One Mother Hen: winter garden

Monday, August 20, 2018

Oh for the flowers.

It is wonderful to be sharing here this week. It is wonderful to know I am missed.

Life has been busy, if not overwhelming. Work is busy, home life is busy, with kids and all the other things that happen, like swimming lessons, haircuts, helping number one son.

Mother hen has gone to the cup, and it has been empty pretty well. Without much of a chance to replenish, I have been making an effort to be selfish and do things for me. Take time out for the things I need, to make me feel like me again.

I coached my first school group at gymnastics. It was a small town school so a whole school group under 15 kids, was a good way to cut my teeth. I was nervous as hell, but it went well! Always the way, stressing for nothing. I also had a kindy group of 26 this week, which seemed hectic but turned out all good. That many four and five year olds is like organising a heard of cats!

Amongst all the things, the garden keeps on giving me gems, something to cut through the coldness of winter. I planted anemone corms a couple of months ago, and now they are giving me most beautiful flowers and colour.

It's coming around that time when winter wares out it's welcome. The cold antarctic wind can bugger off now. Moral is low, we all need a dose of sunshine and some defrosting northern winds.

I went out yesterday to capture the plover babies that roam around our cul-de-sac. The most gorgeous fluffy little things, that huddle in warmth under their mothers. I didn't see them out, but was reminded that spring is moments away, with two wattle birds courting in the gums trees above me.

Foggy mornings usually bring the sunny winter days, two more weeks and I look forward to the sun coming into it's own and basking in it's warmth. I look forward to the garden in all it's glory.

An InLinkz Link-up

Monday, July 17, 2017

The "it's as cold as ferk" garden edition

There's not too much excitement from around the garden in winter. Some rose pruning, loads of weeds, lots of rain.

I mowed the lawns yesterday and let the chooks out for a scratch around. They haven't laid any eggs for the last couple of weeks, and I don't blame them. It has been ridiculously cold. It is winter after all.

I was in awe of the rainbow I was blessed with as I drove down the driveway after school drop almost two weeks ago. We are in our last week of school holidays and so excited because our banana tree flower has opened to reveal a heap of bananas. The flower actually came out about a month ago, right before a week of severe frosts and I dreaded that any thought of bananas had been dashed forever. The leaves are severely frost bitten. We'll see how they go, surely it is too cold for any hope of a ripe banana anytime soon. I have a few friends who have these cool climate bananas that have had successful crops, just have to be patient I suppose.

There isn't much colour in the garden besides the camellias, hellebores, jonquils and surprisingly some gardenias. Rosemary plants are flowering now, and the mint is making a comeback from it's frosty die down.

It has been raining a lot at night, with mainly sunny, cold days. I am watching the snow reports wishing I could lay in the snow and shape snow angels and catch snow flakes in my wintery gloves. Pat snow balls into snow men and poke twigs for arms and small rocks for eyes. We went to the snow with my neighbours last year, and I wish we were headed there this year. Ironic as it is, I am not a fan of the cold. I am longing for short sleeves and three quarter pants of the warmer Spring weather.

We're off the warmer weather in a month or so, to QLD for this years holiday, which I will love to defrost my bones. I wish it was to sit back and relax, but we're off to the Goldie, to punish ourselves with the theme parks. Praying I don't need a holiday, from our holiday with kids and a hubby who is a huge kid without a responsible bone in his body. Thankfully we are not staying in school holidays, which will make our visit easier.