Windows

Instead of writing my blog last Friday I  left off writing it till it was officially spring. I’m telling myself that just to be kind to myself because actually I didn’t get round to it a week ago and am struggling this week too. That aside what I wanted to talk about today was windows, windows of opportunity. The window we have before us we need to throw open wide, be bold and go out through (perhaps we should call it a door) because before we know it we will need to close it again. That window is the wonderful weather we call spring. It is warm enough to want to be outside but not too warm to want to be inside. It is cool enough to work hard in the garden but not too cool to want to sit by the fire and vegetate.

Markets are about to start again in earnest and the best thing about that is that I get to look at all the plant offerings out there and hopefully buy new plants for my ever enlarging garden. I am like a kid in a lolly shop when it comes to plants. We had two markets the weekend before last and the plants were flying out the door to their forever homes. Last week we had notice from the Australian Native Plant Society that shortly we will be asked to put in our plant nominations for the ANPS spring plant sale at the botanic gardens on Saturday 19th October. 
(https://parksaustralia.gov.au/botanic-gardens/do/whats-on/native-plant-sale-presented-by-the-australian-native-plant-society/) Coming up this weekend is the first local growers market for spring 2019 at Cool Country Natives in Pialligo and we will be there. 
(https://www.coolcountrynatives.com.au/) 

At IDP Nursery we are also involved with the Weed swap program  in Canberra in spring.  (https://www.environment.act.gov.au/parks-conservation/plants-and-animals/Biosecurity/invasive-plants) This is a program supported by the ACT Parks and Conservation Service in conjunction with the Australian Native Plants Society. Canberrans can bring in the invasive plants they have dug out of their gardens and swap them for free Australian native plants supplied by us and other local growers of native plants.
 
With the spring come big changes for me personally. I am cutting back all bar one of my gardening jobs to focus more time at the nursery. I have been gardening for a number of clients in both Canberra and Murrumbateman for a number of years now. Just as we started to experience the early spring weather I realised that this year I did not feel I could continue on gardening like a young person any more. I am looking forward to more time in my own garden (already getting the neglected vege garden into shape) and more time up at the nursery (much lighter work than gardening for other people). Iris is looking forward to me being up at the nursery more often too as she has less energy for the rigours of the work involved as production continues to increase and more people are beginning to realise that our natives are so very reliable.
 
May you have a happy and productive spring season  in the garden. Iris and I hope to catch up with many of you in the coming weeks at one or other of the market events we are involved with.