The kettle belonged to C’s parents, originally used for boiling water on a wood stove, but stored in a cupboard over the last few years. When C found it, the lid fell off and almost broke his toe – it takes 2 hands to carry it when full of water. I’m looking forward to having it boiling ready for a cup of tea on the wood cook stove next winter.
Here are my favourite pink roses: English Rose ‘Gertrude Jeykll’, Delbard ‘Chartreuse de Parme’, and Rugosa Rose ‘Anne Endt’.
Continue reading “In a Vase on Monday – Pink Roses with Pinks and Ixias”
Graham Thomas is a lovely colour, and a beautiful shape and fruity scent. I had to pull all the leaves off though, they were so black spotty, whereas the Iceberg is also beautiful and scented and has beautiful healthy leaves. However it’s the supporting actor not the star.
C’s Dad passed away this week, having fought cancer bravely and gained a hard won year. For him, the end was a blessing I think as he was in a lot of pain yet struggled with the effect of the painkillers on his ability to communicate.
I know this doesn’t really belong in this meme – however growing and gathering and photographing flowers is my main creative expression at the moment so… all things come into it.
Continue reading “In a Vase on Monday – a sad week”
Things seem to be suddenly going quite quickly, now that we have finished digging holes and filling them up again. 2 big truckloads of wood have arrived, and the concrete truck was expected there today to fill up the block wall. And it hasn’t rained much at all this week.
Blending in on the bed.
Well it’s not the prettiest picture in the world but it represents an enormous amount of work. The foundation, septic tank, and concrete floor have taken more than a month to achieve – amid an extra rainy Spring. Lots of organising for C, and lots of digging, earth moving, and filling back in again for the contractors.
Here’s the picture which inspired the design of the building. **
Continue reading “Building the Barn House – we have a floor”
It’s been a wet Spring, and this seems to have lengthened the bulb season. Roses are starting to bloom, and we still have a few Narcissi and Freesias, and lots of Iris, Ixia, and Anemones. There is even one last Tulip. The Columbine are just starting, and Lily seedlings are coming up like grass in the humus-ey soil where I’ve retained the bank with old logs.
Well, mostly purple anyway. Everything is growing now, in spite of or because of the rain. Anemones are producing continually as I planted them gradually, and they obviously had no appeal to whatever ate the tulips. Dutch Iris are still brilliant. There are still some Freesias and Geranium Narcissus for scent, and perennial Stocks.
Poppies are out, and the Cineraria have been flowering for a while. I bought a mix and I love this almost white one.
Dutch Iris are the most accomodating plant I have, I think. No matter how neglected and surrounded by weeds, they send up their waving silvery leaves in Spring, followed by tall clumps of flowers over a long time. But they don’t seem to seed down, so not a plant that wants to take over the world.
I’ve photographed some tamarillos and an orange with them, both fruits which are coming to the end of their seasons. Tiny plums are on the plum trees now and the apples are starting to flower.
Absent Gardener 