New Years Week 2005
Happy New Gardening Year.
Saturday 1st January
Right. No need for New Year's Resolutions - perceptive gardeners make resolutions each month of the year. For example, I have a stack of Next November's Resolutions (the phrase doesn't quite have the same memorable ring to it) which include spraying the roses before they get rust and sowing more pansy seeds. I faintly remember two Next January's Resolutions about staking the dahlias before they flop over, and sorting out the irises - hey, I could manage both of those!
Happy New Year - Pink Flower Carpet Rose
The garden is looking pretty good anyway - my year of semi-retirement shows in many little ways. The edges of the water race have never been so weed-free - well, not counting some welcome weeds (the Verbascums). The wilderness area behind the pond is turning slowly into a Native New Zealand garden, and there is a larger network of paths in the Hump. Pittosporums have made a huge come-back - let's hear it for the Pittosporums!
Taj-Dog :- The first Moosey dog, whose dog-path legend lives on in the garden.
Looking back, I feel pretty proud. The garden prospered. The animals had a good year - and dear old Taj-dog's last year was full and happy. If I made the very first gardening day of 2005 really memorable, this could be a good sign for the coming year. I should start as I intend to continue - that sort of thing. Half an hour each of weeding, doing edges, pruning, burning, clearing a path, planting something would be a good start!
Actually I could make a resolution not to be boring in this journal - but then I wouldn't write much at all...
Sunday 2nd January
I worked hard yesterday in the Pond Paddock, trimming the low branches off the oak trees and tidying the garden by the Pump House. There is now space for more natives - I may be able to transplant some small pittosporums, and maybe some of my flaxes imprisoned in pots can enjoy early release. Then, of course, I would need to rush out and buy replacements.
My animals were ridiculous yesterday. It was the day of the shrieking rooster (had to check for the beige fur-ball (puppy) hurtling around in hot pursuit) - and shrieking thrushes (had to check for large cats terrorising nests of birdlings). Then puppy did some circuit training - zoom, growl, dig... zoom, growl, dig - on the Wattle Woods path (I was clearing and widening it). Then it rained. So I retired into the house and admired the rosy view through the glass doors.
Summer on the House Patio
Today I have unfinished business in the garden (Ha! - that would be an understatement!) involving mainly a shovel and some rusty roses. The phloxes are still not flowering - I always think of them as real summer indicators. The daylilies have started, though. And I guess the rain has made everything green, but what about Summer=Sunshine?
And please note that I haven't moaned once this year about my head-cold or my cut finger...
Monday 3rd January
I'm still a day behind in my garden business. Perhaps today I will get that rust-covered rose! I'm planning to float and mooch around, and will probably end up only doing some light weeding in woodland areas. It's sunny! The bell-birds are back! Garden ambience is aurally restored (at least those ghastly bird noises from rooster and thrushes have some competition). But visually, with all the rain we've had over New Year, the lawns need mowing again. So my circuit of edge trimming will start all over again - the garden fantasy of the Never-Ending Lawn Edge.
Blue Geraniums
Kittens, Puppy, Rooster and Hen Report
A brief animal report - the kittens are having meaningful feline fun stalking the rooster. Go Tiger! Go Smoocher! Between you two and the hurtling beige fur-ball (Rusty the puppy) may my decking be clear of chook-poos. And white hen is now laying eggs in the back of the big pot which houses my stylish variegated cordyline. Ridiculous!
Tuesday 4th January
Actually I'm still sulking a bit (not feeling 100% yet) - sorry that this journal has been rather droopy since New Years. This morning I was ready to take self in hand and jolly well get over it - honestly! But it's just started to rain!
Summer Growth in Middle Garden
The kittens are on the decking trying to pounce on and catch raindrops (symbolising the futility of life?), Rusty the puppy is snoozing with large meaty bone (yum), and the hens are thankfully silent. There can be no gardening for a while - pity, for I can think of all sorts of important garden things to do! I am a gardening fraud.