They're back!

Bill and Jo flew home from Siem Reap this morning after spending a week with Amy.

She loved having them there to meet the children and staff and to show them her place of work and play for the last two months. She plans to be there for the rest of April.
We are very proud of her.

Garden news
Cottage plant purchases ready for planting.

We have never tested the soil ph here.
Come to think of it we've never tested the soil ph.......ever!
 Funnily enough, for someone who loves gardening as much as I do, I just always presume that everything will grow.

Mmmm...a bit too alkaline apparently.... so off to the nursery for some supplies including compost etc. We have started our own compost bin but it hasn't produced nearly as much as we will need to replenish all our garden beds.

It was very exciting watching the colour change. I felt like a scientist conducting an important experiment. I may very well test all the garden beds and orchard!


Couldn't walk passed these beautiful plants so they came home too.

I must have been in need of some yellowness!

It was to time to re pot my lemon seedlings. I am thrilled with the root growth.

I hope it will be still warm enough to keep them growing.

A friend, a patchwork shop and some cake.....

......perfect!
Viv made the quilt. 
It's beautiful.

A pinterest idea for our leftover bricks.

Sunrise at Frog pond farm yesterday.( Yes, I was up and about for those who are wondering).

This little boy is so proud of himself.
He made his first Easter basket.

Happy Easter little man!
Happy Easter everyone!

Bits of this and that

Autumn at our place.

I had been re-researching how to propagate liliums (the stem cuttings were a disaster), so called in at our local nursery late on Saturday afternoon to get some vermiculite ( I'm sure there'll be a blog to come about that ) and came home with these .....

......it was their early Easter sale and I was in my element.
 Fifteen plants for $39. Mostly cottage garden plants to plant in the garage garden ( might have to think of a new name for that).
And then after dreaming about how I would plant them, I went back this morning for more!

Eighteen this time for $52.
Talk about a happy girl!
Many of them need some TLC, but a trim and a feed and a water will work wonders.
In fact I may get to use some of this......

 They are mostly salvias and penstemons and a few other perennials.  This time I bought three of this and that instead of one ( as per my block planting idea for impact).

These two may never survive but they were $1 each and I am determined to nurture them back to life. 
They are called Wintersweet.

Peter Cundall says that they are straggly, deciduous shrubs that withstand heavy frosts and produce masses of lemon coloured flowers in July and early August.

          ( photo from pinterest)
He says that the fragrance given off is unforgettably sweet and that one sprig will scent a whole room in winter.
 I am equally determined to smell that fragrance one day. I have no idea how a healthy plant of Wintersweet looks at other times. The one I planted months ago was considerably more expensive and looks like this.....
( I'm hoping it's the deciduous look as opposed to the "I'm not happy here" look.)

It has been relocated to the inside garden where I can keep my eye on it. So now we have three!

**The lilium propagation has been re- scheduled.**


Amy was in her element last week.
 Some AFL footballers from Geelong attended her school for a workshop with the kids.
Apparently they took to it like a duck to water!

More people having fun......in Siem Reap Cambodia.

This little boy knows all about fun.

We are desperate for some rain.
And so are the birds.

The garden is looking dead  parched. 

Beautiful Cecile Bruner.

A very Happy Birthday to our Dad and Pa.

Guess who?

Family gatherings are always cause for celebration.

When someone has a ninetieth birthday, it's a huge cause for celebration.

And that's exactly what happened on Saturday......
                   we gathered,
                   we celebrated
                   we laughed
                   and we had lots of fun.

From this.....

to this.....

The cake couldn't have been more perfect ( thank you Aunty Ray ).

Some of us wrote letters. 

Some of us drew pictures.

Some of us tried to work out when the photos were taken and marvelled at how young we all used to look.

Some of us wore necklaces and bracelets ( you looked beautiful little Tatelyn ).

And there were the usual backyard shenanigans with Uncle Den.

Trav directed the kick to kick and tried to keep the kids and the football off the fruit trees.

Sometimes we just enjoyed the beautiful day.

There was the family photo of course....

And even a drive in Pa's work ute.........

...much to Pa's delight!

A wonderful day.
Happiest of birthdays Pa.