In A Kiwi Country Garden

My Dear Princess and Dear Fellows,

Caro has organised LOADS of tradespeople lately. Today, it was the garden landscaper. She was really interesting. 

She explained that if we wanted to clear all the brambles and gorse from off our land, it would require heavy machinery. And even then we'd need to build a whole bunch of retaining walls to create a tiered garden down into the gully.

If you think that sounds expensive, then so do we. I think it will happen. Someday. But not in our near future.

So the garden lady just explained to Caro what we actually have in our garden. She told us that actually, it is really good, filled with native shrubs and trees. "It's like someone put a lot of thought into this," she said. "And then forgot all about it."

We've even got a little manuka tree. It's that little stubby tree in our garden. The bad news is that it is infested with bugs and is dying.

So the garden lady explained what she would do for us. She recommended re-shaping our deck, retaining (but improving) the lawn and rearranging our native plants. And replacing the manuka.

Caro also said it would be a garden for cats, so garden lady is planning on putting in a cat garden, filled with catnip and other plants cats like.

I honestly can't wait for all of this to happen. Preferably while I am inside, sipping on a chilled white wine and watching other people struggle with our heavy, stony soil. But Caro is on the case, ordering everything and booking people to do the hard labour. It is very exciting. Today's picture is the plan of what the lady will be putting into our new garden, including a lemon tree and a kowhai tree, which will attract tui birds.

What was ALSO exciting was a completely unexpected call from the Princess! Typically I am ready and waiting for the call but today I forgot it was Monday. Actually, lately I'm having a hard time even remembering what month it is. But the Princess reminded me. Quite forcefully.

S.