In between bouts of rain I gardened tidying up the dropping daisies, chamomile, watsonia and floppy plants that had been bashed by the wind. It's been a wet week. No need to water Woodside! And our new blue plastic gallon tank is full. Mum cut back the Japanese maple and installed it near the side of the garage drainpipe where water runs straight off the rusty steel roof.
There's been so much rain that all the nitrogen have been leached and the tangelo leaves have turned quite yellow. Or maybe it's lack of magnesium and iron. I'm not sure, but went to Mitre 10 yesterday to find remedies. I decided instead of epsom salts that I have already tried last time I'd go for the steroids - Burnett's Gold fruit and citrus food and Sequestron for yellowing leaves. I forked all around tangelo to under the drip line to get some air into the clay soil. Perhaps it had all been so compacted and heavy that the roots hadn't been able to absorb any nutrients?
I need to feed Tangelo every six weeks so have marked the dates in my diary. Poor tangelo, your leaves are supposed to be GREEN and your fruits ORANGE not the other way round!
Garden Club is meeting this month at Karen's place offering afternoon tea instead of the usually evening. Good news is that more garden trips are being planned, as we've listed Kaipara Sculpture Gardens, the new Egyptian Garden and Surrealist garden in Hamilton, and a Lavender Farm in Karaka as road trip candidates.
I planted two hippeastrums in a trough pot and one has already been eaten by slugs! Arrgh. I noticed the annuals I had from Bev and from Kings didn't do well which was rather a waste of time too. However a passionfruit by the fence looks promising and brother Vincent gifted us two jasmines 'Grand Duke Tuscany' which are now planted as well so shall see how they go.
Unfortunately it looks like Karyn will have a busy year ahead and won't have time to do Garden Planet. I also have as of yet no idea what I will be doing this year (aside from more gardening) on the job front. Taking the census? Working in a rich private school in Epsom as the hired help library assistant (again) ? Roving reporter for Window on Swanson Road? Christian Agony Aunt prayer warrior? Baby-Sitter's Club newest member? Manuscript Assessor? Mother's maid-of-all-work? Tik Tok star?
I saw that Mitre 10 was looking for garden centre helpers. Their stock needs constant care and I can imagine what a huge job that is for very little pay, and just as soon as you have everything tidied up customers come and make a mess of it again. I wonder if free plants are included and whether you could just set up a side line boutique out of all the rejected plants, because Mitre 10 is huge and more like Cost Co except more expensive, but less expensive than Kings without the discount. Both Kings and Mitre 10 sell fake plants right alongside real ones and I wonder if some customers can even tell the difference.
Eden Garden are also looking for a 'Lead Gardener' who can lift heavy weights. But I'm really over carrying every else's burdens. I want my yoke to be easy and light.
Everyone is saying I need a full time steady job but I am thinking I might just apply for the benefit as this could take a while and I'm not sure I really want to go back to wage slavery again. At least in my own garden I am my own boss. Right mum?
