Garden Journal 2026
2026 is going to be a wonderful gardening year, right? Even if it's only sort of wonderful, I'll be happy. I'm going to do my very best to be a measured, thoughtful gardener. All year, in all weathers. And to lovingly record all my garden adventures, both good and not so good, hopefully with balance and good humour. Ha! Let's see, now...
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Good morning 2026...
- Good morning, 2026. Thanks for the rain, my garden loves it when it rains. But thank you also (in advance) for the summer sunshine which I hope to arrive this afternoon - so I can start off 2026 with some good gardening.
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Gnomes in disarray!...
- I am brave. I am tough. I am woman gardener, ready to go outside into my damp, cold garden. It's mid-summer (well, it's supposed to be), the second day of 2026, and I'm already a day behind schedule, hee hee. But am I prepared for a gnome surprise?
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Tossing the letter box?...
- Day three of 2026 : took the rubbish bin out to the road for collection, noticed that our letter box had gone, post and all. Found it three paddocks down the road, post and box still attached. Somebody practicing for a new quasi-Scottish sports event : 'Tossing the Letter Box'...
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Floating by......
- Summer days are floating by - so what day of the week is it? Yesterday we visited family. I know I did some gardening, because I went visiting in my gardening shorts, but I can't remember what I did. Oh dear me...
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New Shrubs......
- My friend has given me some shrubs in large plastic pots (five Michelias, and two Azaleas). Michelia gracipes : an evergreen large shrub, easily grown, good for hedges. Hmm... Would I like a hedge? Not sure. Don't have any Michelias in my garden.
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Should be easy?...
- Shrubs in big pots should be easy to handle. One quickly clears a space, and pops them into the garden. Half an hour per shrub? Reality - more like half a day!
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Wind-noisy......
- Blustery summer nor-west days are difficult to enjoy, worrisome for the gardener (it's wind-noisy). My lawns are in a terrible mess, strewn with long pieces of gum bark - one of the joys of wind in summer. But I'm not complaining, honestly...
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Refreshed!...
- There's no wind! It's not thirty degrees Celsius! My garden is refreshed, moderate, and waiting for its Head Gardener to do some amazing things. Gently, though. My garden is very patient and understanding.
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Pukekos in my garden!...
- Have just been to check on the Stumpy Garden, by the water race - to do a cleaning-up inventory, see what needs fixing, and so on. Quite a surprise. Someone (so kind) has already done a lot of clearing, but they've just left all the mess, loads and loads of it, lying in there. I wonder who could this possibly have been? And some pukekos have moved in...
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Finish what I started?...
- Have just had the most scary gardening idea, which fills me with dread. It makes me want to curl up under the bedcovers and refuse to come out! I make a list of all the things I've started this year and not finished. And then I finish them, one by one. Aargh!
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More warm summer rain......
- We've had another three days of wonderful summer warm rain - the perfect length of time to finish the second holiday jigsaw, reflect on the garden, and recharge. This morning the drizzle has finally stopped, leaving shiny wet vegetation and saturated soil. Yeay!
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Fix up the flaxes......
- Oh boy! It's turning into a Fix Up the Flaxes month. More and more of the larger Phormiums (I have quite a few) are splitting apart. They've had a bumper flowering season, and their stalks are really heavy.
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Rudderless!...
- Aargh! I am rudderless! Non-Gardening Partner has gone back to work (I thought he had another week off). I'm not sure exactly why I'm missing him - it is only 10am, first morning on my own. What a silly billy I am. Hmm...
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Summer bonfire is allowed......
- The fire ban has been lifted (there's been significant rainfall in the last two weeks). It's a gloomy January day. And Non-Gardening Partner has the day off. Ha! The starts are aligned! Specifically, NGP can be the star of the bonfire.
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In the water race......
- Summer means standing in the water race in my crocs and trimming Carexes, Ferns, and Phormiums. The water refreshes the mind (and the feet), the trickling and burbling noises calm the spirit.
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Hello February!...
- My goodness, it's February already. My goodness indeed. All my lovely musical groups start up again this week. I am enjoying my relationship with my wonderful garden, spending quality time in it with my dogs.
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Reconnecting......
- Good morning to my garden, and my inner gardener. Time you were both reconnected. It's a coolish but sunny day, no wind, and I have no commitments. Yeay! It's merely a question of what to do first. What, indeed? When in doubt, write a list.
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Checking the poultry......
- Today's first task should be to weed and clean up Henworld, and to check on the poultry. A weedy grass which came into my garden with some Agapanthus I planted there needs to be pulled out. ASAP. BISS. Before it sets seeds.
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Continuing......
- So what am I going to do today? Continue what I was doing yesterday. Gardeners are always continuing something or other. So I'm going back over by the Hen House to work in the shade...
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Guilty?...
- Had the day off the garden yesterday. This morning I felt a bit guilty, so decided I needed to work extra hard. Really silly - am allowed a day of rest (as long as I water the pots of tomatoes). So there.
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Sitting down on the job!...
- I love doing sit-down gardening. My knees talk to me in the night if I've been kneeling. My hips join in if I've done too much ducking and diving. So sitting in the dirt suits me just fine. Quiet nights!
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Who cares what the date is!...
- Friday 13th was just another great gardening day for me. Didn't realise the date until after dinner time, so no chance to be remotely superstitious. Great gardening days don't care which number they've been assigned...