Where's winter?
Where's winter? Where are the frosts? The great Moosey garden clean-up continues with remarkably mild weather. There are no excuses for anything to stay messy - except possibly the glass-house.
Wednesday 2nd June
Oops - today I have to go in to work for a few hours. But I will be back very soon to cast my critical eye over the much ignored and taken for granted Wattle Woods. Again, as I've been doing a virtual 'clean-up' of photographs etc. about this area of the garden, I am suitably shamed into doing a real clean-up.
I've never got this garden area right - it's far too dry in the summer months, and the 'soil' is mainly ex-compost, dry and dusty even in winter. The only plants that look good all year round in the Wattle Woods (regardless of watering regimes) are the flaxes. Eek! Perhaps It should turn into a flaxery?
Flax Cream Delight
Or should I simply move the path? - a random solution which might help rejuvenate the garden in here...
Later...
I did two hours clearing, but in the area behind the pond near the Pump House. This is a charming area, with rustic ambience, and over ten years of accumulated rubbish. I am starting the great dig-out - there is to be no scruffy grass here, and the few self sown Pittosporums might even get a little water and manure.
The Wattle Woods will keep until tomorrow. Long may the mild days of winter remain!
Chelsea Visitors :- Well, well, well... The very best people can be seen at the show!
I've been thinking about the Chelsea Flower Show which the Moosey Garden paparazzi have been visiting. The Moosey Team keep sending me summery e-mails and photographs, and I get quite envious of flowers, summer sunshine, roses, long days, etc. Then I sit down to pull more grass by the Pump House, with my gardening companions rooster and the hens gurgling with chook-happiness, and immediately feel wise and sensible - winter is definitely needed, to appreciate summer - one has to do the dirty work in the soil below to appreciate the beauty that will grow above it.
Blimey! That's almost as deep and meaningful as the scratchings of my silly bird friends.
Early Winter Garden Life
Thursday 4th June
I am up far too early - rooster is having his usual crow-fest, it's dark and quite cold, and naturally there are more summery e-mails for me about Chelsea from my relatives in London.
The Moosey London Team have decided that I need to go to the Ellerslie Flower Show (which has, apparently, been resurrected) to balance things out. Humph. Ellerslie will probably be full of selling-stalls, busking-bands, and wine-tents - not the sort of goodies that real gardeners want to experience.
Take absolutely no notice of that comment above - it's just that going to Manakau City (which I think is attached to Auckland) doesn't quite compare with going to London...
So what should I do first today? Keep on clearing in the dirt behind the pond? Or buy a flowing floral dress and an elegant straw hat?
Ha! I did heaps of clearing. Forget glamour gardening - this is back to basics - it's the very first time these weedy grasses have been pulled out, this leafy rubbish-strewn area has been raked. Hmm...
Friday 5th June
Early Winter Wisteria
I have had two extremely productive sessions clearing and weeding behind the pond, and sawing down unwanted self-planted trees (all Pittosporums are allowed to stay). I now seem to have a huge new area which is almost ready for planting. Hmm... I must remember this area is close to the boundary gum trees, and is likely to get very dry in summer.
I'm really heartened - a week ago this area was a mess, now after not too many hours all sorts of garden plans are taking shape. Yesterday I bought some six dollar bare-root roses - they're supposed to be for son's garden in town, but I just might redirect them!
Rooster has just appeared, poking his head through the open door. Aargh! What a nosy bird - now he's staring through the glass (I shut the door, obviously). What does he want? He's a bright bird - he already associates the noise of the cricket radio crackling in the garden with the big (featherless) Moosey-Chook digging up worms etc. - purely for his gourmet pleasure.