I wish I could tell you I have been busy in the garden; I haven’t though, so I won’t.
In fact, I dashed away for two days this week to catch up with family. It was delicious. I stayed with my brother and his family, where we sat on his big old verandah and were enveloped with every shade of green nature could provide: the towering dark green gloom of the mountain behind and the soft misty green of the valley below and beyond and everything in between. We ate, we laughed, we talked, we laughed, and we watched with a shared glee as his little grandson beguiled us all with his party tricks. Two days particularly well spent I would say; paradise is a soft green valley shared with family.
A quick Matron’s round on my return told me that we had windy weather, with more branches and limbs askew. One big branch is now draped over the beehive. I almost marched up to drag it away and then thought better of it; best suit-up or at least look out the epi-pen from behind the champagne in the cold-room and have it to hand. They do seem to be a particularly mild bunch however I do not wish to test their patience, all things considered.
I see that the zuchinnis are a no-show; I noticed the seeds were quite out-of-date when I popped them in. My children will attest to their mother’s total disregard for use-by/best-by propaganda however in this one instance there may be a case for slow/no response. I did buy some more from the hardware last week so will try again. I think I will pop in some beetroot and carrots too and sprinkle around some fresh mesclun seed in the salad bed. These do self-seed and pop up throughout the summer however often become bitter in the heat. I know Lord Dudley will be contemplating them with great expectation, he loves the salad bed. Such a renaissance bird. There may even be time for some beans as well before I plant the peas later in April.
I know I do bang on about them a bit, however from Toowoomba to Mt.Tamborine the Crepe Myrtles, Lagerstroemia spp, were in full bloom this week and looking spectacular. Everywhere they were a froth of colour, perhaps all the better for the wet following the big dry. They are so versatile with their climate variations and will suit even the smallest of gardens, with a colour for everyone. I whinged to my Mother about the purple leaf one I planted in a prominent position which was meant to have pale pink flowers and is now blooming in a vivid orange. Yes, it is eye-catching however I find some colours make me feel even hotter in summer, and purple and orange are like a chilli at your throat. I know for sure that I shall shift it and whatever I plant in its place will sit and sulk. Meanwhile, Madam Orange will continue to romp away somewhere else, reminding me that I should not be so fussy. My white and pink ones elsewhere in the garden are as spectacular as their eastern cousins, even without all the rain. If you want to try some, now is a great time to choose them as they will be flowering in the nurseries as well and you can be certain of the colour, more reliable than the labels.
Had I not galivanted away this week, I was going to pen a poem about a garden fork. Indeed, I had hope to write an epic on the humble fork, something you may not have come across before? However, time is short alas, so that will have to wait for inspiration to strike another time; perhaps whilst I am digging over the vegetable patch, who knows? Meanwhile, there are eight lilies flowering in the pond this morning, with another bud popping up as well. I usually look for six, to match our little family: six brolgas on the plain, six ducks on the creek, six flowers on a stem. However, as our little family is expanding, I think eight with a bud is an excellent omen.
Make of life what you can I say, so I hope your number pops up in the garden this week as well,
The Moble Gardener
