Sunday Gardening

For me Sunday gardening is mostly pottering about. I don't like to do too much 'work' even if it is restful work. This morning I have been watering and spreading some mulch now that the hotter weather has started. I may be going away to Wellington at the end of the week so a fresh layer of mulch will take care of the plants a little while I'm away. I also lifted a couple of kilograms of potatoes, the last of the Cranberry Reds and some Sapphire potatoes. The rice 'paddy' is growing well. I have pretty much left the watering of the tub to nature. We have had enough rain for there to be considerable water stored in the soil in the tub and I haven't had the need to flood the 'paddy' which apparently is mostly for weed control anyway.

I also enjoyed the shady parts of the vegetable garden this morning. By afternoon they are in full sun so it is always best to get the jobs done early. I love sunflowers because they just seem so happy. The bees like them too.

My dahlias are really starting to put on a show. It started with just one plant but now quite a few different varieties are opening up. I never used to be a fan of the dahlia, I thought they were a bit too old-fashioned but I have come to enjoy them so much that I'm always on the lookout for a typw that I don't have.

This one is called "My Love". It is a little plain for my tastes but the spiders and insects don't mind it. Last year I started growing the majority of my dahlias in the vegetable garden. I spend quite a bit of time there and I get to enjoy their company more regularly so they are back again this year.

Not everything is pretty or productive in my vegetable patch. I have one bed which is quite overgrown with grass and weeds. I'm just finding it hard to get started in this bed. Maybe this evening or early tomorrow morning before I start cooking Tim's birthday feast. It would be nice to have an extra bed to plant out into.

This afternoon however it is too hot to do much more than listen to the cricket and maybe a little sewing.

Tracy