My gardening status...
Today, finally, my gardening status has changed to being active again. Yeay! My work has been thorough, with attention to detail - and I've raked up all my mess.
Pond Cottage 2025
Have been clearing in the Pond Paddock gardens - mainly sorting out the paths and weeds, and defining the border edges. Have tidied around the cottage, including the path past the pond. Rescued a nearby variegated Hebe and am soaking it in water.
Minimus
Hello Minimus
Sat with Minimus the cat on the cottage verandah and enjoyed a hot coffee and the tiniest piece of chocolate for morning tea. Then kept going around into the Wattle Woods. Now I'm inside for the shortest lunch break. Am feeling great - a good gardening session does that.
Three hours later...
I went back outside and totally cleared another path, the main one in the Wattle Woods. Five barrowfuls of mess came out!
Also blocked off a path which is no longer in use, and dug out clumps of Renga Renga which I will replant nearby. Probably in the garden on the edge of the Pond Paddock in which the flowering cherry trees grow.
Watered the new Camellia and Hydrangea garden, thought about planting the two new Maples in here. Would they promise to grow tall and rise above the shrubs? Not sure who would win that race. When in doubt, don't plant. Wait and think some more.
Path inti the Wattle woods
And the glasshouse repair is finished - all glass panels are replaced (thanks Non-Gardening Partner). There's another job - clean out the inside. Oh dear...
Tuesday 4th February
It's nicely overcast - have been outside clearing the ground where the wee Maples are going. Funny how it takes so much more time to plant things properly than it does to rip things out.
I've also been trimming trees. Seedling Pittosporums are out, the straggly rhododendron has been severely pruned, and I've tried to trim the dead branches off the purple-leaf Prunus. It is struggling and I might get NGP to chop it down.
Much Later...
I've done three more hours work, same place and plan. Have finished the path clean-up right up to Rooster Bridge. Blocked off the old path which used to lead to the fence-line. No point if I never go in there. Have more Renga Renga cuttings (haven't planted any of them yet).
Looking out from the Wattle Woods
The Maples are in, and their soil has been fortified with some slightly used vegetable mix. I scooped up and dumped all my mess. And I collected all the cat bowls from the cottage (currently I am feeding three cats here - Minimus and two strays Speckles and Foxie).
Who let the dogs out?
Have gone apres-gardening, and am wearing my dog shirt. Exciting news - my shopping friend bought two similar shirts, both with funny dog patterns, and she doesn't like either of them. She is giving both to me! Wow! Who let the dogs out?