No it's not the Grease song but just referring to Summer's optimum gardening time is in the evening till twilight when it's cooler. That's when I get everything done that I need to, because besides early morning every other time is siesta/nap time.
Margaret has offered me her big silver fern that was growing beside her house blocking the path. We managed to dig it out, or rather, I pulled it loose, it was growing on weedmat and pebbles, so it should be pretty hardy where I've relocated it. Which is now beside my house, in between my small gardenia and fuchsia, giving shade to both. At first I was going to put it down the back of the garden, but then, as inspiration strikes and the plant kind of tells me where it likes to be planted and this one seemed the right size to fit in a previously dug patch of ground that Martha had excavated. Hooray. Dad praised this specimen looking much better than a few of my other ferns that seemed to have shrivelled up because they no longer like where I'd planted them - the neighbours keep removing their trees so I have to keep moving my plants! I did this with two hydrangeas put them in the corner box bed with the apricot, since they were now facing the full onslaught of the sun with the lack of shade. Those hydrangeas must be tired of moving as I've shifted them about four times.
That left an empty patch of no-man's land in Sock's bed so I emptied the compost bin's content and relocated a struggling kowhai that was being swamped by my applemint. Hopefully it will survive I don't think that bed has seen much compost at all since being over run with bulbs and spider plants, that keep multiplying. I'm still thinking of shifting my lemon tree at some stage to catch more sun but that move may need to wait until winter.
I am hoping to catch the last of the Heroic Gardens this year coming year 16-17 February. This time many are near Freeman's Bay and out East Auckland. They say it's the last festival under the Heroic Gardens banner because the founder is sadly terminally ill and can't continue any longer. I'm sure that it will keep going under a different name and maybe for a different charity as surely there's enough gardens in Auckland to go round! Wouldn't it be good if there was a Feijoa Festival or a Permaculture Community Gardens Fest for next year? I always remember my former boss pooh-pooing Permaculture saying they were messy gardeners but I think he just liked to nitpick. Needless to say with that attitude I pretty soon decided I'd had enough of his artifice. Let's be real, if you going to garden, you going to get dirty, and in Auckland, muddy. Thats why some people are paying you to garden Mister.
Heidi my permaculture classmate invited me to Point Chevalier's Community Garden, it's on a spare bowling green at the bowling club. Karyn and Maximus joined us and I must say am very impressed what they've achieved in only three years. They'd mulched the entire area and had bountiful grapevines and bananas, and everything seemed green and lush, with nothing to mow! We were scouting for potential radio presenters and some seemed keen so hopefully we are going to be on air by the end of the month. Stay tuned.
