craftjuice

open garden schemeing

 
which path to take Dora?

Today Mum, Miss M and I went along to one of Brisbane's amazing Open Gardens as part of the Australian Open Garden Scheme.

The local garden 'Lynwood' belongs to a lovely guy, Hugo, who has planted out about an acre of land, connected by a labyrinth of pathways (some secret!) that wanders down, around and across Mimosa Creek - a little bit of paradise in the heart of our sprawling suburb! It is truly beautiful. And some amazing plants.

Here's Miss M down a little secret path to some amazing orchids...

The Scheme opens amazing private gardens to the public for a weekend and is a great opportunity to visit, talk to the owner, wander about and get lost in all the ideas you have for your own garden, no matter how big or small! Its a great opportunity for amazing local gardeners to share their knowledge and often you will see amazing specemins of plants you can only dream of growing or even a rare plant or two.

So I couldn't help but on the way home drop into Bunnings to pick up some new veges for my little slice of dirt.  I planted out a variety of rocket (my favourite), mixed and Asian lettuces...

...as well as some green and yellow zucchini and corn (just for fun, who knows if it will grow there) for the 'bigger' garden. 

I've also noticed some tiny tomato plants popping up from where I dug in the last lot - yum. My little garden out the back is starting to come along nicely now.  Mum gave me quite a few plants to start getting it looking a lot nicer and my little baskets are currenly full of glorious pink and purple petunia colour - which makes me very happy to look at them!

PS At Bunnings, I also bought a new screwdriver set because I can't find my trusty Phillips Head anywhere...its a great set with...wait for it...detatchable end bits! How very domestic goddess of me.

PPS By the way, if you haven't lately, catch up on What Is James Wearing... I'm addicted.

i did it myself

Finding myself sans man has presented me with some new challenges around the house and an opportunity to develop some new life skills.

You wouldn't think that for someone with my background and experience, opening a bank account would be a hyperventilating experience, but it was. And took me weeks to work up the guts to go and do it. And when I stepped into the bank on that day, I seriously thought I was going to have a seizure when I had to explain my 'new situation' and hand over the crumpled bit of paper I'd been carrying around with what I needed to do there on it (as a conceptual diagram of course, not just words on a page).

Likewise setting up my B-Pay for bills online. From my very own accounts for the first time in nearly ten years. I initially had a physical reaction (lots of sweating, adrenaline and bizarre self-talk) about how I could possibly stand on my own two feet now. With a mortgage, child and all that comes with that. Suddenly I felt very grown up. And not very comfortable with that.  But you know, when I'd worked it out, I was OK. More than OK in fact. And so that's given me confidence in small doses to tackle other things...

...like mowing the lawn. My first lawn ever.

Last week, I decided that my front yard looked like a rental. Overgrown, uncared for and more than a little bit embarrassing. I thought I might get 'a man in' to do it - you know, one of those lawnmower franchise people, to clean it up for me.  But then I thought. Fuck it. I can do this! In fact, I'd love to do this! And spend the $60 I'd save on something more pleasurable!  So on Sunday afternoon, I pulled out the (electric) mower and set about making my lot a little more acceptable. About the time all my cul-de-sac neighbours pulled out their camping chairs and several bottles of wine for a Sunday Session.

And they watched me - struggle with starting the mower (several times), wrapping the electrical cord around my neck/waist/feet/knees like a performer in Cirque du Soliel (but not a very good one) so I didn't run over it and electrocute myself, getting it caught on my house number/letterbox/hedge/rock...well, you get the idea. I added a whole new category to 'street theatre'. I know this, because I received a standing ovation at the end.  Then I clipped eight years of overhanging lawn edge away from the driveway, sprayed the weeds in the concrete, clipped my hedge and tidied up a bit. And it looks much better now, even though there is more (never-ending) work to do.

And I did it all myself. Small steps.

what's in my garden

My new crops are coming along very nicely indeed.

Beetroot...

Carrots...

Potatoes (experiment 2009-002)...

My much used and abused rocket plants are going to seed...

Late season Strawberries are starting to flower...

Tomatoes coming into fruit...

And my sweet peas are climbing, climbing, up up up!

 

Ahhh...lovin' the Spring.

the great potato experiment 2009-001

My friend Gavin and I have been conducting the great potato experiment 2009-001 in my backyard, where we planted a couple of kipflers in some soil in a box, then kept on heaping sugar cane mulch over the top of it as the plant grew up.  We placed a thick black plastic bag around the box and as we added the mulch, we unraveled more of the bag. So essentially at the end of it, there was a big bag of sugar cane mulch.  We had read that this would keep the potatoes nice and clean as they grew.

Neither of us had really any expectation anything would really happen, although we lived in hope of a bumper crop!

So today I decided was harvest day. The top of the plant had died down, so I split the bag and....nothing. The plant had rotted away! So I upturned the box and found these little gems!

Potatoes!  Not many and they are teeny tiny, but kipfler potatoes none the less!

I have already started the great potato experiment 2009-002...stay tuned...

status report: saturday, 8.34am

 

snap peas and dwarf beans


Finishing: Miss M's cold porridge off

Cooking: scrambled eggs and vegemite toast (Miss M "don't want porridge!")

Planning: a little quilt for a new Miss M (Mr B's cousin's new bub!)

Checking out: a pattern Jacqui sent me for Lion Brand Yarn easy easter eggs!

Listening to: Mr B doing some morning lawnmowing and Miss M's hacking cough

Using: a new notebook

Watching: Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends

Wanting: to be going to the French market with Tiff and Marty in Auckland this morning

Have just finished: watering the new vege seedlings in the garden (broccoli, beetroot, snap peas, dwarf beans, cabbage, shallots, capsicum)

Going to: the Embroidery and Quilting shop later...

Needing to: tidy up the house, hang out the washing, get Miss M dressed and made a big 'to do' list

Thinking about: redecorating Miss M's room and placing my order for the new Meet Me At Mikes book!

cabbage, shallots, capsicum, beetroot and broccoli

garden fruits

Behold my capsicum!  Zero on the Scoville Scale.

I love how it curls at the end. Like a goblin shoe.

coming up for fresh air

Today we spent the morning at Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens. Every year we go and celebrate the birthday of the Japanese garden there. Ironically, Japanese gardens are supposed to be very peaceful, contemplative places, however on this special day, of course there are 100+ people there.  But it was still very lovely and we enjoyed seeing tea ceremony and some ikebana displays.

I love ikebana. When I was last in Japan, I bought everything I needed. Even a great pocket book which beautifully and elegantly explained the history, philosophy and instruction of this art form which I read and read and read. Of course, when I returned home, my obsessive fad wore off and I think I attempted it only twice since, but its all ready for me when my need to create microlandscapes or homages to nature kicks back in.

You can see we had a great time this morning. Miss M loves running about. And running and running and running.....away.  So we told her the troll from Dora would jump out at her if she ran away from us (bad parents!) and from then on she wasn't more than a few steps away.  She enjoyed all the garden sculpture, the wild life (except when the water dragon jumped out at her on the walkway!) and the plants, as did we. It's always a lovely morning out.

She was rewarded at the end of our visit with two mini cupcakes with rosewater icing we made yesterday. And she slept in the car all the way home.

tomato harvest

Payday!  Two huge bowls of tomatoes like this from our lovely garden!  We had to share some with a couple of pesky possums, but now they just keep coming and we need to pick them almost every day!

I'm thinking spicy tomato relish...any other suggestions for a bountiful crop?

in mum's garden

This morning Miss M was feeling out of sorts with the snuffles, so we packed up and spent the morning at Mum's, playing in the garden and getting a good dose of sunshine and fresh air (between showery rain!).

I took my camera to practice the macro setting and experiment with some depth of field.  Mum and Dad have a beautiful garden that has evolved over the years and is much loved by all.  There are some gorgeous plants in flower at the moment, so I thought I'd take a few of those plus capture some other little microscapes. 

They turned out rather well actually, but here are some of my very favourites (which I had a hard time reducing down from 98 'favourite' photos!) to share...

Miss M is having an extended snooze, so I'd better get back to my hand quilting...some photos of that soon!

from the garden...

Our garden is really taking off!  Inspired by this book, I've planted three big baskets of flowers - one pink, one purple and one red/orange theme...

My Father In Law was busy again last week and planted 4 types of lettuce, some parsley and capsicum...

Our tomatoes are nearly ready to harvest!  We're so excited!