Well the last week just disappeared didn't it. And now we have 30 days until Christmas!!!
I have finished quite a bit on the sewing front but cannot show what I have done ... Secret Santa Stuff!!! Save them all for the end of December!!
Friday night our son and family arrived from Wee jasper. They came down to pick up the truck loaded with hay and straw for delivery around Canberra.
Sooooo..... I had my grandson and my offsider working with me in the yard yesterday!!
Here they are digging a trench to plant a heap of agapanthus in. poor boys - there was a bit of gravel mixed in that dirt - this will be the edge of a planting of shrubs at the gateway to the house yard.
We had to soak the ground up really well so the boys could dig the trench. Of course there had to be a supervisor and you know who that was!!!! Once the trench was dug we placed compost in the bottom, then the agapanthus, the back filled making a ditch on the side. Then we let the hose dribble in at one end to really soak the ground up. then some rice straw mulch on top and now we wait and see if they survive!!
This is the garden bed we made last week. my sister was cutting down some huge Yuccas so I said thank you very much they can be a feature in the centre of the new bed!! We also planted 2 shrubs each end. I plan on planting lots of smaller shrubs (geraniums, lavenders and maybe some roses) all around the yuccas!! Soaked them all up yesterday and again today. Hopefully it will set them on the right track - we are supposed to get up to 37deg this week and rain predicted for Thursday.
And another new garden bed. This one is to plant a screening hedge for privacy for the old house. Although the old house was built in the early 60's and our house was built in the early 80's, the previous owners never planted much in the line of trees or shrubs. A few roses and that was about it. And I mustn't forget the magnificent mulberry tree!! hence the reason for all the new beds and plantings. I hate living in a wide open space open to all and sundry to view from the road!!
this is a close up of the new compost that Greg brought home for me to try!!! It is actually pelleted feed that caught alight whilst it was being made. So it is burnt feed. It has a bit of a smell but not as bad as the old decomposing feed he brought home a couple of years ago - especially when it gets wet. Anyhow, I have put it down under the newest bed under the straw. We shall wait and see how it goes - the other smelly stuff had broken down really well and the beds it was spread over are full of big fat worms!! Hopefully this does the same.
One frangipani is well on it's way, and the second one is showing signs of buds. Hopefully the 3rd one will show some sign of surviving over the next few days. I have no idea of where I am going to plant them next year - I guess they will need some sort of protection from our hot summer wind and the winter frosts!!
plus Lachlan spent a few hours on the ride on for me and got the whole yard area mowed - now all I have to do is get the push mower and do the little bits and pieces that the ride on cannot access to have a tidy yard again!! he went home a happy boy last night with his pocket money stuffed firmly in his pocket!! he asked me did I need him to come down more often to help!! Of course I said yes!!lol
Our daughter in law finally transferred the photos across to my computer that she took back in September of my mother, daughter, grand daughter and myself. 4 generations!! This was taken 4 days before mum was admitted to ICU with pneumonia - it is a reasonably good photo considering how ill she was at the time. Note to self: DO NOT shove your glasses down the front of your shirt for photos!!!lol Especially dark framed ones on a light coloured shirt!
Well - that is it for this week. Busy week ahead with a couple of xmas luncheons, a sewing morning with CWA, selling raffle tickets and hopefully some more gardening.
have a great week everyone!!
