Pondering

I need to deliberate, to think things over, to consider.

 

But I also like to think up ideas, to create, to devise, to invent.

Over the last few hot days here, we've been thinking about creating more shade in our backyard. We are still very exposed here and lacking in something........

We started to research  all the different types of trees that would provide much needed shade in summer. I've been reading Clive Blazey's book called 'There is no excuse for ugliness', where he talks about the suitability of rain forest trees for shade. We had all but settled on the Black Booyong tree.

But then I needed to think about it, to cogitate ( that's a Nana word!), to ponder.

Would it grow quickly enough? 

Would the roots become a problem? 

Would we worry about it falling on the house one day? 

Would it be drought tolerant?

And then I had an idea( Farmer Bill rolls his eyes when I say those words).

Not a tree. A structure.

 

The brick path around the garden room is something I adore. 

We still have bricks left over so could use what we have and supplement them if needed. Bill already knows how to build pergolas. It would be just like the pergola in the rose garden but with a solid roof ( also needs to be pondered).

We could plant climbing stuff ( that's a ponder for another time ) up and over the structure so we get greenery as well as solid shade. Win, win!

I'll keep you all updated. Don't hold your breath. 

Our frog pond is empty.

 

We desperately need rain.

I keep seeing the ducks waddle in each day in anticipation. 

It means that we make sure our bird baths are always full.

There's been lots of mulching going on this week. All bits and pieces from the garden. In fact, I've lost count of how many compost bays are up the back now. Bill just keeps building more......

 

And now we have a potato patch as well.

Bill found these growing in the compost pile and it inspired him to grow some properly.

The Ruby Garden has been getting some additional plantings. It was originally planted with plants that had RUBY in their names. 

That didn't work at all. 

There isn't one plant remaining there that has Ruby in its name. 

But it remains the Ruby Garden in my brain.

We found some gorgeous ruby coloured grevilleas to add to the leucadendrons and other bits that have survived there. Eight altogether.

This one is called Soopa Doopa. The most gorgeous flower.

It took a bit of digging.

 

But they all got planted. Bill doing the hard digging and me, the easy planting.

Must have a look for some native ground covers to grow there too.

Bill nearly choked on his coffee at the breakfast table last week. 

This is his first sighting of a kookaburra here at Frogpond Farm in 23 years.

Zooming in....

 

He only had enough time to pick up the iPad and photograph it before the bossy willy wagtails sent it packing! I have always hoped we would have lots of kookaburras here but sadly we don't.  I'm really not sure why.

It may have been the same morning that Bill saw this glorious sunrise.

 

Around the garden path this week.

We have three Chinese pistachios growing in the Long paddock.

They are ornamental so don't produce nuts but they are all looking a bit different right now. Must have something to do with the male and female trees. I really haven't taken notice of the fruit on them before. They are tough deciduous trees for the paddocks here though and produce brilliant autumn colour.

 

First fig.

And a peek through the netting. Still a few weeks to go perhaps.

The fejoia hedge trees are looking very healthy.

 

Something's been feasting.

The leucadendrons are starting to take on their red glow.

 

Sedum Autumn Joy is a standout everywhere right now.

 

 

This was a source of absolute joy for me.

It's a blue banded bee in our garden.

I suspect we have had them here all the time and even though I notice the  honey bees all the time, I have never seen one of these before. 

( Farmer Bill tells me he has!!)

The bark. Late afternoon. Yesterday.

 

Last weekend Amy and Helen visited Helen's family in Lakes Entrance.

They had barely arrived when they were off to the beach scavenging. 

Oysters, mussels and a fish! 

 

And then they just enjoyed being with the littlest family members.

Helen picked a pretty bunch of flowers from our garden yesterday to take to a friend.

 

Our littlest baby is not very well at the moment but he still entertained us on FaceTime with his funny little ways. We adore him.

 

 

 

We hope that letter is for us. 

And let's hope we all get some much needed rain this week.

Have a wonderful week everyone.

Hope you get to do some pondering too.

And if you don't have time to ponder, just breathe.

On second thoughts this will probably be more like me........