Blues skies, light frosts...
Hmm... It's now the second weekend in June - blue skies are forecast, with light frosts. These are perfect days to continue the great winter garden clean-up.
Wonderful Winter Series - Image 2 - Liquid Amber
Saturday 12th June
I've had a non-gardening week (well, the last four days) - I've been quietly earning a little money (oops). Now it's the weekend - will this one be filled with rampant clearing and burning like the last one? I am nearly finished behind the Pump House and pond - of course, if I had garden help...
Jerome the Grey Cat
Being a Gardener...
Actually it's been a different experience going to work all week (just temporary though, you understand). I am so very lucky not to have to do this all the time! Being a gardener is just the best - I must start listing it as my occupation (on the electoral role, for example).
It's time for a June morning cat-dog-rooster report. Living with animals and pets - very amusing...
- Animal and Pets Report
- 1. A rather fluffed-up rooster (hen-less for once) is on the decking staring and crowing at me.
- 2. Later today we are going to look at a border collie dog who needs a new home - just looking!
- 3. All cats are curled up in various warm places.
- 4. The old-man-dog Taj has pee-ed in the house again overnight. Hmm...
I won't start any gardening for an hour or so. There'll be enough time to reflect on my temporary lapse of gardening, to appreciate in advance the fine weekend weather, and to clean up after the dear old dog.
Later...
I worked hard for three hours, clearing and shifting a lot of potential firewood into the woodshed, seriously weeding the path from the Pump House to the Pond Paddock, and burning a huge heap of rubbish. I've trimmed the old leaves off the pond-side flaxes - these have never ever been cleaned up before. Old flax leaves have to be burnt - they bring instant death to mowers and mulchers.
Cleaning Up Behind the Pond
The sun never seemed to warm up anything. Then I decided to have an apres-gardening deep soak in the bath - now I am more tired than ever. Humph... I need more energy. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.
Late David Austin Rose
Sunday 13th June
Today I am going to have a good gardening day. There will be no sulking - no humphing - there's a lot to do, but it doesn't all need to be done at once. There's enough time left - I mean, what's the deadline for a winter clean-up? Early spring? I must have at least two months to finish my work. I just need to stay positive, and enjoy all the winter-time I am able to spend outside.
Much Later...
I have had a much better day. It's probably due to mental attitude, but I feel I've accomplished more. My clearing has now reached the lower Wattle Woods - I'm cutting down the weedy tree lucerne trees, and saving all the self sown Pittosporums. I've taken photographs, I've burnt heaps of rubbish, and all my tools are packed away. I reckon I did too much work last week - when will I learn? This week I will say no.
Monday 14th June
Nothing much to report - except that I saw my first family of small ducklings today on the lawn by the glass-house. It's far too early in the year to be hatching ducklings. And I love my quietly bare winter garden very much - in comparison, the greenery and colour in summer photographs seems quite unbelievable.