Five days...
Bee on Alkanet
A five day cricket test has started between England and New Zealand. The idea is to listen on my radio while clearing forget-me-nots and Alkanet out of the house gardens.
Keeping it simple, I've been dumping the mess over by the container. My gardening clothes are completely covered in biddi-bids, and unwashable. I've had to throw out two pairs of socks (impossible to remove these sticky seeds off socks).
Friday 22nd November
Today I've been listening to the cricket while clearing forget-me-nots and Alkanet out of the house gardens - a copy-and-paste from yesterday gardening day. Have resorted to gardening shorts, and sockless shoes, to lessen the effect of the biddi-bids. Already the towels in my bathroom (and the bathroom itself) are decidedly seedy.
But a confession : I did sneak out for couple of hours to have lunch at Mona Vale (public gardens with historic house). I took lots of photographs of the grounds and the rose gardens. And the avocado smash was lovely.
Mainly Roses - Mona Vale Gardens
Saturday 23rd November
I'm sooooooo sorry about this. But again I'll be listening to the cricket test on my radio, while clearing forget-me-nots and Alkanet out of the house gardens. The cricket test is going quite well. But first, we are off swimming. Swimming! Something different!
Later, Mid-Afternoon...
Have paused between dumping loads of Alkanet and gum leaves to grab a cup of coffee. I deserve this. I have been toiling. Yes, toiling, for hours now, while the cricket dribbles on. That joke about watching test match cricket being like watching paint dry? Well, clearing Alkanet while listening to test match cricket is like listening to paint dry...
The garden I'm clearing is the driest part of the Jelly Bean Border, near to where I've planted all the new Azaleas. My friend (who gave me those Azaleas) now has a rather beautiful waist-high ornamental maple tree she doesn't want. Oh boy. Another shrub rescue.
Unknown Climbing rose
Madame Alfred Carriere?
And another guess at naming an unknown rose. The fluffy, slightly frilly white which has climbed over the house arch for fifteen years - I've always thought she was a lady rose, a Mrs Something, a Duchess or a Countess, that sort of thing. So why not a Madame? Madame Alfred Carriere? This lady is available in all the New Zealand rose nurseries, and her description fits my rose. Hmm...
OK. Two more barrowfuls, then I'm off to a singing rehearsal. When I come home I'll crank up the bonfire. Yuk. But at least there's no wind.
Sunday 24th November
Another day, the fourth day of the cricket test match. So I've been listening to the cricket radio, and of course clearing more forget-me-nots out of the garden. Aargh! Today I cleared the path into the Shrubbery - it ducks underneath the sprawling rose Madame Leonie de Viennot. Then I pulled some of the mess out of the middle of the Shrubbery and put on the hoses. And then, being a versatile musical gardener, I wriggled into my concert black and white gear and went to my jazz choir's performance (forgot to clean my fingernails, oops). Sing, sing, sing sing...
Cricket Update
New Zealand went very well in the cricket, thanks! We won the test, after five hard fought days. Wish I could win my forget-me-not battle in five days...