Today was spent lazing about. Nothing like a lazy day. A friend has had a post-Christmas shock and so we are pretty twitchy waiting for the phone to ring in case she needs our support. Unable to get into any major projects, we are doing the little annual jobs that can be attended to when Mr BB has his annual Time Off. In the meantime, the garden has been thoroughly enjoying recent rains:
We have no partridges in our pear tree, but if the grey-water can be diverted this way, we may have a good crop! (Our washing detergent is grey-water-friendly).
We have a very over-grown part of the garden that needs serious pruning and hacking into. As renters, we are unable to pull out the cotoneaster, privet, and other weedy yucko plants, but I can dream... Oh to be Edward Scissorhands in this garden!
However the garden is not all bad. All around the entertaining area at the rear of the house, the bricks are full of little holes. The owners were clearly clever little possums though, and have filled the holes creatively. Whenever I see bricks with holes I remember past experiences with arachnids of the red-back kind (no pics, too scary, if you don't know to what I refer, look
here).
Near the sandpit, small pieces of mosaic tile are concreted into the holes, thus:
And around the ledges, they have planted little succulents:
All great ways to disguise some potentially ugly bits. The best bit is that it creates little secret gardens for the children. These little details are seen by the kids (at eye-height and small-scale). Little nooks and crannies for fairies and critters to dwell.
As kids, my brother and I used old spoons to dig tunnels and trenches in the soil of the garden for the Star Wars figurines to hide . I used to visit a moss-covered rock in the local timber-yard's carpark to check for fairies. Miss 2 and Master 6 like to follow ants and ladybugs. Master 6 has even named a few insects that frequent the garden, and I am thrilled that they take the time to do this. There's so much to discover. Why don't you get down on your hands and knees in the garden. No-one' looking, go on! What do you see?
j
Breakfast. Best meal of the day. Peaches from a local tree poached in cinnamon and vanilla bean, peeled and stoned, with home-made Greek yoghurt and sprinked with nuts. Delicious.
I find my parents' garden a beautiful and relaxing place. They have lived in the same house in Melbourne for nearly 40 years, and I remember many changes in that time. Essentially it remains the garden in which I grew up. Dad's artistic handiwork is visible in the brick paving, and the walkways and arches.
Another arch Dad built supports their 'upside down' tomatoes. The buckets have holes in the bottom, through which the tomatoes are planted. The compost and other goodies go in the top of the bucket. The tomatoes grow with gravity and thus do not need any supports and stakes. They are strong and happy and easy to pick!
Mum and Dad's garage smells divine at the moment - the perfect place to dry the armfulls of lavender Mum has cut. I had to take photos - what a great place to dry the bunches! Lavender bags a-plenty!
It's always good to come home and see that little has changed. It's so very comforting.
We have a very over-grown part of the garden that needs serious pruning and hacking into. As renters, we are unable to pull out the cotoneaster, privet, and other weedy yucko plants, but I can dream... Oh to be Edward Scissorhands in this garden!
The first snow peas! Both kids are refusing to eat them, but I am LOVING them straight off the plant. Lots of green tomatoes, some teeny tiny cucumbers, and the promise of a rockmelon/cantaloupe to come! Lettuces almost all eaten (by us, not snails, they seem to dislike sliding on polystyrene boxes). I had forgotten the joy of the veggie patch...!
Banksia rose
Baby Cos lettuces
Little tomato plants
Ageratum struggling from too much watering from Miss 2!
Wisteria
Maybe Sweet William?
Anyone know this?
My fave - buttery coloured daisy
Unusual daisy
Grape Hyacinths
Daffodils
Violets
Camellia
What season is it?!
