Forget-me-not?

Not a chance - not when the seeds cling to everything in sight, like gardening gloves, shoes, socks and other clothing.

The handyman has been at work and made this snazzy screen to partially separate the courtyard from the garden. It's all concreted into the ground, and it's very heavy......just in case you thought it would look good in your garden.......lol.

I think two potted bamboo plants would look rather good on this side of the screen.

It's hard to get a pure white geranium, so I'm very happy with these. I must propagate some more.

Some colour on the balustrade.

I'm not sure of its name but the silver grey leaves are always attractive, and the pretty pink flowers make it a real winner. Easily propagated too.

One of the lavenders that escaped the purge a couple of months ago.

I love coriander in my food, but I think I like it even better when in flower as it is here. The leaves and flowers are so fine and lacy.

'Curry' plant. Has anyone actually used it in cooking?

Geraldton Wax.

The icebergs are just browning off, not melting.

Callistemon.

Even convolvulus deserves to be photographed now and again.

Acanthus enjoying the shade.

The almost black leafed Aeonium zwartkopf makes a striking contrast to the various greens. Another plant which is easy to propagate.

The carpet rose will soon be a mass of flowers too.

In the Pink

If you look at Jane's blog you will see photos of her beautiful white Epiphyllum cactus.

That reminded me that ours flowered for the first time this week so I thought I'd share it with you too.

It's amazing that such a lovely flower can emerge from some pretty ordinary-looking thick strappy leaves.

The Truth Will Out......

Laura, who creates the most delicious-looking gastronomic delights, which I can only drool over but not replicate, has issued me with a challenge of posting 10 Truths About Myself.


Rules of this award:

Post 10 truths about oneself:

Pass the award to 10 others (with their links):

Include the link of the person who honored you with the award :
My Ten (Random) Truths!

(not necessarily in order of importance)

1. I hate olives, blue-vein cheeses, and most Champagne......that pretty well does away with inviting me for drinks and nibblies, doesn't it?

2. I would love to have a really large garden......yet I find this one of 1440sq metres too large to maintain with ease now, especially during drought.

3. I grew up on a dairy farm and by and large had a happy childhood in a big family, and am thankful for the parents and siblings I was blessed with.

4. I live in Australia's Capital City, but often think I would like to move somewhere else. However the thought of packing/selling everything means I shall probably stay here.

5. I sometimes wish some things I could do better, do more often, or had never done at all, but realise the futility of wishing for what I can't change. I shall just have to do things differently from tomorrow......if I remember....lol.

6. I love interracting with my blog and internet friends and would really like to visit and meet every one of them, whether they be in Australia or overseas.

7. I love watching the ocean when it is very rough (but don't want to be on it), clouds/sunrises/sunsets, trees, flowers and winding pathways, the worms and other 'animal life' at work in the compost heap, and especially love watching my grandchildren's fascination with plants, animals, insects, etc.......even when they bring them into the house!

8. I am so proud of my four children, what they have done with their lives, and the wonderful adults they have all become.

9. I would like to finish our garden, make up all the fabric in my sewing room, learn how to shop for clothes (my sisters will be laughing hysterically at these three tasks), and cook because I want to, not because I have to.

10. I would like to be more computer-literate, but more than that, I would like a computer that is FAST!!!

Now this should be fun....who can I torment with this challenge?

1. The first one was obvious - Kerri, from Colors of the Garden, who takes such wonderful photos of her beautiful garden in Upstate New York, and has become a very dear friend.

2. Annie, from annie-flowergarden, whose love of life is so inspiring and I'd like to know her better.

3. Rachel, from lawntea.blogspot, who draws people to life with her imaginative writing.

4. Annette, from coolabahcapers.blogspot, who is travelling Australia and I want to hear more about it. Come on, little Sister!

5. Susan, from susaninstitches.blogspot, who writes me the briefest of emails and I want to see if she can write more....lol.

6. Noella, from australiannightowl.blogspot, who wants to take a break from Internet Scrabble ...... you do, don't you, Noella?

7. Jane, from five-minutes-of-fame.blogspot, who kindly allowed me to come and stay with her for two nights, sight unseen, and then spent two weeks in hospital recovering.......I'm a dangerous guest.....lol.

8. Chloe, from chloesgarden.blogspot, who was my very first blog contact and helped me get started. Perhaps this challenge will entice her back into blogging regularly as her gardening posts were always 'down to earth'.

9. Michelle, from shellsandbeans.blogspot, who suggested to her mother (me) that she start a blog as she might meet someone with similar interests. What an understatement that turned out to be!!! Thanks, Shelle.

10. Tanya, from purplegiraffes.wordpress, whom I gather needs to update her 100 things, so perhaps we could start with just TEN. I'm waiting, Tanya........see if you can beat Shelle....lol.

Thanks, Laura ........ this post took me forever to do!!!......lol

Too Much Sunshine......

...... means too much shade.

Too much bright light, and too much shade to take good outdoor photos, means that flowers don't show up to their best effect. However, waiting for optimum conditions sometimes means I miss the flowers altogether.

Iceberg roses are budding prolifically and should produce a wonderful display.

Another Cotinus (Smoke Bush). Perhaps Jane will like this one better?...lol.

Anyone need some Alyssum or African Daisy seedlings? The result of piling plants in a heap waiting to be mulched.

Japanese Maple, Silver Birch, Calendula and Californian Poppies.

Poppies in the shade of a Sycamore Maple.

Mauve and white Lilac.

Claret Ash, yellow Broom, African Daisies.

Self-sown Sweet Peas.

Smoke Bush, Crab Apple.

Eriginon (Seaside Daisies).

African Daisies.

Overgrown Silverbeet vying for space with the Alyssum.

Lavender, Centranthus and Bronze Fennel.

Centranthus, daisies and Ceanothus.

Gazanias.

Silver Curry Plant. The leaves actually taste like curry and can be used in cooking.

Ceanothus.

Crab Apple.

Only a few months ago this daisy was a cluster of thick, stumpy branches without a leaf on them.

Columbines in the shade of the cherry tree.

Yesterday's Garden

Yesterday was the sunniest day we've had for a while, so I managed a couple of photos while the sun was out and there was a lull in the wind. Ever notice that just when you want to photograph a plant, the wind begins to blow and the plant waves about madly?

Now, if only I could find a space for all the plants we bought in the last week or so!!!

You are invited ....

.... to come on a photographic journey with me through Victoria and New South Wales.

The 600km trip home on Tuesday provided plenty of opportunities to snap roads, GREEN paddocks (fields) and ever-changing clouds, albeit through the windows of a moving car. Believe it or not, this is the order in which the photos were taken so you can see that the cloud scenes varied all along the way. Sometimes it was a case of 'be quick before the windscreen wipers pass again'. If only the countryside would stay this green!!!

I took about another sixty photos on the trip......aren't you glad I didn't post them all?......lol.

Around the garden ....

..... between the showers.

25mm (1 inch) of rain while we were away and the garden is just loving it. Very cold wind at the moment is stopping us from getting out and planting all the plants we bought, but hopefully we can sneak a few into the ground in the next few days. Meanwhile, we're loving the rain too, even though the lawns now need harvesting rather than mowing.

Pink Dogwood (Cornus)

White Dogwood - fairly insignificant flowers, lovely leaves and stunning red branches.

Yellow Broom and Red Valerian or Centranthus.

Pink Valerian and Yellow Daisy (?)

Silver Lace Bush, Purple Hops and White Osteospermum.

A bit of everything including Californian Poppies and Bronze Fennel.

Smoke Bush (Cotinus) - Grace.

Rhododendron

Lavatera

White Lilac.

Purple and white Lilac.

Single pink Marguerites.

The lettuce are thriving and the pansies are blooming.

Contemplative gardener.

Broad beans and spring onions that have been growing continuously for about 15 years.

Apple blossom.

Food for the Future

We've been busy this week! Lovely Spring weather - sunny days, occasional rain, and life seems to be bursting from every branch and the warming soil.

Gradually growing in size over recent months has been this large heap of discarded plants and tree prunings, and the occasional nasty surprise like rose branches full of thorns and ornamental grasses (Miscanthus), which is impossible to shred without bringing the mulcher to an abrupt standstill.

So, on Tuesday morning this was the heap......

...... and five hours later

this was the result.....except for what was embedded in my hair and down my shirt!

In two or three months it will resemble what Kerri calls 'black gold' and help produce more

Lettuces...

Broad Beans,

Tomatoes (in black pots for protection and to direct water to the roots), Spring onions and rampant Parsley

and even more onions. Irises by the fence seem to be thriving without any 'black gold'.

Plus the carrots, parsnips, French beans, peas, potatoes, beetroot, strawberries, spinach and silverbeet that are also coming through.

So after all that activity, we're heading back to Victoria tomorrow with friends to spend a week exploring those beautiful old towns, delightful gardens and magnificent scenery.

Oh, it's a hard life....but we're ready for the challenge.....lol.

I hope you all have a great week, too.

Springtime......

..... a time for flowers.

Although I've pulled a great many plants out of the garden in the last few weeks, a little colour is gradually returning.

This was today's offering.

White Azalea - almost smothered by violets....their days are numbered, too!

Yellow Osteospermum (African Daisy)

Pink Correa, Bronze Fennel and Euphorbia.

Gazanias.

Cercis Forest Pansy in front of Pittosporum

This Californian Poppy provides such a bright splash of colour on this heap of soil that I thought it deserved to stay there and be photographed.

Pink Marguerites.

Apple Blossom

Freesias, Alyssum and lettuce.

Gazanias, Luecadendron, and Eriostemon (now called Pilotheca)

If I'd not been so lazy I would have removed the hose!

Lavatera, on the right.

Forget-me-nots - love them now, hate them later!

Front garden.

Cherry tree with astonishing amount of blossom.

Despite the Dust.....

.... there was still some colour in the garden this week.

Camelia

Wallflower

My favourite daffodil at the moment.

Tomatoes waiting to be planted out - hopefully when frosts are finished.

Home grown 'nursery'. Most of these trees and shrubs have been propagated by Richard from seed or cutting.

Lamium

Surprise cyclamen - surprise because we didn't know it was hiding in this pot.

Cherry Blossom against a briefly blue sky.

Fresh new leaves on the Claret Ash.

Pinkish flowers and seeds on the Canadian Maple.

Pink Rosemary

Grevillea

Bi-colour perennial wallflower.

Hellebores