I wanted to show Bill what I thought was a great idea for a potager.
( remember this Ruth?)
Sadly the garden beds have been completely neglected and any signs of their former lives were well and truly gone.
All except for.....
...this resilient bay tree that looked as fresh as a daisy. ( note to self for tough plantings)
We moved on to Bulla for more inspiration...this time at Alister Clark's Memorial Rose Garden which is maintained by volunteers.
We looked at borders and garden structures and fruit trees and pathways and colours and imagined how they might look at our place (well I did anyway!)
We saw how a persimmon tree is supposed to look and how delightful anemones look as underplantings.
And speaking of delightful.....
No words required!
Amy has been celebrating the Khmer New Year with the students, parents and teachers from school. They also entertained special guests from the local village.
She had the time of her life.
* Best. Day. Ever.*
They came dressed in their Sunday best wearing hats and crowns they had made in class.
They were given drinks and food.
They had singing competitions.
They danced their socks off.
They received stationery gifts.
Many of those gifts came from the amazing donations that Amy took over with her.
And the children couldn't have been happier and more grateful to receive them.
Gifts made by the children for Amy......
I think she has inspired them to become teachers.
When asked what they'd like to be when they grow up they all say a teacher or a doctor.
More inspiration from the library.
Happiness is an armload of books to get lost in.
And a quilt to get started on even if it's only one block a day as I happen to be walking passed the sewing machine which is now set up on the dining room table ( my Winter sewing room ).
Oh yes, I can see the parasols now......thanks Vivienne! ( fabric line is called Up Parasol by Heather Bailey)
Hope you've found some inspiration somewhere on this Easter Sunday everyone.
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!
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.
