Winter approaching on schedule…

May 1st today and someone must have reminded the boss, as the wet but warm autumn has turned into approaching winter temperatures overnight. Winter woollies out of the cupboard and I think a hottie will be required tonight.

The last of the summer veg will no doubt pack it in , and hopefully the roses will slow down their crazed growing spurts and harden off their wood so I can make some cuttings and start the eternal winter moves.

You’d think in such a new garden things would all be in their rightful places, but alas, this never seems the case.

Many have outgrown expectations and their allotted spaces, a few are not thriving in their’s and have put their hands up for a change of scene.

a formerly “dead” place in the garden becomes a whole lot happier after a quick chainsaw job

A garden is such a living entity and thus constantly changing. Also we’ve caused some pretty major change in the centre of the garden by chopping down a tree that was growing way too fast for comfort and was threatening to take over too much rose space. The property here is graced by a myriad of lovely mature trees, both native and exotic, they make a lovely backdrop for the gardens and roses, but really don’t need to be in your face frontdrops too!

new veg garden

So all in all a busy time in the garden. With the removal of the tree in the middle of the garden, a whole new vista has appeared and with it the decision to move the veg garden to the end of the property where the glasshouse and nursery are.

A well kept veg garden is a thing of extreme beauty in my eyes, but sadly mine are never well kept, just a shambles, and therefore more an eyesore. My gardening priorities don’t have room for tidy veg, so therefore they are kicked south and their space is becoming the Hybrid Musk garden.

The Hybrid Musks are certainly one of my favourite families. Probably , if we don’t count the Austins, my favourite.

They are such unassuming  girls, whilst staying healthy, growing vigorously and filling the air with their special perfume. I picked a vase of these blooms last week, and they filled the house with their sweetness for 6 days before they became tatty and dropped petals.

It’s hard to choose a favourite, my favourite tends to change most days to whoever catches my eye or my nose ! I have to say they have mostly become a little thuggish down here in the virgin soil in the Waikato, which is one of the reasons I’m putting them together in one garden to fight it out among themselves!

Cornelia is the first to have moved. She was a mere cutting in a pot last year, but was taking over a whole corner of “The Hunk” this summer, as well as arching over the fence and making faces at the delicate hybrid teas on the other side. But what a picture she made. She is in a place of honour in the new Hybrid Musk garden. Her sisters will stick up for themselves better I hope.

It’s a bit of a shame moving them now as their autumn glory is in full “on mode”, but needs must I’m afraid. So joining Cornelia will be Danae, Felicia, Kathleen, Francesca, Moonlight, Buff Beauty, Penelope, Thisbe, Autumn Delight, Ausonius and Ballerina. Hopefully we’ll have room in there for their original parent plant, Trier. Most of these beauties will hopefully be available next summer, as there’ll be plenty of cutting wood available when I prune them back to move.

danae
cornelia
cornelia
Buff Beauty
buff beauty

This will set the Teas in the Hunk free to grow unhindered and hopefully leave some space for some of the dozen or so roses I have accidentally ordered, which will be arriving at the end of the month. Whoops! How did that happen?