Psst. Want to hear some something secret squirrel. Am negotiating with Planet FM for a new radio show --- am very excited because it will be all about gardening. Stay tuned!
Other plans and projects on the go. Today I'm heading to the Flower and Garden show at the Trust Stadium. I'm going to be at the community garden club stand, I heard we won a merit award. I'll be dressed in a suitable floral ensemble, as Mike was disappointed last time I turned up in unfloral frock (it was polka dots) when I said I was going to be all floriferous. Thank you SPCA op shop for your affordable clothing.
Affordable may be the by-word to sustainable gardening because, I have a free pass. But others said they would pay $90 to get in. Hmm. Apparently that includes beers. Of course my own garden doesn't cost anything to see, but then, its still a work in progress. Readers, some of who've told me 'Your blog is very judgemental and critical' and quoting scripture 'Judge not, lest ye be judged' are probably not aware of this, but as far as I know I haven't judged or criticised anyone. I am not giving out awards for gardening. Or demerit points. As far as I'm concerned, I am the least qualified to judge anyone else's work. Gardening is hard work, it's a team effort, it's a labour of love. Who am I to judge? So I am not entirely sure where people are getting this judging vibe from me. If they talk to my mum they may get a different story. Yesterday morning I was told I didn't open the curtains wide enough, this is mum's way of saying 'Good morning'.
Puzzled about this, I decided to dismiss it (what do I know anyway?) and concentrate on my garden. I've potted up two eggplants so now I have three. Some cherry tomatoes are now in. They are dosed with a good helping of worm wee. My gardenias leaves are turning a bit yellow so I've going to dose them with a bit of epsom salts for magnesium deficiency. My lemon tree also needs attention. I may need to move it come winter as it's getting crowded out. I have tonnes of spider plant babies that need potting up.
Church garden also had a tidy up, deadheading and weed. Les and I filled up the compost bin so I'm thinking that we might need another. We planted some pink ginger lilies that Pat donated and cleared the cherry trees sprouting up near the kowhai. Sad to say that project was a bit stalled when the elders decided I couldn't spend any more money. We really need another compost bin, and then I get it from our funders Ecomatters that I spent too much on plants and mulch and not enough on raised beds and rainwater diverters. Arrgh. Its hard to please everyone, especially when, maurauding lawn mowers run over your plants.
Sometimes I wonder if I should even start anything at all and go back to doing nothing like I used to, since so many people just don't like me doing stuff. Eh Mum. Mum doesn't care she just wants me to earn a million dollars, give it all to her, and then she will be happy. Something is wrong with this picture but I have long given up trying to figure it all out. I'm supposing all mums do this, as a way of keeping their poppies short. 'If its not perfect, you might as well not do it at all' was what my old boss used to tell me, but the problem was, he expected me to do everything while he just sat around barking orders at me so I told him 'You are like my mum' and he said 'I would like to meet your mum' but I have so far succeeded in keeping them at some distance from each other. Ah the generation gap.
I confided this problem to a Chinese gardener I met at the Gardens 4 Health meeting. But she said she couldn't talk to my mum either about her control issues as her dialect is different and so my hopes were dashed. Perhaps this will be a serious topic of discussion on my gardening radio show and I can talk to some gardening gurus who also specialise in psychiatry. Mothers who don't want their daughters to grow (up).
