No idea

We’ve had No Idea plants here for quite a long time now,  but lately their numbers seem to be increasing like nobody’s business.

They’re Kangaroo Paws but I have no idea what colour or what variety. They were left over when I got to the end of splitting up a couple of clumps that weren’t doing very well.

Here’s a whole collection of No Idea seedlings. 

They originally had tags which have mysteriously disappeared.

Same thing in the bulb department.

Can’t wait to see what Wouldn’t Have a Clue looks like!

These are jonquil bulbs dug up last year and about to be planted in a new bed we made out the front ( notice the black texta label upside down on the lid ). Funnily enough, I would’ve known what these were even without the label!

I DO start out with the best intentions. 

Icy pole sticks make good labels and I’ve cut out labels from used plastic punnets and yoghurt containers. 

In some cases I even find myself saying I won’t need a label. I’ll remember that…..and therein lies the problem. 

A mystery batch of seedlings have just been planted and I have no idea what they are….and I was the one that sowed them weeks ago…..and therein lies the other problem. If it was weeks ago that something was sown or dug up and it wasn’t labelled, then you can forget the name ever being recalled.

Despite the mysteries, everything will still get sown or planted or relocated.

I just can’t help myself. I love seeing new plants and flowers in the garden, especially those I’ve never grown before.

The dahlia tubers have been lifted.

All these from ONE tuber.

Note the label.

I haven’t done this before but apparently these can be split up to make more dahlias.

I have to wait now until Spring and hopefully the “eyes” will tell me which tubers to replant. I’m looking forward to seeing what the “eyes” even look like!

 That’s not it’s true name by the way. I must have lost the tag. 

Front of house makeover in May

The beds across the front of the house aka FOH have been given a make over.

Leucadendrons, kangaroo paw, lomandra ( new to us), eremophila, woolly bush.

Fingers crossed they manage to survive the extremes of winter. 

We ( mostly Bill with help from Sam ) extended the width of the bed to allow for more plantings. That meant a few trailer loads of cow manure and bush mulch.

We know how tough leucadendrons are.

They have grown here for a number of years and require very little care.

I adore them. The following two photos were taken yesterday. The third one a few weeks ago. They are in full bloom as we speak.

We chose to grow the same ones across the FOH.

After they become established, they too will require little care we hope. 

The Ruby Garden 

The Ruby Garden also got an extension.

The new plantings are mostly grevilleas and wax flowers ( chamelauciums). Lots of different varieties.

I adore them all. 

A garden hose to mark it out and a hired rotary hoe to rip it up a bit.

Hakea Burrendong Beauty in all it’s glorious splendour this autumn.

The Wedding 

Claire and Sara were married in March.

We had a picking day here the day before their wedding.

I was worried that we may not have had enough to choose from….but we did.

Amy and Helen made an arbour decoration for the structure at the wedding ceremony from foliage and flowers collected from around the farm.

Wedding Day

It was pure joy being around these four on those days.

Finally ……..a visit to hug these little ones.

Bill and Sam visited the littlies when the WA borders were eventually opened. 

Attempts had been thwarted twice before so to finally get there was a blessing.

Mother’s Day 

A trip north to Dimboola in May.

Some flowery bits and pieces from the garden to take up with us.

These gorgeous young men…..Ned and Jake.

Mum’s birthday

Mum celebrated her 93rd birthday last week. Her second birthday in lockdown.

The staff at Allambi are very kind to her and did not let her birthday go unnoticed.

She is pushed around in a wheel chair for the most part now.

Welcome to our newest little family member

Marcia and Jesse have a beautiful baby girl. 

Birdie Isobel. 

Darling little sister for Otis. 

Sam’s been teaching himself how to weld.

I am loving this book. It has 933 pages. 

Can’t wait for it to come out as a television series. Filming has started again I think after a number of setbacks including COVID of course.

Flowers for Emily.

A gift from Sigrid

Amy and Helen have built a chook shed using recycled bits from the tip shop. We all LOVE poking around a good tip shop. I recall Dad bringing home more than he went out with on his visits to the tip! No tip shop back in those days. You just helped yourself.

They keep sending photos like this….

Keep warm and COVID free everyone.

 This winter has started out as a doozy! 

It’s been freezing here already and winter has only just begun. 

Definitely a time for quilts and open fires and lamps.