Tuesday 29 January 2019

Heatwave!

Heatwave has hit with temperatures reaching in their 30s yesterday.
I did a bit of gardening before it got too hot. Moved lavender 'grosso' from it's pot to beside the garage garden and mulched with cut lemon balm and salvia, which promptly shrivelled up. Chive clumps were divided in an attempt to create a chive border along the edge after clearing out some purple mint looking plant. I need to plant ID that, it has flowers that look like lavender but has leaves like mint or oregano..but it doesn't really smell, bees love it though.

I've got chilis in pots now from Kings the last punnet left. They had ones already fruiting that were $15-$35 a pot but I wasn't going to spend that much. My budget was more like $3. So I got six plants which are going to grow on, and they will love this warmer weather.
I have a begonia am keeping an eye on for its part of a begonia in a pot competition, the best looking one wins...a free lunch. One hasn't flowered yet though I had a red one  that did, I put it in a bicycle pot holder so it was cheery but am so bad at taking photos that I didn't capture it that well, and it did get a bit scorched by the sun. Note to self be more diligent about pot plants! Mum thinks I ought to be watering them everyday if they dry out in the slightest, and then harangues me when I miss a day.

What kind of gardener are you, have all these pots and just let them dry out and die! Nothing like a mother to not so subtly remind you that you are no good at anything.  I think I confirm her worst suspicions that I'm just not professional at anything. Complete amateur, moi. Washing dishes? I miss spots. I don't clean windows in my spare time. I cook but leave crumbs. Just existing I unfortunately breathe the same air and leave a shadow.   How do you solve a problem like Selina? She never does what you tell her to.

I honestly don't know. If I were to solve me completely I would be like those miraculously self-made men that somehow orchestrated their own births and fortunes. I'd be an adult coming out of the womb. I would never know failure and be absolutely perfect.  Possibly with 20/20 vision and it would be cool never to have to go to the dentist and have my teeth perfectly straight too. I would then go on to  win every beauty pageant. I would be living a completely different life....! But I'm sure that Lorrainne Downes does not really want to swap her life (or body) with mine.

Anyway I am not over watering them because I remember that if I do that they start rotting out. But I have been dousing my basil with pepper to stop caterpillars munching them. I thought herbs were meant to repel insects not attract them...

In other gardening news. There are works still in progress. Church garden coming along..watch this space. And radio coming along...watch this space. I am off to visit Pt Chevalier Community Garden today am quite excited and I''m hoping to be inspired. I've heard good things about a church garden in Mt Eden too. And possibly going on a rongona Maori herbal medicine course cos I want to learn all about making moisturiser out of mamaku and tea from kawa kawa.  I can do it this year! Also planning to do a project management course at the Wananga for small business. So it's all go just need to get stuck in.