Nearly Christmas...

 A maroon-red.
Bright Daylily

It's nearly Christmas. Humph. My first Christmas present - a slight head cold and a cough. Gave myself a choice - back to bed to sulk and/or sleep, or gardening. Gardening won!

Sunday 22nd December

So I spent three hours clearing the gardens around the woodshed - dead-heading roses, digging up old Campion, chopping the tops off old Alkanet, and trimming variegated Elm tree suckers. I just sit down in the dirt, or on the damp lawn - mush easier than trying to keep clean and dry dragging e.g. a gardening cushion or the equivalent along.

Finds...

Found some healthy looking red potatoes in the mess underneath the washing line. Plus one striped sock, seven plastic pegs, and a drink bottle. As one does...

 Very beautiful - and I did NOT plant it!
Kiwi Fruit Vine

Then noticed that the Kiwi Fruit vine had resprouted and was busy climbing back up the woodshed. Oops. Need to decide what to do about it. Meanwhile Non-Gardening Partner barrowed all the big pots of Canna lilies from the glass-house to the pond decking. Extremely helpful.

But now I think I will go and have a snooze. Why not? Will take my book, just in case the brain is over-active.

Monday 23rd December

So far my Christmas cold and cough have been a bit of a dud. Let's hope they stay that way! Washing one's hair (when it is silly and long like mine) is a great way to perk up first thing in the morning. And I've ever-so-gently brushed out most of the knots.

All my hydrangeas seem to have perked up too, after all the rain we've had. Their name means 'water vessel', after all. Must remember to take cuttings of the pretty lace-caps. I assume they would be pretty easy to strike.

Later, mid-afternoon...

First I made a routine visit to the doctor. Had to wait in the pharmacy while the prescriptions were made up. Oops. A naughty mood came over me, and I bought quite a few cute and silly gift items. Stopped myself just on time from buying a tea pot with bumble bees all over it - what on earth for? Costing eighty dollars?

 Darling girl dog!
Winnie the Dog

Dog company...

Zoomed into the garden when I got home and worked hard for three hours, with Winnie the dog keeping me company. Sat down in the Wattle Woods near the glass-house and pulled out loads and loads of Alkanet and Creeping Charlie. Now there's lots of cleared space now to plant clumps of miniature Agapanthus along the edge. My go-to plant for frost-sheltered places.

Pick up your mess!

Came inside to refresh and get some iced water. Then my lovely daughter rang - she had just finished some very good gardening at her place. Me too, I said proudly. Then I made a big mistake - mentioned that I'd left all my mess on the lawns. Not good enough, she said sternly. I was to go back outside, pick it all up properly and dump it, then text her to tell her I'd done this. Oh crikey! Teach your parents well!