More Gunnera trimming...

 Quite an old cat now.
Minimus

A beautifully cooler night, with Speckles the stray snug in his cat-box on the verandah, Minimus snug on the cottage bed. Again had my early cup of tea with Speckles. To protect my elbows from being bitten or scratched by his paw, I now adopt the squashed-in-a-budget-plane eating position, elbows stuck firmly to my sides. That way I can reach my toast and cup of tea without getting into trouble. The things we do for our cats - Minimus would never behave do badly!

Later...

Spent an hour trimming the Gunnera sown by the rhododendron Percy Wiseman. A huge root (as thick as a mature gardener's waist, hee hee) needs chopping out - he gets a bit smothered by the leaves that sprout from it.

 With roots chopped back.
Gunnera Crowns

The frog has gone...

The only downside to all these valiant efforts - I think my solitary frog has taken fright and gone. There is a profound silence around Middle Bridge. Oh well. I wish him well in his journey to find a friend.

The Gunnera is calling...

And now the Gunnera is calling. I'll do some more mini-trimming, and maybe clear up Middle Garden as well. There are a lot of self-seeded tree-lings, Pseudopanax, and green Carexes to make decisions about. Plus green Phormiums, self-seeded, which are growing well. Perhaps too well?

Sunday 14th April

Loving the variety in my personal music. A gig with my blues band yesterday, then this morning singing Britten's Missa Brevis (the rhythms of the Gloria are still rattling away inside my head). Am blessed.

Three hours later...

Have spent three more hours trimming Gunnera, surrounded by beautiful autumn colours. Spent the last hour in the water, just heaving stalks and leaves out onto the lawn. Have left the thickets of green Carexes and the little green Phormiums for now.

I made no attempt to clean up - my feet ended up too cold, and needed the warm shower, woolly socks and slippers treatment. And now they are tingling with joy. Yes! I am blessed to have such accommodating feet.