Garden

A combination of simply glorious weather and family stress has seen me out in our garden for most of each day lately.  I've even taken to eating on the front verandah so I am still out in the soothing calm.  This is part of the front garden in the early afternoon shade.  The yard is heavily shaded at this time of year turning the grass to weed and moss.

 The garden from the other side (looking back towards where I took the previous photo from).  It's quite a green garden and there are times when I definitely miss riotous colour.  It's soothing though and so large that filling the gardens with flowers for cutting would be unmanageable.  All up we live on a bit under one and a half acres and at least two thirds of it is garden.

I'm adding a bit of colour here and there though in amongst the established plantings.

My irises are beginning to bloom in amongst the parsley. I love higgledy-piggledy type plantings.

I did have an extensive vegetable and herb garden down the back years ago but it became unmanageable once I became ill and then we had two naughty labradors who used it as their personal drive-through food source. Not to mention the possums and bandicoots.  As a result I've moved edible crops to the front garden away from scavenging dogs and I kitchen garden on a much smaller scale. I am limited by sunlight and space but that is ok.  I'm growing kale, underplanted by sweet potato here.

I have zucchini, french beans, tomatoes, snow peas, baby spinach, lettuce, leeks and strawberries planted in foam boxes and planted out in the garden.

My ginger is has died back and I pick it as I need it and allow it to do as it will. The clumps simply continue to grow larger each year.

Throughout the garden bed I have asparagus, the plantings mentioned earlier and my herbs.  I love herbs.  I have rosemary, parsley, thyme, basil, coriander, mint in abundance and continue to spread them throughout the garden via cuttings, divisions or collecting the seeds.

There is a large pentas in the centre of the garden which the butterflies adore.  I hacked it back (technical gardening term there), to about on quarter of its original size this week so I have no beautiful pink blooms to share with the wee creatures.  I did manage to get three more plants from this though and have transplanted them elsewhere.

I'll share some more garden photographs in the future and I PROMISE I'll share some more art too.  Art has been slow going but I do have a few things that you've not seen.

Thanks for popping by.

Sandy xxx

Family day

I'm way behind with blog posts and my camera is bulging at the seams with photographs and things to share.  On Sunday morning, during my nieces sleepover, my brother and his eldest son turned up for a visit.  Oh the joy!  The kids haven't seen each other for awhile and once they realised that they were actually going to SPEND. TIME. TOGETHER.... the excitement hit crazy levels for awhile!!  It was great to see and it was so lovely to have Little Man J here as he's not been here since Easter.

The day was filled with all sorts of exciting things. Playing on the swings and in the orchard.

Spending time in the studio working on some masterpieces.

Once the paintings were finished the kids gravitated to the playroom and the lego.  They played so well together.  They are really good companions and were very sweet with each other.  It was lovely to see.

My brother and Little Man left mid afternoon and we had to pack Miss R up to take her home.  It was such a lovely day that I phoned my sister and invited her to come to the dam with us for a wander.  We took Miss R's things home, loaded her brother and mummy in the car and headed up to the dam.  Those in the back seat had to contend with very excited dogs who warbled all the way.....

 Heading across the causeway towards bush and throwing EVERY rock in on the way...

 Glorious, glorious day.  It's winter here in our neck of the woods and the days are so lovely, clear and blue and around 25 degrees celsius.  Just perfect.

Waiting for the ball to be throw so we can have a swim.  Master M has declared that it is 'cool' to wear his hat backwards as you can see in this image.  Sun safety loses out when you are a cool five year old obviously.

Such a lovely family filled day.  Memories.....

Beautiful day

Today can only be described as glorious.  One of those perfect, clear, warm winter days that bless us each year.  Our life and minds have been very busy of late and today has been a wonderful gift.  My niece Little Miss R is visiting.  Evidently her brother is annoying so I received a call from her straight after school on Friday begging for a sleepover. :)  She is here for two nights and it has been lovely so far.  She's quirky and charming and kind and provides many a giggle.  Last night I was treated to a startling operatic rendition of 'London's Burning' accompanied by music on a guitar with one string missing.

I have spent much of the day in the garden while R immersed herself in a book for hour upon end.  This afternoon we decided to walk down to the creek or the River of Sorrows and Wishes as it is also known as. We take glass beads or a special rock and throw them in while telling the river our sorrow or our wish and the river takes the sorrows away and listens to our wishes.  Sweet.  Sorrows released and wishes made we sauntered back towards home, through the trees, past the scribbley gums, across the road and to the small park.  We love the enormous fig trees.

We crossed rickety bridges in search of shy faeries.

There were none at home....

We found a story of lost love......

and played on the swing in peace.

Before heading home to find this.....I suspect the culprit is the one lurking behind me out of view of the camera. Hmmm.

Then off for another swing and NO PEACE.....

No one is a match for a very determined labrador with a ball.  Sometimes I think she is autistic.  Sweet girl.

Such a lovely day.  Hope yours was too.

Sandy xxx