Well Pierre de Ronsard finally got around to opening that bud and fortunately it was worth waiting for!
The buds are noticeably bigger than the last flush too. Noice.
Friday 16 September 2011
Thursday 8 September 2011
I'm so tired.
It is hard to keep awake in the evenings atm. It is only 4:40pm. Yesterday I couldn't even manage to stay awake until the kids' bedtime. Whoops. Glad they went to bed by themselves while I was snoring on the couch!
I have had a lovely morning with a friend from church. She is a bit older than me but that's ok we had no trouble wagging our chins for a few hours. We also went out and she shouted me lunch. AND she bought me a bowl full of beautiful pink camellias which she collected at her mum's house on the way. LOVE THEM!!! I would love to take a pic of them but am just too tired to chase up the camera batteries. They are always climbing right out of the camera and into the Wii remotes. Then when I retrieve them they always go flat straight after I begin to use the camera. The joys. I really need to buy another set but them things cost money! D'oh.
It is hard to keep awake in the evenings atm. It is only 4:40pm. Yesterday I couldn't even manage to stay awake until the kids' bedtime. Whoops. Glad they went to bed by themselves while I was snoring on the couch!
I have had a lovely morning with a friend from church. She is a bit older than me but that's ok we had no trouble wagging our chins for a few hours. We also went out and she shouted me lunch. AND she bought me a bowl full of beautiful pink camellias which she collected at her mum's house on the way. LOVE THEM!!! I would love to take a pic of them but am just too tired to chase up the camera batteries. They are always climbing right out of the camera and into the Wii remotes. Then when I retrieve them they always go flat straight after I begin to use the camera. The joys. I really need to buy another set but them things cost money! D'oh.
Friday 2 September 2011
Feeling blue.
These are the beautiful blue pansies that are planted in rows in the front beds. They have been flowering their little hearts out and I am totally in love. I always said I didn't like pansies but now I have to eat my words, what awesome little bloomers. The second picture is of the dodgy interlopers that somehow got mixed in with the delta premium beaconsfield variety that I planted. But as they are the same blue and blend almost perfectly I let them stay. They are very cute too.
The muscari I bulbs I put into planters are finally coming up. They are a very pretty shade of blue that my camera has not captured very well. They are a deeper and purpler blue than this. And for good measure, a pic of the blue marguerite which is doing nicely near the letter box.
Thursday 1 September 2011
First rosebud opening for Spring 2011
First rosebud opening for Spring 2011, a photo by miss nomer on Flickr.
I am a bit excited to see the roses starting!! This is Pierre de Ronsard who is one of the few lucky roses to have actually made it into the ground so far. Most are waiting in pots. You can also see the new little path G and his brother made out the back to edge a little garden bed and make a dry path to where the bins will eventually be against the fence. Excuse the dog bed and the bucket!
Spring has sprung and I'm feeling a bit better.
Well I've been a bit crook for the past month. I've struggled with a condition called Still's Disease since I was a kid. I always have a bit of arthritis because of the joint damage resulting from this but sometimes, not often, I will have a major flare. This one is only the fourth one in my life but when they hit they are big. The last one was 4 years ago and I ended up in hospital delirious with fevers and red skin from head to toe. It was a frustrating time as I'd known I was getting very ill when my arthritis got very bad so that I could hardly walk and I saw the first sign the feint non-scary looking Still's rash. The problem was I couldn't get my doctor or my husband to take it seriously. The doctor came to visit me at home because I couldn't make it down the road to his surgery and he assured me it was just a virus and to wait and see. I was fuming as I told him it was the Still's rash but he didn't listen. My dear husband also seems to shut down and deny the severity of these times by ignoring it as much as he can. But I have learned not to hold it against him, this time, *much*. I guess he is not much good at coping with crisis. And crisis is how Still's presents.
Anyway, this time I let it not go as far. After 3 weeks of severe arthritis I called my parents for help once I could no longer get around the house, it was a while after the rash made an appearance but BEFORE the fevers took hold. They have seen me struggle with this enough to become urgent and they came over that day and took me to hospital. I did not end up staying in hospital because I cannot stand to but I did see a fantastic doctor who has begun a treatment plan with me and I am feeling a lot better.
After 3 weeks of practically being bed-ridden and housebound it is hard not to over-do it as soon as I can walk a bit! Today is the first day of Spring!! It is a beautiful sunshiney day and my garden has been neglected for long enough. I am not quite well enough to do what I want to do which is plant things in the ground but at least I can attend to this and that and give them a little feed and water. I did manage to plant my poor camellias which have been languishing in the their tiny tubes for far too long. And I can walk around the yard and LOOK. There are tiny flowers popping up here and there and our new tree is blossoming magnificently. It is a Cercis Chinensis 'Avondale' aka as a Chinese Redbud. I have never seen one in real life before, I found it online on an ornamental tree site as a recommended small tree that is not well known in Australia. I was nervous about transplanting it because it says they are fussy but it looks happy enough now.
I have bought a couple of new plants in the last few of days since I felt better. I can only walk a very little so far so I thought the nursery a good place to visit for fun and a little exercise now that there is some new Spring stock in. I got some more nemesia because the other blue ones I bought are doing so beautifully. I got a pink one as well. And I finally got a spoon osteospermum (daisy) that I have been eying off for a while.
Anyway, this time I let it not go as far. After 3 weeks of severe arthritis I called my parents for help once I could no longer get around the house, it was a while after the rash made an appearance but BEFORE the fevers took hold. They have seen me struggle with this enough to become urgent and they came over that day and took me to hospital. I did not end up staying in hospital because I cannot stand to but I did see a fantastic doctor who has begun a treatment plan with me and I am feeling a lot better.
After 3 weeks of practically being bed-ridden and housebound it is hard not to over-do it as soon as I can walk a bit! Today is the first day of Spring!! It is a beautiful sunshiney day and my garden has been neglected for long enough. I am not quite well enough to do what I want to do which is plant things in the ground but at least I can attend to this and that and give them a little feed and water. I did manage to plant my poor camellias which have been languishing in the their tiny tubes for far too long. And I can walk around the yard and LOOK. There are tiny flowers popping up here and there and our new tree is blossoming magnificently. It is a Cercis Chinensis 'Avondale' aka as a Chinese Redbud. I have never seen one in real life before, I found it online on an ornamental tree site as a recommended small tree that is not well known in Australia. I was nervous about transplanting it because it says they are fussy but it looks happy enough now.
I have bought a couple of new plants in the last few of days since I felt better. I can only walk a very little so far so I thought the nursery a good place to visit for fun and a little exercise now that there is some new Spring stock in. I got some more nemesia because the other blue ones I bought are doing so beautifully. I got a pink one as well. And I finally got a spoon osteospermum (daisy) that I have been eying off for a while.
Monday 1 August 2011
I was recently gifted a lovely tall pot that needed an orchid to fill it. I was imagining a white moth orchid and there were plenty of white ones to be had but amongst them this lonely pinky-purpley thing. I had to choose it! The colour stands out much better against our white walls. It sits right by the computer chair to remind me to tend to it. I've never had an orchid before. I've heard they are finicky things but we'll see how we go.Everything was doing well in our little garden this Winter. Sadly my 3 Australian sword ferns did not survive the last frost (it was -3C... even the taps froze!!) they are all brown and crunchy. And the kalanchoe is all brown and slimy.. eeew. The alstromeria looks rather unhappy and frizzled but I have hope for it yet. The duranta geisha girl dropped all it's leaves in a huff but it might be ok. I've decided anything that doesn't survive the weather has no place in our garden. I'll just move on to more appropriate beauties. That orchid is somewhat comforting. ;)
Friday 29 July 2011
The past two weeks have been incredibly busy.. it was school holidays! Now they are back at school my eardrums are finally getting a well deserved rest. We spent a lot of time traveling to Adelaide and to Victor Harbor where my beautiful sister lives. She also visited here with my niece and they gave me these beautiful lilies. They were sitting on the kitchen bench and our cat Rory tried to chew them up as soon as I took them down to photograph! She is a scamp who loves messing with my plants..
Thursday 7 July 2011
Cape daisy - copper purple
Well.. at last I've snapped a pic of the copper purple thing! It is looking quite nice today. The colours look more washed out in the sun but I haven't touched them up much in this photo. Not too bad.. but a little purple-er would be nice!
Wednesday 6 July 2011
Loving the new heater!
Wow time gets away from one when one is trying to keep a blog! I thought I'd posted only a few days ago but we've had this heater for 2 weeks now. This is my precious... the Nectre mk2. And right in front of it is where I'm staying today!I like plenty of rain but this getting ridiculous. I had to dig another rose out this morning and put it into a pot. I thought I had built up the bed enough but apparently not! We are going to have to put in quite a lot of drainage. We have a newly built house so our block has been cut out right into the lovely clay soil which acts like a bowl and all the water just sits on it. We have begun ammending the soil with loads of gypsum and we have a bit of top soil but it is going to take a long time to improve. G cannot even get a shovel into the clay we have to use a pickaxe and crowbar. The only comfort was seeing that the rose had actually been growing some nice roots. Above the soil it looks like a miserable single thorny stick while the rest of the roses all have these little pink nodes sprouting out all over assuring me that they are alive and well. I hope it doesn't mind being moved coz it is one of my favourites.. Crown Princess Margareta.
I am on the lookout for geranium 'Rozanne' or similar to plant under the white roses (Summer Memories) out the front. These geraniums are not common in Australian nurseries. We seem to only have pelargoniums which are called geraniums. The nice lady at my favourite nursery said she would try and find some for me if she can. In the meantime we have planted the purple daisies there. There is a quite a bit of space in the front. I do have some 'baby blue eyes' seed which I can try there I suppose. The front looks so much nicer now it has been mulched.
A few more plants recently aquired plants:
Chinese Lanterns - orange & pink, and a dwarf Bella red one.
A few dwarf snapdragons
A couple of pincushion flowers
An osteospermum daisy.. I *think* is yellow.
Convolvulus sabatius
Camellia japonica - Hawaii, Carter's sunburst, C.M. Hovey, & Guilio Nuccio
Mexican orange blossom
And a bunch more purple pansies & some black ones which are very cool.
I keep picking up plants with my spending money instead of going out for coffee and lunches. I think that's fair enough don't you? I'd rather have plants and toast and tea than fancy lunches.
Monday 20 June 2011
Winter has arrived.
I haven't pulled the camera out for a while. The rose blooms were finished and there wasn't much else to look at. It has been rainy and the mornings are frrrrosty and being the wimp that I am I haven't been outside much. The paths are not made around the yard and the paving isn't done so it is still pretty muddy.
Some of the pansies out the front are flowering well but half of them died for no apparent reason which makes me saaaaaaad. There are a few blooms on my copper purple daisy but they are mostly copper and not much purple at all. I was hoping for a more spectacular two tone effect. I would have photographed them today but it is way too windy! The purple daisies are budding but none have opened yet.
He has also cut and stacked a pile of wood for our soon-to-be-installed combustion heater. I am counting down the days to warm-town baby, yeah! 3 more days!! We are very blessed to get this heater at such short notice as they were sold out up here and on back order for a 5 week wait. My very kind father helped me ring around Adelaide where wood heating is in less demand and we managed to snare a floor model that had only just arrived in the store. It is a Nectre mk2 pedastal which can be installed quite a lot closer to the wall than others. This is important to fit where we want it to go in a central position. It is locally manufactured and has a great reputation. And I like the look of it. ;)
The day after my birthday (good timing) my bare root rose order from Treloar Roses arrived. G & I spend a good part of yesterday planting 8 in the front beds and 10 more into pots. We have a site planned for the rose beds in the backyard but are waiting for plumbers to finish digging around fixing things around that particular area. And the other 2 went to my mum; a 'Mother's Love' rose I had ordered for her Mother's Day present, and a 'Redgold' floribunda rose which was one of my free gifts from Treloars. I'm sure it is very nice but it doesn't look like the colouring that will fit in with the rest of my garden so mum was happy to take it off my hands. They also sent a David Austin rose called 'Brother Cadfael' which I am stoked about. I have already planted it in a spot I had reserved for a pink cupped climber. I was going to get Nahema but I'll give this one a go first. The other free rose is simply labelled 'Surprise' Floribunda which seems to be an elusive variety not listed on their website. I thought maybe it was meant to be like *surprise* a random rose bush but then I thought surely they wouldn't do that without giving me a name so I know how to care for it. I think I've found out what it looks like on some gardening forums. It is possibly a yellow/pink thing like a sunset blend. Sounds interesting.
And so I look lovingly at all these little sticks planted in the ground and a long row of pots off the carport and tell them to grow.. grow.. don't die little babies. Tonight I worry they are going to be drowned by the end of Winter. I can't wait for Spring!
Some of the pansies out the front are flowering well but half of them died for no apparent reason which makes me saaaaaaad. There are a few blooms on my copper purple daisy but they are mostly copper and not much purple at all. I was hoping for a more spectacular two tone effect. I would have photographed them today but it is way too windy! The purple daisies are budding but none have opened yet.
The big developments this mon
th are:
th are:G has built the garden shed on top of the concrete in-ground rainwater tank. It matches the colorbond fence. It looks pretty good.
He has also cut and stacked a pile of wood for our soon-to-be-installed combustion heater. I am counting down the days to warm-town baby, yeah! 3 more days!! We are very blessed to get this heater at such short notice as they were sold out up here and on back order for a 5 week wait. My very kind father helped me ring around Adelaide where wood heating is in less demand and we managed to snare a floor model that had only just arrived in the store. It is a Nectre mk2 pedastal which can be installed quite a lot closer to the wall than others. This is important to fit where we want it to go in a central position. It is locally manufactured and has a great reputation. And I like the look of it. ;)
The day after my birthday (good timing) my bare root rose order from Treloar Roses arrived. G & I spend a good part of yesterday planting 8 in the front beds and 10 more into pots. We have a site planned for the rose beds in the backyard but are waiting for plumbers to finish digging around fixing things around that particular area. And the other 2 went to my mum; a 'Mother's Love' rose I had ordered for her Mother's Day present, and a 'Redgold' floribunda rose which was one of my free gifts from Treloars. I'm sure it is very nice but it doesn't look like the colouring that will fit in with the rest of my garden so mum was happy to take it off my hands. They also sent a David Austin rose called 'Brother Cadfael' which I am stoked about. I have already planted it in a spot I had reserved for a pink cupped climber. I was going to get Nahema but I'll give this one a go first. The other free rose is simply labelled 'Surprise' Floribunda which seems to be an elusive variety not listed on their website. I thought maybe it was meant to be like *surprise* a random rose bush but then I thought surely they wouldn't do that without giving me a name so I know how to care for it. I think I've found out what it looks like on some gardening forums. It is possibly a yellow/pink thing like a sunset blend. Sounds interesting.
And so I look lovingly at all these little sticks planted in the ground and a long row of pots off the carport and tell them to grow.. grow.. don't die little babies. Tonight I worry they are going to be drowned by the end of Winter. I can't wait for Spring!
Monday 9 May 2011
I don't know anything much about camellias but they have wonderful dark green shiny foliage which contrasts amazingly with white flowers. This one I bought months ago was covered in fat buds. A couple of them fell off but the rest are finally starting to open, to my delight. They are tiny little wonders on a small plant.
Thursday 5 May 2011
Pink Heather
I love how this super macro shot of the pink heather (Erica) turned out. Today started of with light showers and now the sun is shining bright. I love this time of year it is crisp and a little bit cold but totally gorgeous. I bet the sun will be in and out of the clouds like yesterday, and my fingers will go a bit numb from the cold - we have no heating.
Last night I did a little bit of crocheting (numb fingers and all). I have learnt from my beautiful SIL how to do a basic stitch but now I need to learn a different one to keep going with the scarf. I really want to learn to do a cute crocheted beanie for Tamsin. She is very interested and excited about what she calls *croshee-ating*. Very cute.
Wednesday 4 May 2011
Wife of Bath
My lovely MIL gave me this rose bush for an Easter/belated housewarming gift. It is stunning!!
Saturday 30 April 2011
Mary Rose
Today I took some photos of my first Austin bloom. She has been beautiful all week so I thought I'd best gets a pic before the downpour started. After a morning of scattered showers she is now looking a little sad and nodding toward the ground but holding up ok.
I didn't plan on getting 'Mary Rose', the disordered and ruffled bloom form and brighter pink colour wasn't my favourite style. But she was less than $8 on sale so how could I resist? I'm glad now as she is magnificent.
Be ye kind to one another, tender-hearted, forigiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. - Ephesians 4:32
Friday 29 April 2011
Upsy Daisy
I just realised I also love daisies. I have blue margeurite, a yellow paper daisy and two kinds of ostespermums so far. I keep looking longingly at pics of the funky looking spoon osteospermums and the English daisies. I have high hopes for the copper purple osteospermum. Mine hasn't bloomed yet, it is looking healthy and has a few buds though. It is a bit of a delicate hybrid. It's in part shade and looks wilty on warm days. I hope the blooms are as beautiful as this!
Thursday 28 April 2011
And she's back.
Right so I was leetle fed up with blogger for a while there. And at our builder. I have no desire to mention any more details about our new house except that we now live in it. It is ok. And I don't want to talk about the joys of building. Are you getting that building sucks?? So let me start afresh and talk about something I AM enjoying... planning my garden!!
As I have never owned a home I have never been very interested in gardening. Everyone said "It will be different when you have your own place." And of course they are right. I never really doubted it. I have looked forward to having a garden of my own for a while now. I used to enjoy the few plants we had at our old places but spending money to improve a place you are renting is frustrating and there is no scope for imagination in that. But NOW... HAHA! I have a whole yard to turn into my kind of Eden. And I'm only limited by the heavy clay, the building litter, the shallow pipes (who knows where they all lie?) and deep shade all along one fence line and the service side of the house except in Summer when it is sizzling in parts of it there, lol.
Well we have started with a retaining wall all the way along the rear of the property. Half of it is overhung with trees so it gets a fair amount of shade during the day. It is a bit of an experiment to see what likes living there.
Currently planted in it and mostly doing well are:
Copper purple osteospermum (daisy)
Walker's Low nepeta
Dusky Bells correa
White Nancy lamium (beautiful)
1 strawberry plant (yep just the one)
Some ugly ground cover thing I have forgotten the name of and want to rip out
Rosemary prostrate
Basil
Pink verbena (was spendid now is half eaten)
Oregano
Lemon Thyme
Purple verbena (flowering well)
Pink dwarf lavender (not flowering but looking ok)
Stevia
And a couple of pea shoots that have sprouted from the pea straw and are growing peas! They have pretty pink flowers.
That sounds like a lot when I list all the plants but it doesn't look that busy IRL. There is still room along the back for more plants or veggies. Veggies were the plan up the other end but I've run out of enthusiasm for them. I only want to grow rhubarb and I don't think it will fit, the retaining wall is only about a foot deep.
We also have some lovely lawn out the back and in the front garden. In the front beds we have planted a row of dwarf box hedge and a row of pansies behind that. Near the letterbox in the front are 2 blue margeurite and a yellow paper daisy. Baby tears are planted down the service side of the house in the deep shade. There is a pink zantedeschia in a shady corner at the front, and some bulbs in planters for the front garden are just started to send up a few teensy shoots.
Waiting to find their place in the garden are:
Hydrangea x2 unknown grown from different cuttings
Azalea - Mrs Kint
Camellia - Fuji No Mine
Flowering quince
Erica - Ruby Shepherd (pictured right)
Purple Osteospermum x4
Coreopsis - Limerock Ruby
Pineapple Sage
Duranta Repens - Geisha Girl
And a few little succulents and various other thingies.
And then there are the roses... I have ordered a selection to trial (all bush roses and all David Austins unless otherwise specified):
White/Near Whites
Summer Memories x6 (Kordes floribunda)
Yellow
Charlotte
Apricots
Ambridge Rose
Crown Princess Margareta
Jude the Obscure
Pinks
Charles Rennie Mackintosh
Jubilee Celebration
Mary Rose (already purchased from the bargain bin)
Pretty Jessica
The Alnwick Rose
St Cecilia
Wife of Bath (already have as a gift from MIL)
Red
Benjamin Britten
Ok so I may have gone a little overboard and ordered too many but ever since Big Daddy gave me the beautiful pink climbing Pierre de Ronsard
I have discovered I love roses. My parents have always grown hybrid teas and I was never really interested in them. I have discovered more out there in the rose world. My favourite are the big old fashioned romantic cupped shaped blooms. I'm not fussed about the scent as much as visual appeal (and all *true* rose enthusiasts shake their heads and roll their eyes). I have never been a fan of the hybrid tea scent so it is a pleasant surprise to find that I do very much like the scent of the PDR blooms. I am just opening up to the idea that they might not all stink like toilet spray. The Mary Rose I bought 3 days ago has one full bloom today and her perfume is quite nice, stronger but not as nice as PDR. It is very sweet to my nose, maybe too sweet.
Wife of Bath is pretty tiny but she has a couple of buds on her that I'm looking forward to seeing open.
As I have never owned a home I have never been very interested in gardening. Everyone said "It will be different when you have your own place." And of course they are right. I never really doubted it. I have looked forward to having a garden of my own for a while now. I used to enjoy the few plants we had at our old places but spending money to improve a place you are renting is frustrating and there is no scope for imagination in that. But NOW... HAHA! I have a whole yard to turn into my kind of Eden. And I'm only limited by the heavy clay, the building litter, the shallow pipes (who knows where they all lie?) and deep shade all along one fence line and the service side of the house except in Summer when it is sizzling in parts of it there, lol.
Well we have started with a retaining wall all the way along the rear of the property. Half of it is overhung with trees so it gets a fair amount of shade during the day. It is a bit of an experiment to see what likes living there.
Currently planted in it and mostly doing well are:
Copper purple osteospermum (daisy)
Walker's Low nepeta
Dusky Bells correa
White Nancy lamium (beautiful)
1 strawberry plant (yep just the one)
Some ugly ground cover thing I have forgotten the name of and want to rip out
Rosemary prostrate
Basil
Pink verbena (was spendid now is half eaten)
Oregano
Lemon Thyme
Purple verbena (flowering well)
Pink dwarf lavender (not flowering but looking ok)
Stevia
And a couple of pea shoots that have sprouted from the pea straw and are growing peas! They have pretty pink flowers.
That sounds like a lot when I list all the plants but it doesn't look that busy IRL. There is still room along the back for more plants or veggies. Veggies were the plan up the other end but I've run out of enthusiasm for them. I only want to grow rhubarb and I don't think it will fit, the retaining wall is only about a foot deep.
We also have some lovely lawn out the back and in the front garden. In the front beds we have planted a row of dwarf box hedge and a row of pansies behind that. Near the letterbox in the front are 2 blue margeurite and a yellow paper daisy. Baby tears are planted down the service side of the house in the deep shade. There is a pink zantedeschia in a shady corner at the front, and some bulbs in planters for the front garden are just started to send up a few teensy shoots.
Waiting to find their place in the garden are:
Hydrangea x2 unknown grown from different cuttings
Azalea - Mrs Kint
Camellia - Fuji No Mine
Flowering quince
Erica - Ruby Shepherd (pictured right)
Purple Osteospermum x4
Coreopsis - Limerock Ruby
Pineapple Sage
Duranta Repens - Geisha Girl
And a few little succulents and various other thingies.
And then there are the roses... I have ordered a selection to trial (all bush roses and all David Austins unless otherwise specified):
White/Near Whites
Summer Memories x6 (Kordes floribunda)
Yellow
Charlotte
Apricots
Ambridge Rose
Crown Princess Margareta
Jude the Obscure
Pinks
Charles Rennie Mackintosh
Jubilee Celebration
Mary Rose (already purchased from the bargain bin)
Pretty Jessica
The Alnwick Rose
St Cecilia
Wife of Bath (already have as a gift from MIL)
Red
Benjamin Britten
Ok so I may have gone a little overboard and ordered too many but ever since Big Daddy gave me the beautiful pink climbing Pierre de Ronsard
I have discovered I love roses. My parents have always grown hybrid teas and I was never really interested in them. I have discovered more out there in the rose world. My favourite are the big old fashioned romantic cupped shaped blooms. I'm not fussed about the scent as much as visual appeal (and all *true* rose enthusiasts shake their heads and roll their eyes). I have never been a fan of the hybrid tea scent so it is a pleasant surprise to find that I do very much like the scent of the PDR blooms. I am just opening up to the idea that they might not all stink like toilet spray. The Mary Rose I bought 3 days ago has one full bloom today and her perfume is quite nice, stronger but not as nice as PDR. It is very sweet to my nose, maybe too sweet.
Wife of Bath is pretty tiny but she has a couple of buds on her that I'm looking forward to seeing open.
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