Please don’t ask me.

Haha….
This is me right now……loosely speaking. 

Mind you, I can’t begin to imagine what it must be like to have a proper small business with deadlines and commitments and I have huge respect for all those who do. 

I don’t know how you do it.

I’m just picking flowers and putting them out for people to look at……when it suits me!

Actually that’s not quite how it works but it’s almost true.

When I stop to think about it….

I sow the seed.

I nurture the seed.

I plant the seedlings.

I water the seedlings.

I feed the seedlings.

I pick the flowers.

I arrange the flowers.

I wash the jars.

Mmmm, there’s a bit going on I suppose. And that’s not to mention all the thinking, mulling, considering that goes on with every one of those processes. Known only to those who know me well and know how much I need to think about Every. Little. Thing.

These photos were taken this morning in the flower cart.

Every morning sees me out there fluffing around and checking everything as though it’s an actual retail store. It brings me all the joy that owning small businesses must bring to those who do have their own retail outlets but without the financial columns that have to add up every week. 

I still feel a huge sense of excitement when someone actually pays for what I get to do each day. And if they don’t, then that’s okay too. The joy comes from the whole process.

And just to make sure I’m not resting on my laurels, I’ve gone and ordered more seeds! That’s just how it is. The impatient gardener.

Mostly seeds of flowers I haven’t grown before. The excitement comes from growing new things and being curious to see how they look in real life and what value they can add to my picked flower repertoire.

Of course none of this would happen without Bill helping me with all the hard stuff. And there’s plenty of that let me tell you.

He has just finished building a couple of raised garden beds in the orchard area for some more bulbs to be planted. I will order them in Summer after poring over the catalogues and making choices of bulbs I can’t do without. Apparently. One of my favourite things.

He also restored the old garden bench that was burnt in the fire….so that we can sit and look at said flowers. I sit and look all the time. Bill ? Nope, hardly ever. It has come up a treat though. 

I found this gorgeous rusty shallow bowl at the tip shop for $10.

During the holidays, I’ll have a go at cleaning it up to make it into a birdbath of some description and put it out the front in amongst our new native plantings.

More flower photos.

This sunset stopped me in my tracks a few nights ago.

Gosh I love looking at the sky in all it’s fascinating glory.

The girls love a good sky too. They get plenty of them in Lakes Entrance.

Sam visited them a few weeks ago.

They’ve been building a hot house using bits and pieces salvaged from their local tip shop.

It looks perfect there. 

These made me smile.

Christmas.

I suspect that selfies with Santa will not be an option this year. 

This is probably my favourite.

Hope you all get to do some pah-ru-pa-pa-pumming over the festive season.

Thank you for still clicking on my page in anticipation even though the entries have been so few and far between. 

Merry Christmas everyone.

Wintering in the Garden Room

I’ve been putting off any thoughts of blogging because I didn’t really have anything to write about to be honest. 

In and out of lockdowns has been the order of the day here in Victoria, so lots of time at home.

Reading, sewing, farm shop, garden, cryptic crosswords. Repeat. 

That’s been pretty much me for the last month or so.

Lucky I know.

Especially lucky to have this fabulous room to do three of those from.

No tidying for the photo…..just as is with sewing machine and ironing board set up for winter sewing.

Another Crossroads Quilt with blocks ready to be sewn together.

And one I call The Seamstress using these pieces….

Joining four carousels just so that I know it WILL work when I get around to finishing all of them.

Currently the Garden Room is littered with bits and pieces being auditioned for a quilt called Lucy Diamond.

This was a practise block…..

And here’s how I’m going so far in no particular order.

Thirty-five blocks altogether. Nine done.

I’ve been inspired by this gorgeous collection from Heather Bailey. 50’s nostalgia meets modern and described as being vintage, vibrant and girly. I’m throwing in some bits and pieces from my stash.

Reading in the Garden Room has been a joy. In spite of being on the south side of the house, it is always light and bright. 

Bill sits on the clean, uncluttered side.

I’m loving this book. 

It’s the sequel to The Last Hours. A story with a wonderful sense of place and history. 

Set in 1349, it describes the devastating course of the Black Death across England.

We opened our little flower cart a week or so ago and it’s been all systems go since then. 

Washing jars, picking blooms, arranging flowers and constantly anticipating what’s to come.

But it’s such a joy to be back doing something I really love.

Photo credit of our tulips and ranunculas from Erin @ Sweet Wonderful You.

I took some photos of the garden a couple of days ago after the hail and rain.

It still has it’s Winter look but everything is starting to fluff out a bit now. 

Each day finds me peering into the beds to see if I can spot any newly germinating seeds and trying to distinguish between a weed and a seedling.

This little area with the potting shed is often where I head to first when on my daily wanderings. I call it the potager. Not a vegie to be seen, all flowers.

The sweet peas are starting to climb the fences and the clumping bits you can see are peony poppies that have self seeded.

Some seeds doing their thing in the mini hot house……with labels!

Globe amaranth and scabiosa are new to me. 

The Seashells cosmos seedlings are also new to me.

I’ve started checking rose cuttings taken months ago. Some haven’t done a thing.

This one ( red velvet rose, at least that’s what I call it), exceeded all expectations and every single stem has developed roots.Talk about huge excitement.

I potted them up this afternoon.

The cryptic crossword has become a daily ritual for Bill and Sam who are both extremely good at doing them.

 Bill will often say at the end of the day…..I’ve left a couple for you to do. My interpretation of that is……I’ve got no idea what these ones are. 

Funnily enough, I usually always do. Give me a blank one to do from scratch and I probably wouldn’t be able to work out any of them!

I won a book.

It’s the most delightful little book for children but could easily refer to adults as well.

Bill was up sharing breakfast with these dropper inners a few mornings ago.

Some funny stuff….

That last one is true!

Come to think of it, so is the one before!

And the one before that!

Keep well and safe everyone. 

I’m thinking that there might be some light at the end of the tunnel now with regards to COVID and restrictions. Finally.

We have lots to look forward to and we hope you do too.