) I scavenged for stones to edge the little path near the shipping container, put on the watering hose, and started planting. Two smaller gum trees grow here (I'm not sure which variety) and are flowering, so a pair of irate bellbirds (nectar drinkers) flew close around my head, scolding me. Birds! I'm your friend. I love you. I do not want your food.
Monday 16th May
More rain - sploshy wet bursts with glowering grey skies, then sun and damp warmth in the air. During a dry spell we went to the dog park, but now, as I'm updating my journal, its raining again. Not a problem! The garden and paddocks are desperate for water. Quite a few of the older (and therefore shallower) wells in the neighbourhood have run dry.
Flowering Gum Tree
My plan...
My plan is to change into my rough gardening clothes anyway (there are stylish standards to observe when visiting the dog park, hee hee). Then I will finish pulling apart and replanting my Agapanthus - my goodness, I love their glossy green leaves. Then - do yet more barrowing of horse manure and/or bagging up of oak leaves? Why not? The Pond Paddock need me!
Three Hours Later...
The whooshy wind has returned, so raking and bagging leaves is on hold. I've finished the Agapanthus, I've spread lots more horse manure, and lower down the slope of the Welcome Garden I've planted some pieces of Yellow Wave flax. Am now inside for afternoon tea, having a difficult, hungry day. So I have just slurped a small bowl of muesli laced with sultanas.
The Shape Up For Life campaign (AKA diet, but you just don't ever call it that) is going really well. Non-Gardening Partner and I have both lost five kilograms. Hope we never, ever, ever find it again!
Tuesday 17th May
Well, well, well. Last night a strong southerly front 'came through'. As I drove home from choir, autumn leaves were swirling around my windscreen and the roads were wet with the fallen - it was a bit like driving through golden-brown snow.
New Path and Agapanthus
And this morning, for the first time this autumn, it feels colder, and looks winter-bleak. So I'll be wearing my puffy jacket, gloves and woolly scarf to the dog park. Escher will have to start wearing his dog-pyjama suit to bed.
Later...
Righty ho, dogs. We are off to barrow more horse manure around. if this is all we do in the garden today, then so be it.
Last Autumn Leaves
Much Later...
Well done, me and the dogs. We've done well shovelling (and lying down in - thanks, Escher and Winnie) horse manure. We've also filled up eight big bags of kindling wood, and taken a few photographs of the admirable Agapanthus plants. Such a pretty green.
Thursday 19th May
Have spent two more days barrowing horse manure. Am getting a bit bored with it. The dogs aren't. Escher digs tunnels while the collies chase each other round and round the manure pile. All the manure is going on the Welcome Garden.
Day temperatures are still warm-silly - apparently feral females (cats, I mean) are as confused as my Weeping Maiden Camellia, and are having untimely litters of kittens. But I reckon the end is in sight. The electric blanket goes on at the start of most nights now. Minimus my cottage cat burrows underneath the crocheted bed cover. This means the start of the colder weather and winter.
+10 
+10
+10Autumn leaves, farewell. Autumn, farewell. Dogs Rusty, Winnie, and big brown Escher - thanks for keeping me company as I've trudged back and forth with the wheelbarrow. And for coming when I call you, and for being sociable at the dog park.