Nearly the shortest day...
Still the weather is calm and settled, even if only luke-warm. It's nearly the shortest day - good gardeners must get out there and take full advantage of conditions. Maybe I will finish my great winter clean-up before real winter weather strikes!
Tuesday 15th June
Today I am going to do more clearing - I am slowly making my way up the messy fence-line from the Pump House, through the back of the Wattle Woods. And I am feeling much better - rejuvenated, even - after my weekend gardening blues. The temperature is balmy - it's supposed to reach seventeen degrees. Hurray for winter gardening in New Zealand!
Winter in the Wattle Woods
And the light is brilliant for taking photographs of the Moosey garden - pity that the winter look is a little bare. There is a limit to the number of coloured flax pictures one can take - isn't there?
Later...
Slowly but surely the Great Front-Line Moosey Clearing Machine moves up the Wattle Woods fence-line, accompanied by loyal members of the rear-guard (i.e. three scratching, chortling chooks).
Wednesday 16th June
Yippee! A whole day to garden, with no car (i.e. no distractions) and no work (i.e. money certainly isn't everything)... What should I do first? Imagine if I could clear right to the water race? Some of my rubbish piles have transformed into compost - or quasi-compost - and are ready to be spread around. And wouldn't it be wonderful if I could have a wee wiggling trickling stream in here... Hmm... Must ask the resident civil engineer.
Relaxing in the Weak Winter Sun
Many Many Hours Later,
Apres Gardening...
I have seriously moved and burned rubbish today! The right-of-way through the back of the Wattle Woods is well cleared, and most of the paths are raked clear. I feel very proud of my efforts.
I can 'see' a little stream in here, running down from the water race - it would be most beautiful. I could easily build a stream bed of stones. The only trouble is its potential to flood the Pump House - a slight problem.
However the Pump House is close to falling down - and I wonder if its rustic replacement could be re-sited on higher ground? Most interesting...
From such ridiculous dreams a new garden area could well emerge!
Thursday 17th June
I have again been gardening in the Wattle Woods - tripping over tree stumps, thinking this was yet another sign of age and I would have to start wearing my spectacles in the garden. Then I realised that it was just lack of light (i.e. rather late in the winter's day). How silly!
Anyway, I've established the route of the main pathway through the back of the Wattles, raked it clear, and have stomped up and down from top to bottom to see if it feels right. Now I am ready to plant a busload of beloved Pittosporums. Unfortunately first I have to source these plants at a ridiculously low price - 2004 is the year of the budget garden. And I am still thinking about a stream, wiggling alongside the path. Hmm...
Friday 18th June
Slightly bad news - It's drizzling quite hard, and I am home all day.
Wattle Woods Phormiums - 2004
Slightly good news - Technically and in a civil engineering sense I can experiment with the small stream idea! There was an encouraging response from Stephen, and now it's simply a matter of flow rates and drainage near the Pump House. Apparently new pipes are going in anyway, so my little request is well timed.
I will have to create a waterway that looks natural, that looks like it's been there for years. Wow! This is exciting stuff. I'm inclined to be low impact - let the water find its own course sort of thing. Then use river stones of various sizes to create a bit of a stream-bed base. Hmm... Must remember to take before and after photographs.
One Hour of Drizzle-Gardening Later
I scratched around (with chook-company) in the wet, trimming some flaxes in the Pond paddock gardens. Often the coloured hybrids will end up with a front or back half reverting to the Phormium Tenax species - the offending leaves need to be cut off at the base. Then I had a very smoky fire - Moosey the All-Weather Winter Gardener.