The usual problems...
Summer temperatures have finally arrived - the Moosey lawns are mown, the edges are trimmed, and the garden seats are ready to embrace holiday readers. The Head Gardener has the usual problems - should she buy in more plants? Perhaps more roses?
Smoocher the Ginger Kitten
Tuesday 28th December
Good morning to the Moosey cats, kittens, and puppy. Good morning to the free-range poultry. Good morning to the Moosey Garden, shining in the summer sun. Good morning to the piano, the cricket, and Vivaldi's violins (and violas and cellos) tootling away on the wee stereo.
I feel small and pathetic. Late yesterday I cut my finger quite deeply with the secateurs - call it the revenge of the Pittosporums. Having just mentioned that I liked Pittosporums again, there I was hard at work sawing and chopping down the one by the woodshed. Now I am garden-wounded, and can't play the piano. And my head-cold is fully enclosing my head.
I see the news of the horribly real and devastating tsunami (for once its not archival footage on the Discovery channel). My little world is so sheltered, and I feel rather selfish. Then I see my red secateurs lurking on the kitchen table. Aargh! Because of you I can't play the piano or garden properly for at least a week! These things never balance, do they? - The big bad world and the small self-centred gardener, worrying about her secateured little finger...
Summer Garden
I love my summer garden, though. It's nearly phlox time, and the predominantly orange daylilies are flowering. The catmint is at its best (it gives the illusion of being a deep rich purple-blue colour) and several of my disorganised delphinium clumps are very big and very blue. It's nice when the first rose impact starts to wane - then other flowering plants get noticed, and of course the foliage plants and ornamental grasses come into their own.
Ornamental Grass Foliage
And having a head-cold (and a bandaged finger) doesn't stop you walking in the garden, or choosing a shady seat and reading, or entertaining cats, new kittens and the puppy on the house patio. Enough said.
Wednesday 29th December
Sneeze! Grab tissues! Sneeze! I am sick of this head-cold! I get lonely and sulky. Ridiculous in this lovely garden with lovely animals for company (and lovely people, too). Today I need to garden wisely (missing out my injured little finger) before the weather deteriorates. Puppy-company (with restrained puppy-digging) would be nice.
Raubritter :- I must get some more old-fashioned roses - I think they suit my garden!
My best rose flowering at the moment is the old-fashioned Raubritter. This summer, the rose bush has been big enough to spread and sprawl and show its beautiful flowers. It's planted underneath the variegated Elm tree - perhaps I should train it to tree-climb up? This was probably my initial intention.
I am off to weed with eleven fingers. Every time I see the red secateurs I shudder - eek!
The Disgraceful Golden Hop
I am back. I've done edges and weeded over the water race. What shall I do with the Golden Hop? It is behaving disgracefully, strangling pittosporums, rhododendrons and the Magnolia Stellata. I know it needs a good chemical shock - I don't quite have the heart!
Kittens on the Watering Can
Thursday 30th December
OK, OK - It's only a head-cold (and a nipped finger), but the garden needs me in top form! It's a calm early morning in the Moosey house - puppy is chewing a smoked pig's ear (sorry!), kittens are playing, Stumpy the cat is sitting on my lap, rooster and hens have gone from the decking (lured away by my birds' bread). Bach (Preludes and Fugues Book Two) is the morning music choice. My cup of tea tastes great. My finger seems to have stuck back together successfully (sorry again!).
Back to the Garden
Enough lurid details of morning Moosey life - let's get back to the garden. What should I do first today? I don't want to tackle any rose dead-heading until we get a bout of finer weather. Some of the later flowering roses are looking great, though - Graham Thomas on the fence by his big bronze flax (an inspired pairing), and the bright pink Flower Carpet rose in the half oak barrel.
What I should do is finish absolutely all the edges of all the lawns. Then I should dig out and burn a very rusty rose over the water race - it's the only one which is misbehaving thus. There is a buried flax to dig out and replant in a clear space in the Hen House Garden, and a small rhubarb-like plant to identify. I should also burn my rubbish heap before it gets too windy. There is no fire ban as yet - this is most unusual - wonder why? Humph... And the weather forecast warns of rain today... Oh well, that's garden life I guess.
Roses on the Frisbee Lawn Fence
And there are garden things to enjoy - the babbling water, the birds cooing and twittering, the silly chooks shrieking, the roses blooming... It all sounds nice and boring, really.
Early Afternoon...
I did two hours weeding along the edge of the water. I burnt the rubbish pile. I am sick of this head-cold. I have come inside to sulk and read my book. Sorry to be so boring.