Phormiums and Pittosporums
I love having new, exciting hand tools to try out - especially when they're two dollar specials from the Charity Shop. I have bought (at minimal expense, hee hee) an assortment of sturdy, serrated bread knives, with which I have removed an annoying Phormium.
This Phormium Can Stay
Ha! The Phormium in question, a large tenax species, was deconstructed easily in less than five minutes, leaving the beautiful deep red one further along the border to glow and shine. Much better! Then I bottom-dragged myself right around the edge curves of the Willow Tree Gardens, past the stack of blue garden seats. Great gardening - a well-defined edge, all the other Phormiums (there are a few in this garden) tidied up, Campion plants pulled out of the lawn, broom seedlings pulled out of the garden. Now I am off to my friend's house to watch a women's cricket match.
Pittosporums...
And I love Pittosporums. I love their leaf textures, and their generosity - self-seeding and growing in places I wouldn't dare try and plant anything. But the time has come when unwanted self-sown ones have to be removed. Before they turn into giants.
Different Pittosporums
The Hump Gardens in particular are overflowing with them, too many, particularly for the paths and the rose garden areas.
So far today I've bottom dragged myself along the edge of this garden weeding, clearing, and chopping down 'Pitts' (affectionate term). It's easy to see which need removing - by late summer (now) the gardens are at full growth, roses, ornamental grasses (like the beautiful Miscanthus zebrinus) and dahlias taking up maximum room.
Oops...
Two hours later...
How good am I? I've burnt all today's mess just in time, before the drizzle. Added it to the mess from the last two days of weeding and trimming, and dragged over tree branches that NGP had chain-sawed off for me a couple of weeks ago. Including pieces of that dreadful Gleditsia with three inch spikes all along the branches. Handle with care! I also added gum bark and gum leaves raked up from the driveway. Whoosh went the bonfire.
The classic apres-gardening look?
Am grubby, smoky, and sweaty and looking forward to a shower and a hair wash. Then into a flowing white cotton shirt with clean blue jeans - the classic apres-gardening look. Times like this I wish I still drank alcohol - I can see myself lounging on the couch with a book and a cool cider. Could ask NGP to go to the store and get some peach fizzy drink. Hmm... a bit silly. Best to enjoy an iced water I think.
Am very pleased with my gardening of late. I seem to be making progress. I seem to be noticing small details and doing something about them. I seem to be a gardener going places. Sorry Pittosporums, but the only place some of you are going is the bonfire. Try not to take it too personally...