Karyn's big day

 Karyn and Pierre are getting married today. Covid-19 or not, today is the day! I have been picking flowers to take to the wedding so we can throw it as confetti. I'm not privy to the bridal party and possibly too old to be a flower-girl, but I can't let all those pelargoniums go to waste. She's marrying in church and there will be refreshments afterward.

It's Labour Weekend and I've just had a message from the govt to stay safe. Other than  the wedding, I'm not planning on going anywhere, recovering from school by having peace and quiet time is my thing. I've been reading a book called 'Frensham' a New Zealand country garden, down in Canterbury. The owner, Margaret has produced a book about a year in her garden. I wonder how it is gardening in the South Island, when it's at it's best only for 2-3 months of the year from September to November. They get beautiful autumn foliage, but then it's snow and ice in winter and the garden looks bare. They can't grow tropical plants or succulents. No bananas, feijoas, taro, or pohutuakawas! 

The only thing about reading 'high class' gardening books I find is a bit of garden envy. I can't just plant a row of trees in my 600 metre square section of New Gardenland. No drifts of daffodils or hornbeam hedges. I can't divide the garden into 'rooms' because there's no room for rooms! I have to scale it down to the cracks in the driveway - parsley is growing out of those. 

Speaking of books, sister has sent me a book called 'Kew's Global Kitchen Cookbook' 101 recipes using edible plants from around the world. Mum was of course immediately derisive. "You can't cook, you never do any cooking". She is constantly saying I 'always' or 'never' do anything. Sometimes in the same sentence. 

I have strong suspicion that Kew Garden really wants world domination over all the plants around the globe. It's like some botanical maniacs were obssessively collecting every single specimen, classifying and labelling it, to become the institution that it is, and then trying to stop everyone else from growing their own plants in case they get a bigger collection. I mean what have they done to the cycads in Madagascar, now one botanical collector has it, displayed in their million pound heated glass cabinet house,  everyone else wants one, so that in Madagascar there are hardly any left that people haven't dug up to show off in their Grand Designs home.

Personally I find it's pompousness a bit hypocritical, thinking its should be the world's authority on the entire planet's plant life, saying 9 billion people need to be fed and it's the one to do it, because, supposedly, it's got the monopoly on 'global food markets'. Still acting like the imperial tyrant that it is, naming and shaming plants and trying to grow and breed them to fit in with their economy - it's indirectly responsible for all the plastic covered strawberry fields and tomato hot houses in Almeria Spain. Just because some Brits need a tomato in their Jamie Oliver inspired mediterraenean style salad, out of season because tomatoes won't grow there. Or more strawberries with their Pimms. 

I won't let it spoil things though, the sun is shining and it's a good day to be marrying (for Karyn) and a good day to be free (for me). 

The Secret of Waitakere Gardens

 This season has been an exceptional one for flowers, my cuttings - lavenders, pelargoniums, geraniums have taken off. The oxalis is actually prettily flowering. Ajugas are pushing up their purple bugles. I've got a blue lily like flower that is stunning that I can't identify...photo to come, possibly a native weed, but gorgeous. Pink watsonia has bloomed. Mustard is flowering like mini sunflowers. The nasturtium brings oranges and yellows into the mix with lily pad like leaves. 

Loquats are ripening. The apricot may fruit this year. And my citrus I've repotted have now recovered from their scale outbreak. Was it all the lockdown gardening that made the difference? 

Last week I took a stroll down memory lane and went to visit Raewyn in the Waitakere Gardens. I notice many new developments since I gardened there two years ago, some trees had been removed, and others planted, the roses now have a few companion plants (phacelia?) and there's a row of espalier pears and apples where the climbing roses used to be. There is a lot more colour (and I must admit, a lot more garish than any garden has a right to be) but that's what the oldies wanted. They weren't keen on restful/funereal white flowers and green foliage. 

Dozens of azaleas in pots lay in wait to be planted in the new garden where I recall was a sloping lawn. The spider plants I sneaked in have multiplied. But the iresine I killed didn't come back. That's what got the chop from me. "Oh no I'm not a gardener" says Raewyn who cuts the flowers for koha donations. I don't know what, in her mind, a gardener is. Someone who sows and plants? Does maintaining or pruning not count as gardening? Or picking flowers? Giles said the same thing. 'I don't do any gardening at the community garden' he claims. Then what does he do, just look pretty? "I  just maintain it'. Maybe the very act of planting and sowing makes one a gardener after all.

Perhaps I was being way too radical being a gardener, planting plants where they weren't allowed. People get miffed to see something growing that they hadn't authorised. I guess that's what gets cannabis growers up in arms, wanting it to be legal. But if you make things legal, doesn't it take all the forbidden fun out of it all? Maybe they want to fight for respectablity too, well they could now join the gardening club, and don't have to hide their growing credentials. No more secrets, no more mysteries. 

I watched the Secret Garden movie in the school holidays. Bad idea, because my well loved children's classic book was totally massacred in this movie. There was a dog in it! Mary didn't do any actual gardening whatsoever!  And  Misselwhaite Manor burned down! Talk about a spoiler, THAT wasn't in the book. The garden wasn't even really kept secret. 

I found myself missing the regular Wednesday morning garden group at Waitakere. The oldies, invigorated by fresh air, sunshine, and digging would find themselves less prone to temper tantrums like Colin, and treating people like servants like spoiled, disagreeable Mary. They would miraculously ditch their walkers and habit of wandering aimlessly round indoors in circles, and rib each other while poking fun at how old fashioned they were because they believed in the magic of growing things. 

Now how horrible would it have been if they didn't do any gardening, and just romped around with stray dogs and then let Waitakere Gardens fall into disrepair and potential fire hazard like in the movie. 

 

Do's and Don'ts of gardening

 

Have I gardened long enough to pass on some eternal wisdom in my 7 years or so of gardening? These are some of the gems I've learned. 

Don't ever buy garden ornaments - they look good for the first year, then quickly rust and decay. Unless you are a fan of the scrapyard look, resist the temptation. 'Rustic' can give you bouts of tetanus.

Don't tell people who are not gardeners you like gardening. They will just burden you with job offers and hint or bribe you to do their garden for them. And by 'doing their garden' they actually mean weed and dig plants out so there's nothing there.

Don't enter garden shows. If you more want stress and drama in your life, by all means do so, but the rest of us want to enjoy our gardens without the pressure.

Don't take cuttings without asking owners first. I have heard this terrible garden faux pas of people visiting other gardens and thinking it's a free for all. Coveting what isn't yours is not cool. If an apple falls on your head, then sure, but the tree isn't going to break it's branch for you.

Don't garden for money. It ruins the experience, and turns it into farming.

Do plant what you like. You are going to live with it, so, you must like it. Thankfully, I like most plants.

Do plant in the right place. Every plant has a certain place they like --that's why they have roots, not legs. 

Do pick flowers regularly. They will produce more and that way you don't have to 'deadhead'.

Do compost and mulch.

Don't dig too deep, unless you want to unearth some skeletons. Build up the soil instead.

Don't use chemicals. If you are into spraying you are better off being a graffiti artist. 

Do plant and sow after the new moon.

Do cultivate  and weed, prune and harvest on the waning moon.

Do plant as many different kinds of plants as you can. For biodiversity. 

Do join a garden club. One word...RAFFLES.