tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33990136806921938892024-03-18T02:57:23.427+13:00Happy RamblingsThe little things in life that make me smile.Rose Petalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998936212351555661noreply@blogger.comBlogger133125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3399013680692193889.post-89838768397123431842023-12-31T19:05:00.000+13:002023-12-31T19:05:38.943+13:00Happy New Year to you! 2024<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5d1OVGeHZSvJy9ikynfZhXR1rmAJOa4eBHhpMW2ELrhFkx-B9AbSe6d2AKWye3iKXOeI1WUwuO3AHh9A1cDxWscfAE5wwWGi7NoXwiqb2CQ0fvsDjTlmSYkxd8T6sCtRt9tZdNdr9J8y1WUz4l5lL48LEkni4euweJCwxKxIqIR1oi8arnsBRYm7ZBkVA/s1091/Happy%20New%20Year%202024%20-%20Rose.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Happy New Year 2024" border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="1091" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5d1OVGeHZSvJy9ikynfZhXR1rmAJOa4eBHhpMW2ELrhFkx-B9AbSe6d2AKWye3iKXOeI1WUwuO3AHh9A1cDxWscfAE5wwWGi7NoXwiqb2CQ0fvsDjTlmSYkxd8T6sCtRt9tZdNdr9J8y1WUz4l5lL48LEkni4euweJCwxKxIqIR1oi8arnsBRYm7ZBkVA/w640-h398/Happy%20New%20Year%202024%20-%20Rose.JPG" title="Happy New Year to you 2024" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Sending you warm wishes for a happy New Year filled with love and joy. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">May your heart be light, your days be bright and your year be just right.</span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Have the happiest New Year!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Hugs, Rose xxx</span></div>Rose Petalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998936212351555661noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3399013680692193889.post-88588141148721102702023-12-25T11:31:00.000+13:002023-12-25T11:31:06.280+13:00I wish you a Merry Christmas<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmdQIUBb2yoacjC8uie6ipWhbWrIOF8wBUi2aKtUjAHzEzqcpRqr7b9_mJb2Vnz5e24egqnnTGR-GlDFwbntMNQjeocLuFaCpdFBkPZ9MoH08nv145vG_i4Yh4Kf1-SvOdL9bIOTZXphzXZA68MrJDqDdt_CJ78kA-9_zYvSlF9NvVCnW2lb7z-SbL9rOL/s824/Christmas%20wishes%20-%20Happy%20Ramblings%20blog.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Merry Christmas wishes" border="0" data-original-height="617" data-original-width="824" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmdQIUBb2yoacjC8uie6ipWhbWrIOF8wBUi2aKtUjAHzEzqcpRqr7b9_mJb2Vnz5e24egqnnTGR-GlDFwbntMNQjeocLuFaCpdFBkPZ9MoH08nv145vG_i4Yh4Kf1-SvOdL9bIOTZXphzXZA68MrJDqDdt_CJ78kA-9_zYvSlF9NvVCnW2lb7z-SbL9rOL/w640-h480/Christmas%20wishes%20-%20Happy%20Ramblings%20blog.JPG" title="Merry Christmas" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">I will catch up with you soon.</span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Hugs, Rose x </span></div>Rose Petalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998936212351555661noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3399013680692193889.post-26612300838759164992023-12-19T21:09:00.000+13:002023-12-19T21:09:24.635+13:00I have been making Christmas decorations<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7I9FHGauscVLmxk2SbknAvhC_OqERO2-e9D8b8yKSnP_Wp-r_MTfBE3-v-H3KhHgAH_r8EK2_D8UzcK_ETfNwhE20UfOpeHS9sbaT-__tGyFitvAYnjMpjxq8MPmYIsS1sQ4bJgFvsl9hwEOR8_AIhFRHaiXEIuMwmT4p2WbcJkIWt870R21F_QoUoqpJ/s4128/finished%20house%20box%20Christmas%20decoration.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="House Christmas tree decoration" border="0" data-original-height="4128" data-original-width="3096" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7I9FHGauscVLmxk2SbknAvhC_OqERO2-e9D8b8yKSnP_Wp-r_MTfBE3-v-H3KhHgAH_r8EK2_D8UzcK_ETfNwhE20UfOpeHS9sbaT-__tGyFitvAYnjMpjxq8MPmYIsS1sQ4bJgFvsl9hwEOR8_AIhFRHaiXEIuMwmT4p2WbcJkIWt870R21F_QoUoqpJ/w480-h640/finished%20house%20box%20Christmas%20decoration.jpg" title="handmade Christmas tree decoration" width="480" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">I have spent the past few weeks busily enjoying myself getting ready for Christmas. The Christmas presents are all bought and wrapped, and I have since been focusing on the Christmas Eve lunch table setting.</span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Instead of Christmas crackers, this year I wanted to make something myself as a gift to our guests. So, after many hours searching on Pinterest, I found free templates of little Christmas box houses and paper Christmas trees, designed by Gunnor Karita from the <a href="https://wingsofwhimsy.wordpress.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wings of Whimsy blog</a>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1xUSZ6I7WCCTYZUJ_YBAEzRa86QJhF4IjysgjhmiaAT69MrYJ0yWwc0jX_6Iuel0Ma2oWt9K7tCILjRfyMttRtcWCt3GN61wWjBbpr0p9y0HGJPkLuxzVi-Q2OT_1gcnXxhzWzp1sGayxVWW_90RCJusOk0D0E9-dRfBIbZjYTQ-uOmdzqOX6RNOyX6Kr/s4128/house%20box%20template%20Wings%20of%20Whimsy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4128" data-original-width="3096" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1xUSZ6I7WCCTYZUJ_YBAEzRa86QJhF4IjysgjhmiaAT69MrYJ0yWwc0jX_6Iuel0Ma2oWt9K7tCILjRfyMttRtcWCt3GN61wWjBbpr0p9y0HGJPkLuxzVi-Q2OT_1gcnXxhzWzp1sGayxVWW_90RCJusOk0D0E9-dRfBIbZjYTQ-uOmdzqOX6RNOyX6Kr/w480-h640/house%20box%20template%20Wings%20of%20Whimsy.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">I downloaded the templates, scaled them, and printed them onto glossy photo paper. They were easy to cut out, fold and glue together.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja1ZqE2yW-QmH_TMFv21XelYqGG-P7IpV1BXmQshyphenhyphenwlHgez801xjrdYoLHZntKIuuDRr8QVYbRI_VHcnxz1d_llzM7jK_3sppRCOaHawnQXsfXaxQGzHN6YAM8ZjI-r18oi4PWC-qdNDkEIZoVMljiQ1qY92tYF-mGN8b4OxOJYjnXclw9mHcalyNDSxqL/s4128/cutting%20out%20house%20box%20templates.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4128" data-original-width="3096" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja1ZqE2yW-QmH_TMFv21XelYqGG-P7IpV1BXmQshyphenhyphenwlHgez801xjrdYoLHZntKIuuDRr8QVYbRI_VHcnxz1d_llzM7jK_3sppRCOaHawnQXsfXaxQGzHN6YAM8ZjI-r18oi4PWC-qdNDkEIZoVMljiQ1qY92tYF-mGN8b4OxOJYjnXclw9mHcalyNDSxqL/w480-h640/cutting%20out%20house%20box%20templates.jpg" width="480" /></a></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0mOb4X8KpqSs5tM5Fb4nzjT7IWj25ggC16qmVAE3XtbWnuA-64ARRZN7F0L0dlmDq_a9PhxEoSU5pGnrPA8dANcSm0PEeHPK4gdEs4lWzzTbsN3cspoWfcF9DLcaplf-ihX1m3NKL38OR1YvgbuaLob8h-FtctoO-HsuYHyOOzgmtlL9i0H-gLd0Ijl27/s4128/glueing%20the%20house%20boxes.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4128" data-original-width="3096" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0mOb4X8KpqSs5tM5Fb4nzjT7IWj25ggC16qmVAE3XtbWnuA-64ARRZN7F0L0dlmDq_a9PhxEoSU5pGnrPA8dANcSm0PEeHPK4gdEs4lWzzTbsN3cspoWfcF9DLcaplf-ihX1m3NKL38OR1YvgbuaLob8h-FtctoO-HsuYHyOOzgmtlL9i0H-gLd0Ijl27/w480-h640/glueing%20the%20house%20boxes.jpg" width="480" /></a><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;">.</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNagm6AtF9ARAR_abNMzZnih_GEQyLi9TgNHlk-QkBXcBIV-xfu4OxDt5jyAR7EhjrRmSwjaLIjm-szuk_xtq-hr5qjwMUosus4e9G1dj9OvjMBNviMMQ52ReC_-umhe083IoReTySF_FB3f1kPOdi63cTFtajduxHGOvDYWyR_J60fAgSkG69GK3bxWFB/s4128/Christmas%20place%20setting.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4128" data-original-width="3096" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNagm6AtF9ARAR_abNMzZnih_GEQyLi9TgNHlk-QkBXcBIV-xfu4OxDt5jyAR7EhjrRmSwjaLIjm-szuk_xtq-hr5qjwMUosus4e9G1dj9OvjMBNviMMQ52ReC_-umhe083IoReTySF_FB3f1kPOdi63cTFtajduxHGOvDYWyR_J60fAgSkG69GK3bxWFB/w480-h640/Christmas%20place%20setting.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">I filled each little Christmas house box with Hershey's kisses. I found Christmas mint truffle ones that are wrapped in a cute snowflake foil. Then I placed one box on top of each folded napkin.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I also printed off some Santa jokes to put inside each box.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The little Christmas boxes can be hung on the Christmas tree too as shown in my first photo.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghG2M1XCeb9teJ6hc5Q_Thv_HZAIDawrlDaOfaBPTS_9Pl4afRP_cwNK8Y6UWkTfKhkx1RXzuJLkU8KAXy49SiyAjdfdfW-wOUV1Feu7zBfHA8We8QeGhXvNCVygPvI7JrfjX6J8nd0t4YPIXaVNO7FOk_3AlEWJnLT8O_Ilc34AbL-ro8ns_Tyk2BdI09/s4128/Christmas%20complments%20box%20opened.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4128" data-original-width="3096" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghG2M1XCeb9teJ6hc5Q_Thv_HZAIDawrlDaOfaBPTS_9Pl4afRP_cwNK8Y6UWkTfKhkx1RXzuJLkU8KAXy49SiyAjdfdfW-wOUV1Feu7zBfHA8We8QeGhXvNCVygPvI7JrfjX6J8nd0t4YPIXaVNO7FOk_3AlEWJnLT8O_Ilc34AbL-ro8ns_Tyk2BdI09/w480-h640/Christmas%20complments%20box%20opened.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">For the centre of the table, I made a little village of paper gingerbread houses and fir trees.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVQfOTdfQ52yoNOFviKxo3s8P8R5Vhc9Wf_2yaTwN2eGPnpjJgi3HR4kjTuxIzpRxRW0Mu_mtApBDAzT-Q1HI2UQwCzM3slY1ggZV8ANdmxzkMGtCv-e1zrpqalRYZpFXzoomGYTKXMRZFgaOH3H34m41T9qeuuev-ABBMTcyleMGBr42wgPHioba5lDuv/s4128/035.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4128" data-original-width="3096" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVQfOTdfQ52yoNOFviKxo3s8P8R5Vhc9Wf_2yaTwN2eGPnpjJgi3HR4kjTuxIzpRxRW0Mu_mtApBDAzT-Q1HI2UQwCzM3slY1ggZV8ANdmxzkMGtCv-e1zrpqalRYZpFXzoomGYTKXMRZFgaOH3H34m41T9qeuuev-ABBMTcyleMGBr42wgPHioba5lDuv/w480-h640/035.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">I treated myself to a set of new handmade placemats which are made out of white-washed rattan. Plus, I bought a white cotton tablecloth and napkins which have a hemstitched border. They were all in the pre-Christmas sales and the napkins worked out to be free once all the discounts were applied!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The pre-Christmas lunch menu is written and all I need to do now is wash the plates and cutlery, which were in storage since we moved house. Then I have a bit of last-minute grocery shopping to do for fresh vegetables and a few odds and ends. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I ordered the non-perishables online from the supermarket and they have already been delivered. And I am expecting a selection of cheeses to be delivered on Friday.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">This is the most organised and relaxed I have been before Christmas. I have been enjoying watching Christmas-themed vlogs on YouTube, plus reading the December edition of The Simple Things magazine on my iPad via our library. I really enjoy reading that magazine.</span></div><div><p></p><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I hope that you are enjoying the days leading up to Christmas too!</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Hugs, </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Rose x</span></div>Rose Petalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998936212351555661noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3399013680692193889.post-49733388467224185972023-12-01T21:03:00.001+13:002023-12-01T21:03:59.539+13:00It's the first day of Summer today!<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjDmxNaQLX1TXQUcvesL4wuDP7q9c1c73OjyDAQoBvaIFCkKrzZEInU-9jgZB_hRgiiXW3uU3pjR3YuNRAp1OAzgcyA-8j0TpiWcTiGteYLo51_l0oDvqjU5qLvhcbvC3jJyfazfLDe7wBEXSiM5P7ym21-2x7VRgDugF6ea5ASjR7kNOLssEjHkZm1qDF/s688/first%20day%20of%20Summer.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img alt="First day of Summer" border="0" data-original-height="513" data-original-width="688" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjDmxNaQLX1TXQUcvesL4wuDP7q9c1c73OjyDAQoBvaIFCkKrzZEInU-9jgZB_hRgiiXW3uU3pjR3YuNRAp1OAzgcyA-8j0TpiWcTiGteYLo51_l0oDvqjU5qLvhcbvC3jJyfazfLDe7wBEXSiM5P7ym21-2x7VRgDugF6ea5ASjR7kNOLssEjHkZm1qDF/w640-h478/first%20day%20of%20Summer.JPG" title="First day of Summer today" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">Happy first day of Summer! </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">December the 1st is the first day of Summer in New Zealand. It has been a lovely warm 24 degrees C today, slightly overcast and no wind. A perfect day to start putting the Christmas tree up, decorating the house and opening door number one of my advent calendar.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I walked around the garden, barefoot, this afternoon, with Otto following me. He is such a curious cat, watching what I am doing all the time, apart from when he is running up the trees or climbing onto the roof of the house! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">In the garden I found a few ripe boysenberries and raspberries, which tasted delicious, lovely and juicy and full of flavour. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">The small passionfruit vine is flowering and there is one fruit forming already.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The Feijoa (pineapple guava) is full of red flowers, but I didn't see any Tui birds nearby to pollinate them. Hopefully the Tuis will find them so we can enjoy feijoas this year.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The Pohutukawa tree overhanging our fence from next door, is absolutely full of flower buds. It's going to look spectacular when the red flowers are open. Nice and Christmassy.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I hope that you are enjoying the first day of advent too.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Do you follow any traditions for December the first?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Hugs, Rose x</span></p>Rose Petalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998936212351555661noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3399013680692193889.post-86612313364025314022023-11-24T21:29:00.000+13:002023-11-24T21:29:00.576+13:00Busy time for cats - making new cushions<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfu-Z21RtJK6KteZohVz8BljZT_Oca2f8m72USvCYYuWLalcOepXCPPidCwcM6H5R4YH_dEuy4MjFXwfCpszwOLHPEsoe5YtWFqqNZEd7Qk14n839ntpvm7CWvPU4fjcGj4dSUHxTAQ9iMLT7aR7AMsfVnMKD2BXFnW_AZNO-q-wjkIJHDFTCdN2YdLK1A/s4128/Otto%20helping%20cut%20out%20cushions.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3096" data-original-width="4128" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfu-Z21RtJK6KteZohVz8BljZT_Oca2f8m72USvCYYuWLalcOepXCPPidCwcM6H5R4YH_dEuy4MjFXwfCpszwOLHPEsoe5YtWFqqNZEd7Qk14n839ntpvm7CWvPU4fjcGj4dSUHxTAQ9iMLT7aR7AMsfVnMKD2BXFnW_AZNO-q-wjkIJHDFTCdN2YdLK1A/w640-h480/Otto%20helping%20cut%20out%20cushions.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The last couple of weeks have been very busy for Otto. He has been supervising me while I made some new cushions. The supervision was necessary because it has been well over 20 years since I made cushions with zips in. I used a YouTube tutorial to refresh my memory. Here is a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2M3XWdjDry0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">link to the tutorial</a> that I found easy to follow.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Supervision is exhausting work for a cat. Otto had to lie down a lot to rest on the material as I moved it. Then he had to thoroughly inspect my cushion template and test it for size.</span></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhQJAP2659fwUgeLzT2IOn_NNTcoL4niTGI5nC99Ml8NiHlTu42xw2k3I70mFf8b8gtUzSvLjlnGfFwU3rR1mlzqcJ78y7ZeNo7pgh26jetGDPDhKA9for3G00fvsX3NmsxlqrovJAWtDs_vAPr26ZXcQt3nl0jTWwJXmmOYWdZN5z-0DkXUo688IRCQ4V/s4128/Cat%20helping%20with%20sewing.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3096" data-original-width="4128" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhQJAP2659fwUgeLzT2IOn_NNTcoL4niTGI5nC99Ml8NiHlTu42xw2k3I70mFf8b8gtUzSvLjlnGfFwU3rR1mlzqcJ78y7ZeNo7pgh26jetGDPDhKA9for3G00fvsX3NmsxlqrovJAWtDs_vAPr26ZXcQt3nl0jTWwJXmmOYWdZN5z-0DkXUo688IRCQ4V/w640-h480/Cat%20helping%20with%20sewing.jpg" width="640" /></a></p><span style="font-family: arial;">Examining the placement of every pin proved to be a lot of fun for Otto, as did trying to catch the scissors as I cut the material.</span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitYqK0RxxfiIKHo1-IU51XZ8mWl6uC6PhAOBo-y60ik2SKZles2Q6CEL0yVZ46fNHU_cVB1fmhC0pyYxw61mDAscYi2N0Hi-RvtL__3TDNrlzgNwcHMdX-sbAgzB-4XhWbetR21p1XxGg27xbM-QU_BWAk8iQ5Wom0AxLk2R7GSg6CxMrdzONjdNxnbVRx/s4128/Otto%20approves%20of%20my%20cushion.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4128" data-original-width="3096" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitYqK0RxxfiIKHo1-IU51XZ8mWl6uC6PhAOBo-y60ik2SKZles2Q6CEL0yVZ46fNHU_cVB1fmhC0pyYxw61mDAscYi2N0Hi-RvtL__3TDNrlzgNwcHMdX-sbAgzB-4XhWbetR21p1XxGg27xbM-QU_BWAk8iQ5Wom0AxLk2R7GSg6CxMrdzONjdNxnbVRx/w480-h640/Otto%20approves%20of%20my%20cushion.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">When the first cushion was finished, Otto insisted on testing it for comfort and promptly fell asleep! I took it that he approved and that the cushion passed quality control :o)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Ln_7oigKc6eHWXxgiV81emJv967Tttg6r3wiobrohYhGKikpVAUTrPZgZaornXKHPPvXd4ufBzWgcniQmo53GP6VceVLSNuXgjy0gVn0njdNdBDpnYyx2cZxGAstxpqOKr9mhgintNxWebNl6FVVaKIscSO3HYzHW-EPaj5UPezmMD-Ar1SR34NOQe58/s4128/019.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4128" data-original-width="3096" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Ln_7oigKc6eHWXxgiV81emJv967Tttg6r3wiobrohYhGKikpVAUTrPZgZaornXKHPPvXd4ufBzWgcniQmo53GP6VceVLSNuXgjy0gVn0njdNdBDpnYyx2cZxGAstxpqOKr9mhgintNxWebNl6FVVaKIscSO3HYzHW-EPaj5UPezmMD-Ar1SR34NOQe58/w480-h640/019.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">I chose the bird (blue-faced honeyeater) patterned material initially to make cushions for our new outdoor furniture</span><span style="font-family: arial;">. The material </span><span style="font-family: arial;">is 100% cotton canvas and was designed by Jocelyn Proust, an Australian designer. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">When I placed a finished cushion on the settee in our living room, I liked how it looked there with the cream throw rug and the dark brown leather of the settee. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">The background of the material is a pastel sage-green and the stalks of the plants are a light pastel dusky-rose.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> I decided to keep these cushions for the living room instead of using them outdoors. </span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I made 3 of the bird cushions then decided that I needed contrasting cushions with a bit more colour to lift the room. So, I went back to the shop and looked at all the furnishing fabric options. I settled on the dusky-rose pink velvet material, which I hoped toned in well with the bird material. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The shop assistant wasn't too sure of my choice of colour. However, I liked the colour combination and I asked several other customers what they thought. They said it was a perfect match, they loved the combination too.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I bought enough of the velvet to make three cushions. I have made one already and will make the other two over the weekend.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I am daydreaming about adding some smaller cream-coloured cushions, maybe hand knitted moss-stitch, or crewel work in </span><span style="font-family: arial;">cream-on-cream. Maybe one day :o) </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">What do you think would go with my cushions? Any ideas?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Hugs, Rose x</span></div>Rose Petalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998936212351555661noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3399013680692193889.post-7521716003429713952023-11-12T20:23:00.001+13:002023-11-12T20:25:06.866+13:00More Spring surprises in my garden<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0LH_nAF-5MzPWNYiSwGF6nQrCbmoiIb8YRz_wEF4u17VxaDxPAUUn32CulcxSBTUB2Y3YmsvS_GFU3Y37sym5ZK7TFE85hBygRwRQI-WuuUk6QeTb01xx9jBcr32DvUvwOCSlbq-1bkU9OidFl_Pv3oufC_4I9Q0JiMZdQlmTVbl9B9ZxJlbD042Of8Ac/s4128/arum%20maculatum%20lords%20and%20ladies%20flower.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Arum italicum flower" border="0" data-original-height="4128" data-original-width="3096" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0LH_nAF-5MzPWNYiSwGF6nQrCbmoiIb8YRz_wEF4u17VxaDxPAUUn32CulcxSBTUB2Y3YmsvS_GFU3Y37sym5ZK7TFE85hBygRwRQI-WuuUk6QeTb01xx9jBcr32DvUvwOCSlbq-1bkU9OidFl_Pv3oufC_4I9Q0JiMZdQlmTVbl9B9ZxJlbD042Of8Ac/w480-h640/arum%20maculatum%20lords%20and%20ladies%20flower.jpg" title="Lords and ladies flower" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Lords and ladies - <i>arum italicum</i> <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;">We found large round clumps of white-veined, spearheaded leaves sprouting up under the trees in our garden. We had no idea what type of plant they were. </span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I thought that maybe they were calla lilies, so decided to leave them until they flowered. We didn't want to dig up flowers thinking they were weeds.</span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Then one morning dad called me to have a look at the unusual creamy-yellow flowers that had appeared. On seeing them I knew immediately that they were lords and ladies, also known as cuckoo pint, <i>arum italicum. </i>This is a poisonous weed that we don't want in our garden<i>. </i></span><span style="font-family: arial;">We have a lot of work ahead of us to get rid of it.</span></div><div><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx_RcYy5qIvBB-dUgS7wNwcBr_JjvaOLmDkuRqlwL_6Ow87JDXuBLEwAEMqrejfmHd4Ki8crmnfz8iUUUH7JC2TsexFJsKcKuNWpPzTwx7UGE7VQqupJlMKeqcwC84wakA2kkKifiqQZqNoPao6UKT-klXszHd8Sr4oYVNi3MbJDEq1tr-pjFgjjk-Wls9/s4128/Willow%20blossom.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Yellow willow tree catkins" border="0" data-original-height="4128" data-original-width="3096" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx_RcYy5qIvBB-dUgS7wNwcBr_JjvaOLmDkuRqlwL_6Ow87JDXuBLEwAEMqrejfmHd4Ki8crmnfz8iUUUH7JC2TsexFJsKcKuNWpPzTwx7UGE7VQqupJlMKeqcwC84wakA2kkKifiqQZqNoPao6UKT-klXszHd8Sr4oYVNi3MbJDEq1tr-pjFgjjk-Wls9/w480-h640/Willow%20blossom.jpg" title="large yellow willow tree catkins" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Willow tree catkins</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;">A more pleasant surprise was to find that the weeping willow trees were flowering. They had long yellow fluffy caterpillar-like catkins all over them. I haven't seen willow flowers like this before. The only ones that I have seen are the furry, silver catkins of pussy willows.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoxILQ49IrxsA5WRAQFPCdIdq8SDBaV1dSycAC5W9k_zOVMq4uozUjIg1VITN1tRCZp2vvq6uHAvyraiJFZWfOny8dFIxcEFjc4_Ao350elKzwfTz8fDzML9to3Af8QCzqrWWomv1d5pTPlVJY9zJE2S52S-070djc1cpd9qK0VTQgWtvGUBE-SOYouJV_/s4128/flowering%20quince.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3096" data-original-width="4128" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoxILQ49IrxsA5WRAQFPCdIdq8SDBaV1dSycAC5W9k_zOVMq4uozUjIg1VITN1tRCZp2vvq6uHAvyraiJFZWfOny8dFIxcEFjc4_Ao350elKzwfTz8fDzML9to3Af8QCzqrWWomv1d5pTPlVJY9zJE2S52S-070djc1cpd9qK0VTQgWtvGUBE-SOYouJV_/w640-h480/flowering%20quince.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Ornamental quince flowers?</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;">These coral-orange coloured flowers have grown over the fence from our neighbour's garden and are really pretty. The shrub has been flowering for over a month now. I think that it may be an ornamental quince, but I'm not sure.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXLeog_yOdscci7jn22QKyYCHy1cj1L9e3ATe3s6rxOBmeTVNL_gjvqZ-TcEIIJRLzuTQZJHCUiYsO1iYM8wqcXJKK0f4jyrq5o6i6FOPeSsf9sne9Ss409iWhXoJ8O_543iA0McrbA5Tz40ZwAdDV7GK__HAt5y2kmmtwBRCtSagKaFpajd4Q4MMcXai2/s4128/ajuga%20bugleweed.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Blue flowers of Bugleweed (ajuga reptans)" border="0" data-original-height="3096" data-original-width="4128" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXLeog_yOdscci7jn22QKyYCHy1cj1L9e3ATe3s6rxOBmeTVNL_gjvqZ-TcEIIJRLzuTQZJHCUiYsO1iYM8wqcXJKK0f4jyrq5o6i6FOPeSsf9sne9Ss409iWhXoJ8O_543iA0McrbA5Tz40ZwAdDV7GK__HAt5y2kmmtwBRCtSagKaFpajd4Q4MMcXai2/w640-h480/ajuga%20bugleweed.jpg" title="Blue Bugleweed flowers" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Bugleweed - <i>ajuga reptans</i> <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The bugleweed has produced dozens of beautiful dark blue flower spikes with unusual square stalks.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEb0afeQnZ_yHTW7iIKvec6CX6WEsoL157AMVp9A-Mw1djD32LhCkgyxFNsMIoDKZEawr9Mw9sDpHrkH7a6_3CLxKKOpbpwsDZ-bjYm63srhkI9vB8Fjuuxetk9e0Ey5rTyLj-JMgf6PWt-PEUa0Dox3I9W74CMSDVUPwKDDx8lPZzKhT5fQh0mSFhz8Xy/s4128/Japanese%20maple%20Bloodgood%20acer%20palmatum.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="red Japanese maple leaves" border="0" data-original-height="3096" data-original-width="4128" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEb0afeQnZ_yHTW7iIKvec6CX6WEsoL157AMVp9A-Mw1djD32LhCkgyxFNsMIoDKZEawr9Mw9sDpHrkH7a6_3CLxKKOpbpwsDZ-bjYm63srhkI9vB8Fjuuxetk9e0Ey5rTyLj-JMgf6PWt-PEUa0Dox3I9W74CMSDVUPwKDDx8lPZzKhT5fQh0mSFhz8Xy/w640-h480/Japanese%20maple%20Bloodgood%20acer%20palmatum.jpg" title="Japanese maple leaves" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Japanese maple leaves - <i>acer palmatum</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;">I love the new maroon-coloured leaves that have opened up on the Japanese maple. I am not used to new leaves being anything other than bright green, so was surprised when these ones unfurled from their tight little buds.</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2G6hxpDmvi7JLTLIV4_bajD8654Y7ZyHx48PpTG00GtVWQZ_b_CQzTZyBH6CSHv2z0hsAxvsEhzWwEeMPehoiUt0Sk7meYGGTozSAGxqlclcnEy2eiZ5vXPjWiH9MHHd-aogMSaZZnB5JGICBEaatd8YSrrpZqoM2-PesIlBAA5wS5v_t2tLubo4o6CwQ/s4128/001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4128" data-original-width="3096" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2G6hxpDmvi7JLTLIV4_bajD8654Y7ZyHx48PpTG00GtVWQZ_b_CQzTZyBH6CSHv2z0hsAxvsEhzWwEeMPehoiUt0Sk7meYGGTozSAGxqlclcnEy2eiZ5vXPjWiH9MHHd-aogMSaZZnB5JGICBEaatd8YSrrpZqoM2-PesIlBAA5wS5v_t2tLubo4o6CwQ/w480-h640/001.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Another big surprise for me was to find that, what I thought was a dead, leafless olive tree, was not in-fact dead, nor was it an olive tree.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Over the past few weeks its new leaves appeared. I didn't look closely at them, I just thought that they were silvery-grey-green olive tree leaves. But when I decided to photograph the tree, to show you the olive tree that had come back to life, I noticed that the leaves were furry.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQlTSw9MQWEOJSaF1wQCLOcP-qe1ypA3zXiTCoQkgDl-katByOBFSDDFfMgEvFhQw1Pmx0jG_JrYwjjfVQtSUf2BrCrsKP5IkTLLyV74dLNjekUrGBkGlaSLMNSntjhRwv8zceHUJagK63CzX_Y18Yh39o3xHgGoLzh4Owb80ESJWoJjx6AzexZCiZlfgG/s4128/002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4128" data-original-width="3096" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQlTSw9MQWEOJSaF1wQCLOcP-qe1ypA3zXiTCoQkgDl-katByOBFSDDFfMgEvFhQw1Pmx0jG_JrYwjjfVQtSUf2BrCrsKP5IkTLLyV74dLNjekUrGBkGlaSLMNSntjhRwv8zceHUJagK63CzX_Y18Yh39o3xHgGoLzh4Owb80ESJWoJjx6AzexZCiZlfgG/w480-h640/002.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Most definitely not an olive tree! </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I have no idea of which type of tree this is, nor if it will produce flowers and fruit. Do you have any ideas about what this tree is?<br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">What has been happening in your garden this month?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">See you again soon.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Hugs, Rose x</span></div>Rose Petalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998936212351555661noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3399013680692193889.post-78681764545580712972023-10-31T21:40:00.005+13:002023-10-31T21:40:54.483+13:00Happy Halloween!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN69RZPfqehrRxS8MULnVvd3MOqmNHRn8iRUNs21HitH9xYyv8s1jTE_aug30J8xXyMO-QmzglZfEA3MCIJWKEuAIpH889Rifdq2LFE8skeo-rJ3MU1gDnamgJC12Ob49czcMLjp1wHUaHaN0AoUJy9iJ6dkYTBDW6LD_E7Egv4R56Pe8nU8dnIuEhH6lt/s831/Halloween%20greetings.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Halloween greetings card" border="0" data-original-height="614" data-original-width="831" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN69RZPfqehrRxS8MULnVvd3MOqmNHRn8iRUNs21HitH9xYyv8s1jTE_aug30J8xXyMO-QmzglZfEA3MCIJWKEuAIpH889Rifdq2LFE8skeo-rJ3MU1gDnamgJC12Ob49czcMLjp1wHUaHaN0AoUJy9iJ6dkYTBDW6LD_E7Egv4R56Pe8nU8dnIuEhH6lt/w640-h472/Halloween%20greetings.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">We had a fun early Halloween, called "Fright Night" on Saturday evening. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Dozens of houses in our village were set up for the children in the neighbourhood to go trick or treating. We registered as a safe house where the younger children could come trick or treating. Others set up spooky houses for the older children. Then afterwards the children went to watch the film Beetlejuice at the village hall.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzugsENKjknrz7h0466XsVAjIt25C-O_ATJ6YFBWjGnUHCKTjgeY9OgCPD-lVdSCxfjBYHSOQ_fkiDxuWCZsCZsgENvG34FW6iw2KprXNHegobaqXo_HxfLaNh9dg4STvHnhkSHpuanZHVLL52LqWfAbnkEbY_g0vRQNBY6MI8XmaGujg4QhPaeYzOWOlN/s4128/Trick%20or%20treat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="Halloween sweets in a basket" border="0" data-original-height="4128" data-original-width="3096" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzugsENKjknrz7h0466XsVAjIt25C-O_ATJ6YFBWjGnUHCKTjgeY9OgCPD-lVdSCxfjBYHSOQ_fkiDxuWCZsCZsgENvG34FW6iw2KprXNHegobaqXo_HxfLaNh9dg4STvHnhkSHpuanZHVLL52LqWfAbnkEbY_g0vRQNBY6MI8XmaGujg4QhPaeYzOWOlN/w480-h640/Trick%20or%20treat.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I was on a very tight budget, so spent most of it filling a basket with halloween-themed sweets and plastic spider rings. These were placed on a chair that I draped with a metre of black tulle that was decorated with ghosts.</span></p><span style="font-family: arial;">Then I made paper decorations, both 3-D and 2-D, which I found free downloads for online on the Canon Creative Park website. I had great fun with scissors and glue making them.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The decorations were hung on the plant growing in a pot on the front doorstep. And the Halloween picture, that I printed and cut out, was taped to the front door.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I bought a length of glittery orange spider web patterned wired ribbon and decorated the basket and the plant with it. Plus </span><span style="font-family: arial;">I bought lots of plastic spiders and spread them around the front door.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd5ojoHYSq3L1wpQxJh8MjPEOT8s7nO5lAs-oMGKSsc4vmZ49Gm97Z5ZsGdiqgEM9Faloj2ihEch0cgMKjjWL56MqmOF7nDNCxwgWLV0zHLrr_VyvvpwtHIizFXt8to5bw7H3tAQi85_3lHlsBSOoiuPa1Krhzb_HrgHttOUruEEzUKHnpItBDArIcHwBQ/s4128/Halloween.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="Front door decorated for Halloween" border="0" data-original-height="4128" data-original-width="3096" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd5ojoHYSq3L1wpQxJh8MjPEOT8s7nO5lAs-oMGKSsc4vmZ49Gm97Z5ZsGdiqgEM9Faloj2ihEch0cgMKjjWL56MqmOF7nDNCxwgWLV0zHLrr_VyvvpwtHIizFXt8to5bw7H3tAQi85_3lHlsBSOoiuPa1Krhzb_HrgHttOUruEEzUKHnpItBDArIcHwBQ/w480-h640/Halloween.jpg" width="480" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I dressed up in black and white and wore a large floppy purple witches hat that I bought for $9 at a party shop.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Lots of children visited our house in groups with their parents. One boy said ours was the best house :o) I think that may have been because I let the children have a spider ring as well as sweets! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">One child asked if he could have a big spider, so I said yes, and he put his sweets back in the basket and took a spider lol. I tried to tell him that he could also keep his sweets, but he was too excited about the big spider. It was so cute.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The village that I lived in before didn't have children doing trick or treat because all the houses were on large blocks of land and were spaced far apart down long driveways. Instead they held a party at the local village hall for the children each Halloween.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">This is the first time that I have experienced trick or treat at Halloween. Mum and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, I think as much, if not more, than the children.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Do you do anything at Halloween?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">See you again soon.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Hugs, Rose</span></p>Rose Petalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998936212351555661noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3399013680692193889.post-69894840173547780432023-10-23T19:42:00.000+13:002023-10-23T19:42:12.177+13:00When life gives you delicious lemons…<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgYSK-slBDYM03cz7XJ4BtYb4s96Iji3hyu3NUTISs0GC1hNmGd5gJw8BQmGhoBDCxh-mG2Q6Bt59BwRppwAysgaUcQeUDextCQdvSbSr9XmvVGsklnfkOU74ppAmSpZVregwJUQSTvzlnZmRQVy03XQ572So5zkDqBMOiqQ0ZTiKFxGaBx0HCwePj70vYh" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="a glut of home grown lemons Happy Ramblings blog" data-original-height="4128" data-original-width="3096" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgYSK-slBDYM03cz7XJ4BtYb4s96Iji3hyu3NUTISs0GC1hNmGd5gJw8BQmGhoBDCxh-mG2Q6Bt59BwRppwAysgaUcQeUDextCQdvSbSr9XmvVGsklnfkOU74ppAmSpZVregwJUQSTvzlnZmRQVy03XQ572So5zkDqBMOiqQ0ZTiKFxGaBx0HCwePj70vYh=w480-h640" title="yellow lemons in a bowl" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Plenty of lemons!</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Lemon meringue pie was the first thing that came to mind when I saw how many lemons were ripening on our lemon tree. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">I have never seen a tree so full.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Lemon meringue pie...d</span><span style="font-family: arial;">elicious, fluffy, sweet meringue, with a tangy lemon filling, in a crisp sweet pastry crust. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Yummy!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">This was the first time that I have ever attempted to make lemon meringue pie, I just had to give it a go. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I was doubtful about using our oven at first because the temperature markings on the oven dials have all rubbed off. (I don't know how the previous owner managed, maybe that was why they moved house lol). </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">After about 15 minutes of fiddling with an oven thermometer and turning the dial this way and that, I managed to heat the oven to the correct temperature. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg9oSXIRE9nO6WiibTfnozU-DvLMtAHTTHxN5Y4QrrCFbEHFLAzl91Ce6Lr69Bb_Xtp9QD56aCd2cxd_yB_aqoxUWTBQugaMKpD9xFkrl-OBPBMH30znvSCKH0L1Tm1KS8NM9gb5-XDir32fsLXZpM4fMWiXaynisvUriQGQu8ycC6oHraSb1a7X8diRO97" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="using a Kenwood food processor" data-original-height="4128" data-original-width="3096" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg9oSXIRE9nO6WiibTfnozU-DvLMtAHTTHxN5Y4QrrCFbEHFLAzl91Ce6Lr69Bb_Xtp9QD56aCd2cxd_yB_aqoxUWTBQugaMKpD9xFkrl-OBPBMH30znvSCKH0L1Tm1KS8NM9gb5-XDir32fsLXZpM4fMWiXaynisvUriQGQu8ycC6oHraSb1a7X8diRO97=w480-h640" title="mixing pastry in a Kenwood food processor" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Using a Kenwood food processor to make pastry</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;">I decided to make the pastry using our Kenwood food processor, which we have had for many years and had never used before. Luckily, we hadn't lost the manual for it during our house move. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">On my first attempt, the pastry didn't form into a ball, per the instructions. Then I realised my mistake, I was using the sharp chopping blade instead of the blunt blade! Within a few seconds of correcting this mistake, the pastry worked and formed a ball.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgK8C0mvgJaiPZgm-QREW-kCuRTTwPN6lG89w5HXUZubadNYEdfRN7J1m3EGZfsRpkC8I0yXljiiPxIRHiGRD_koS6-Eyw-2sqtugu97wm9g9K-LpdhEK2KP7O19rAnruS_qgpvrIMLoTlCv-fAiI_qR-vwvtGkXTRJjCz5HpAOqUnZIGU5Lv1_UIW1LtcO" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="making a lemon meringue pie" data-original-height="4128" data-original-width="3096" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgK8C0mvgJaiPZgm-QREW-kCuRTTwPN6lG89w5HXUZubadNYEdfRN7J1m3EGZfsRpkC8I0yXljiiPxIRHiGRD_koS6-Eyw-2sqtugu97wm9g9K-LpdhEK2KP7O19rAnruS_qgpvrIMLoTlCv-fAiI_qR-vwvtGkXTRJjCz5HpAOqUnZIGU5Lv1_UIW1LtcO=w480-h640" title="lemon meringue pie case and curd" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Baked pastry case with lemon filling</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;">I used Deliah Smith's sweet pastry recipe that she uses for her lemon tart. Then, for the lemon filling and meringue I used an old Good Housekeeping recipe that my sister uses all the time.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgt8zIy1DoYF0XrmyHXbnyxUGbJb_pqZV1m7MQPnyywUoy5MoKhyp5lIVagfPrb8gO_VOpm8xPzbiSiiRRob4_2vO3uELhka_pCXSUO8_1QKsh2kYPQvOIAn4G3jPhXVEbEcesig6-2t1t7g0aA_cMmWd-m69N3Ujn51-M9bE8AYw79rqHnAq1X1Is5kccD" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="baked lemon meringue pie Happy Ramblings" data-original-height="3845" data-original-width="3076" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgt8zIy1DoYF0XrmyHXbnyxUGbJb_pqZV1m7MQPnyywUoy5MoKhyp5lIVagfPrb8gO_VOpm8xPzbiSiiRRob4_2vO3uELhka_pCXSUO8_1QKsh2kYPQvOIAn4G3jPhXVEbEcesig6-2t1t7g0aA_cMmWd-m69N3Ujn51-M9bE8AYw79rqHnAq1X1Is5kccD=w512-h640" title="lemon meringue pie in flan dish" width="512" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Baked lemon meringue pie</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;">The pie behaved as it should in the oven, and it looked and smelt delicious. Then I had to wait and wait for it to cool down before I could serve it.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">My mouth was watering. I resisted all attempts to "taste test" the meringue and pie crust. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">After 3 hours I couldn't wait any longer to serve the lemon meringue pie. The sides of the pie dish were cold. The bottom of the dish was only slightly tepid.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMAFVMX1wSlIxvj4ka_tLbcWpLpMz0iS1gBMFUiE7witwyYWlKXGYSpUsLZZ96EP-OpWqmh37iqDIVw5JkRifTQlQGjHl1gRHO1YcQlLMttuLbg3HAkhZ_h4t3jybFm4t4xF4nEoOP2te4YfrUkfOWPxi8owOskFvElWPPPghFAbcMyYY6oNnSA788ceIf" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="slice of lemon meringue pie" data-original-height="4128" data-original-width="3096" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMAFVMX1wSlIxvj4ka_tLbcWpLpMz0iS1gBMFUiE7witwyYWlKXGYSpUsLZZ96EP-OpWqmh37iqDIVw5JkRifTQlQGjHl1gRHO1YcQlLMttuLbg3HAkhZ_h4t3jybFm4t4xF4nEoOP2te4YfrUkfOWPxi8owOskFvElWPPPghFAbcMyYY6oNnSA788ceIf=w480-h640" title="slice of lemon meringue pie - Happy Ramblings" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Lemon meringue pie ready to eat?</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;">I should have waited longer...the filling wasn't quite set. But at least I managed to slice the pie and serve it and it did taste delicious 😋</span><p></p></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The next thing on my to-do-list is to try making lemon curd!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Have you ever tried making lemon meringue pie and/or lemon curd?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">See you again soon.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Hugs, Rose x</span></div>Rose Petalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998936212351555661noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3399013680692193889.post-43010085852177232542023-10-13T18:56:00.001+13:002023-10-14T19:37:02.205+13:00My cat Otto is up to mischief with jigsaw puzzles!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSQL7GxZZd59tTRfXlW5z6CdphQYCUsZJjZNB8zWxyEU5ypf0MExAwFVjSFzpBeU09LY6DkQWVSvC4ijqjbweg7jStGTqmFZacMGjZHO-Cs3HlfqLcWnCK1sx39ObjagRm0qVeh_44fkt43ocbzW2v8einjYnk8T9ddClsNgliszbR6mPr6bZ_A21bnk3Y/s809/0.01%20Otto.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Cat playing with jigsaw puzzle" border="0" data-original-height="809" data-original-width="557" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSQL7GxZZd59tTRfXlW5z6CdphQYCUsZJjZNB8zWxyEU5ypf0MExAwFVjSFzpBeU09LY6DkQWVSvC4ijqjbweg7jStGTqmFZacMGjZHO-Cs3HlfqLcWnCK1sx39ObjagRm0qVeh_44fkt43ocbzW2v8einjYnk8T9ddClsNgliszbR6mPr6bZ_A21bnk3Y/w440-h640/0.01%20Otto.JPG" title="My cat Otto is up to mischief with jigsaw puzzles!" width="440" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3QEeme-NXC_RNgrqoa39LmRYhnoaiNzbtxi82eGXH6OjIsQSP8V-R2IdjI-_qLACANLS2HdyN8sh867yQLaL0X5PAOCItY07xOYnOv4b2RZMQMCcEQTSg8Wh1h7ZepMiIeEX4izfWF8MpuDR8zyFBSZ7HiYazeXoxc1GhUvld28RgsJQEDgVOzxNmSJv4/s811/0.05%20Otto.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Cat playing with jigsaw puzzle" border="0" data-original-height="811" data-original-width="561" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3QEeme-NXC_RNgrqoa39LmRYhnoaiNzbtxi82eGXH6OjIsQSP8V-R2IdjI-_qLACANLS2HdyN8sh867yQLaL0X5PAOCItY07xOYnOv4b2RZMQMCcEQTSg8Wh1h7ZepMiIeEX4izfWF8MpuDR8zyFBSZ7HiYazeXoxc1GhUvld28RgsJQEDgVOzxNmSJv4/w442-h640/0.05%20Otto.JPG" title="My cat Otto is up to mischief with jigsaw puzzles" width="442" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihjt2mQYXJExvF006IhGEL_XSeqGwrBFqFk_jYb_yX6Yx2shECGrLAhMEZRLpoZ8r-_d5DRDMSADa-5wlbzETtxuIrSz-8Vy_00Y_eZ95O5PbhIKg8OgXRrODLm0Zz-TgVj2Q_aLVT7kGGLm71XLJKhyphenhyphenuXAxeSp9HAHNl6WGzk1avildynYSwS4gIIG2Rd/s812/0.06%20Otto.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="cat chewing jigsaw puzzle piece" border="0" data-original-height="812" data-original-width="561" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihjt2mQYXJExvF006IhGEL_XSeqGwrBFqFk_jYb_yX6Yx2shECGrLAhMEZRLpoZ8r-_d5DRDMSADa-5wlbzETtxuIrSz-8Vy_00Y_eZ95O5PbhIKg8OgXRrODLm0Zz-TgVj2Q_aLVT7kGGLm71XLJKhyphenhyphenuXAxeSp9HAHNl6WGzk1avildynYSwS4gIIG2Rd/w442-h640/0.06%20Otto.JPG" title="Otto eating jigsaw puzzle" width="442" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">My cat Otto has taken to helping me with solving jigsaw puzzles. He knows the moment I start working on a puzzle and appears, on the table, from wherever he is in the house within seconds! I am sure that he has a built-in radar that senses the slightest movement I make around the dining table where I do my puzzling.</span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The funny thing is that when mum and dad work on a jigsaw puzzle, Otto isn't the least bit interested in it. It's only when I have a go that Otto has an irresistible urge to jump on the table and "help". I have tried to creep silently into the dining room when Otto is fast asleep, somewhere in the house, but to no avail. Otto is guaranteed to appear. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Here are Otto's instructions for the different methods he uses in helping with a jigsaw puzzle:</u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">1) Run across the table and stop abruptly on the jigsaw as it skids across and off the table. It is more fun if the entire puzzle lands on the floor.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">2) Sit on a dining chair and paw one puzzle piece until it falls off the table. Repeat as many times as desired.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">3) Sit or lie in the jigsaw puzzle box, full of pieces, and one by one pick pieces up and toss them onto the table amongst the pieces that have been sorted.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">4) Pretend to sleep in the jigsaw box full of pieces, until Rose, who is also "playing" with the jigsaw, is off-guard, and then pounce onto the jigsaw puzzle.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">4) Sit in the box and grab a mouthful of jigsaw pieces and run off with them, dropping the pieces along the way.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">5) Lie on the puzzle, as part of quality control, to make sure that all of the jigsaw pieces are lying flat. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">6) If the jigsaw pieces aren't thought to be in the correct place, correct it by rolling over and over on the puzzle. Or bat the pieces around to rearrange them. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">7) The best way to "help" is when Rose is doing a vintage puzzle with all the pieces hidden in a calico bag. Proceed to push the bag around the table until it opens. Once the bag is opened take one, two or three pieces by mouth and chew them, then drop them and get more pieces out of the bag. It is more fun if Rose thinks that the jigsaw piece is going to get swallowed! (Three steps of this process were caught in the photos above).<br /></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP_f3nNDUmXcZqoMTAh7T34CBfV6L648X0pmeRJ6t56D9I1qThXllM2t0YCmDhp8Chh6itoGVK9zc_U6CMayhFLr13ZuBshkumNIIf38-Y88hja1ERUD4dQX8RjDEPQU0HO1nrMffKzQPsCV6FnoYbVKZUb6SFK2C_2Wqe9HSe26naWSzdSv1FBjc-KwAu/s4128/Otto%20sitting%20on%20jigsaw%20puzzle.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Cat sitting on completed jigsaw puzzle" border="0" data-original-height="4128" data-original-width="3096" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP_f3nNDUmXcZqoMTAh7T34CBfV6L648X0pmeRJ6t56D9I1qThXllM2t0YCmDhp8Chh6itoGVK9zc_U6CMayhFLr13ZuBshkumNIIf38-Y88hja1ERUD4dQX8RjDEPQU0HO1nrMffKzQPsCV6FnoYbVKZUb6SFK2C_2Wqe9HSe26naWSzdSv1FBjc-KwAu/w480-h640/Otto%20sitting%20on%20jigsaw%20puzzle.jpg" title="Cat inspecting completed jigsaw puzzle" width="480" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Luckily, I always, eventually, find all of the 1000 jigsaw puzzle pieces. So far, they have all been located in the dining room.</div><div><br /></div>And here is Otto posing with his finished jigsaw puzzle. It only took him a couple of weeks to <strike>destroy</strike> complete!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7OVXHLWdMuHzN4OzLl1kMqMskhBeDpfBMx7Qw6UIy_OXJSM_wso2X-zbpDXOTGTssn5Ja1wHiMh6UCaWsV8Gx74M0QNyE3IcHP8KgJHGPi7_9quSm0LreQzv7eb3ck_2SSPX2LWiYDNDOupFlFbpxNZZnqkVG2gSNzemvx1wEEJaszjJLviKi0P745Ahy/s3774/wildflower%20jigsaw%20puzzle.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Completed vintage wildflower jigsaw puzzle" border="0" data-original-height="3774" data-original-width="3096" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7OVXHLWdMuHzN4OzLl1kMqMskhBeDpfBMx7Qw6UIy_OXJSM_wso2X-zbpDXOTGTssn5Ja1wHiMh6UCaWsV8Gx74M0QNyE3IcHP8KgJHGPi7_9quSm0LreQzv7eb3ck_2SSPX2LWiYDNDOupFlFbpxNZZnqkVG2gSNzemvx1wEEJaszjJLviKi0P745Ahy/w526-h640/wildflower%20jigsaw%20puzzle.jpg" title="completed Cavallini vintage wildflower jigsaw puzzle" width="526" /></a></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Dad is now addicted to jigsaw puzzling too. We only have two more puzzles left to do, so mum and I went to the local Op shops (charity shops) today looking for more puzzles. We managed to find five 1000-piece puzzles which we thought dad would like. Most of them cost around $6 and $7 each. So much cheaper than buying them new, especially when we do so many now that we are settled into our new house. They are so absorbing and a good activity to exercise our brains on a rainy day or evening.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">When we finish the jigsaw puzzles, we pass most of them on to my sister, who then passes them on to her friends, and they eventually get donated back to the Op shops to be sold again. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">I keep the Cavallini vintage puzzles, in the cylindrical boxes, as I get quite attached to them and find them hard to part with.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">What do you do for fun on a rainy day?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">See you again soon.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Hugs, Rose x</span></div></div>Rose Petalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998936212351555661noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3399013680692193889.post-72900188134733867402023-10-06T19:11:00.000+13:002023-10-06T19:11:01.158+13:00Spring treasures in my garden<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeSyvSgwqO_DypU2DdSg0N1ehwZ7zjjG_tWiaPJ3aJtHC1-8WJ35MD7Qgtd_6SdraMvC7Wnhn-cybAQFQeJoI7g9peV4zCRERz3QKZwVnRHJfVP0R4u1gUrGrLhYrzZgbSfz-x2q5r8j-1zw_mkiVLvlw64foX8chjG-R1ekSx1eSC68NquF3ag_R8-qjy/s3131/Blueberry%20blossom.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3131" data-original-width="3096" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeSyvSgwqO_DypU2DdSg0N1ehwZ7zjjG_tWiaPJ3aJtHC1-8WJ35MD7Qgtd_6SdraMvC7Wnhn-cybAQFQeJoI7g9peV4zCRERz3QKZwVnRHJfVP0R4u1gUrGrLhYrzZgbSfz-x2q5r8j-1zw_mkiVLvlw64foX8chjG-R1ekSx1eSC68NquF3ag_R8-qjy/w632-h640/Blueberry%20blossom.jpg" width="632" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blueberry blossom<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;">I had a lot of fun taking close-up Springtime photos of blossoms, buds and leaves using my cell-phone camera this week. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">I was hoping to photograph the many honeybees on the blueberry blossom, but they were too fast for me, and it was rather windy. I'm surprised my photos didn't come out all blurry! </span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I love the pink blush on the blueberry flower petals and their light blue-grey frosted sepals. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Most of the blueberry blossom has been pollinated now. The flowers are already starting to drop off the bushes, leaving behind tiny, newly-formed berries.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimw9JchsE4wbi0JTlcBtG60GnlORa5_EizXfVR15hnqAb6-TKVRr-ZF5HXhwkPtHGd8c8kqVDMnnIO7AWK_OnOluKvPqKE-LdHymfr5oyof768GeGj6WZ1tm_SG-U1O-ULUxzNRfv9rHNNbTauvlcbnQum2mDtUm6z8B8m1T4e5bnj08IC_5DEhVnagER4/s3724/new%20fig%20leaves%20in%20Spring.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3724" data-original-width="3096" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimw9JchsE4wbi0JTlcBtG60GnlORa5_EizXfVR15hnqAb6-TKVRr-ZF5HXhwkPtHGd8c8kqVDMnnIO7AWK_OnOluKvPqKE-LdHymfr5oyof768GeGj6WZ1tm_SG-U1O-ULUxzNRfv9rHNNbTauvlcbnQum2mDtUm6z8B8m1T4e5bnj08IC_5DEhVnagER4/w532-h640/new%20fig%20leaves%20in%20Spring.jpg" width="532" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spring fig leaves</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;">The fig trees are quickly coming to life with gorgeous, fresh green leaves. Such a nice change from seeing bare twigs. The trees are quite prehistoric looking.</span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy74g1yTgly_Z9gv4F93PkIn37LHe-6k3BwhsqgxknFwrfsXNo8ao9gLDj4jKCqUUCrJipmQBDLQLpTlfU3OhxQc-1MyE0EWiBCzaMsxNcMrrYx2ii1lhFUysBqoLXesc9IV09oTBSxmdjM5lDFLnK-TKK0KJpL3_a6uozPkUVKID-xgf5V0fDD0P1jXXk/s3096/blackberry%20or%20boysenberry%20blossom.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2663" data-original-width="3096" height="550" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy74g1yTgly_Z9gv4F93PkIn37LHe-6k3BwhsqgxknFwrfsXNo8ao9gLDj4jKCqUUCrJipmQBDLQLpTlfU3OhxQc-1MyE0EWiBCzaMsxNcMrrYx2ii1lhFUysBqoLXesc9IV09oTBSxmdjM5lDFLnK-TKK0KJpL3_a6uozPkUVKID-xgf5V0fDD0P1jXXk/w640-h550/blackberry%20or%20boysenberry%20blossom.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thornless berry blossom<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;">I've yet to discover which type of berry these thornless plants will produce. The blossom looks like it may be blackberry or boysenberry, but I have no idea really. Any guesses?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Dad cut out all the dead and damaged berry canes yesterday and I tied up the new fresh ones along a system of wires and posts. This really should have been done before the new canes sprouted leaves. Hopefully no damage has been done by doing this now. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgag8u6-WlQ0XhfOelt_TXVSG_RuJnpF_KO5zjyljQepa4s0QEDzs1ZTInlRB_3sElxHV7_OKxN2W9-ud2bhRxLQh0Ntw8T5ev1zAmgWMdVYE9W8ynj0MDp0Wq8l_7L9F425WHiIP1QXEGsmncuJDuPQ9IGAzXunky_J9cpgx6GwHOtg5O84k6FBwgINV-s/s4128/Yellow%20cherry%20guava%20buds.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4128" data-original-width="3096" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgag8u6-WlQ0XhfOelt_TXVSG_RuJnpF_KO5zjyljQepa4s0QEDzs1ZTInlRB_3sElxHV7_OKxN2W9-ud2bhRxLQh0Ntw8T5ev1zAmgWMdVYE9W8ynj0MDp0Wq8l_7L9F425WHiIP1QXEGsmncuJDuPQ9IGAzXunky_J9cpgx6GwHOtg5O84k6FBwgINV-s/w480-h640/Yellow%20cherry%20guava%20buds.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yellow cherry guava buds<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;">The yellow cherry guava tree is covered in little flower buds waiting to open. There are also some small cherry guavas on the tree still to ripen from last season.</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjohML2W7xuUKZGmDH8qvw3mTrEnE5WNL6Qt583RkhUSosHOPMFRXPVdOBs0YQd-S0K9_kiIIA7p60yjBGRekI05iFeT4JXWWhGNd1nzWnFS83F1rrKw0JuuxjjIZkWhDZU_Lf3y5wQrLTwIM_6JOyHCX7B67bQFUM098fS8sZbXED9vIvPtVE0gNw7VnUJ/s3669/orange%20blossom.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2115" data-original-width="3669" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjohML2W7xuUKZGmDH8qvw3mTrEnE5WNL6Qt583RkhUSosHOPMFRXPVdOBs0YQd-S0K9_kiIIA7p60yjBGRekI05iFeT4JXWWhGNd1nzWnFS83F1rrKw0JuuxjjIZkWhDZU_Lf3y5wQrLTwIM_6JOyHCX7B67bQFUM098fS8sZbXED9vIvPtVE0gNw7VnUJ/w640-h368/orange%20blossom.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Naval orange blossom</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;">We finished harvesting the last of the naval oranges for the season a couple of weeks ago. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Mum enjoyed eating the last one that was sitting in the fruit bowl today. They were very juicy, full of flavour and smelt delicious.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The orange blossom was opening on the tree while the oranges were ripening. There are hundreds of flowers waiting to be pollinated! </span><span style="font-family: arial;">It will be almost a year before we'll get more oranges from this tree. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We need to continue to feed the tree with citrus tree food, and make sure that the soil doesn't dry out over Summer, so that the fruit will be juicy when it's time to pick them.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUGy0AYYV7PNrTVVnA9i_vuP7I68xQXMPMC5RS3DzJw0w089W7vQ0En2_a33_U2uiHdtdH9dkbu9YPN3bnCc8AIJWFqFYaHMroTpNrV_44x5BSqWFUKFNgRl_3hopYML5skLr4NgDcDBfICULKMYnHCdP2hVp4QChBNmZRPKIkj_S-1sQCqjdxGOQN2M25/s3485/Feijoa%20flower%20buds%20and%20new%20leaves.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3485" data-original-width="3096" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUGy0AYYV7PNrTVVnA9i_vuP7I68xQXMPMC5RS3DzJw0w089W7vQ0En2_a33_U2uiHdtdH9dkbu9YPN3bnCc8AIJWFqFYaHMroTpNrV_44x5BSqWFUKFNgRl_3hopYML5skLr4NgDcDBfICULKMYnHCdP2hVp4QChBNmZRPKIkj_S-1sQCqjdxGOQN2M25/w568-h640/Feijoa%20flower%20buds%20and%20new%20leaves.jpg" width="568" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Feijoa buds and new leaves<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;">The feijoa (pineapple guava) tree looks promising, it is full of flower buds waiting to open and there are lots of new leaves. I'm hoping that the tui birds that visit our garden will find the feijoa flowers to pollinate them. Tuis love to drink the nectar that the feijoa flowers produce.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0F96UrMBL0rwvMSIg1cMcEldFHgWMtkSgfeP3aKwNDqoLrwsWvYRoWUW9Ylwf_k6J-S9-ddfj2jVGuJLqk3000d8WIIXlTUEDGCTBLJBvFCxRPqNlgwBHyxLVNWHLJMcrtub5EJFWl7oO_jOc2-_EC9W-P3nQmVWPCxAsOB73ChVGA9vvUgyeJU8_xRkO/s2420/wild%20strawberry%20with%20yellow%20flowers.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2420" data-original-width="2367" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0F96UrMBL0rwvMSIg1cMcEldFHgWMtkSgfeP3aKwNDqoLrwsWvYRoWUW9Ylwf_k6J-S9-ddfj2jVGuJLqk3000d8WIIXlTUEDGCTBLJBvFCxRPqNlgwBHyxLVNWHLJMcrtub5EJFWl7oO_jOc2-_EC9W-P3nQmVWPCxAsOB73ChVGA9vvUgyeJU8_xRkO/w626-h640/wild%20strawberry%20with%20yellow%20flowers.jpg" width="626" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yellow wild strawberry flower</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;">I discovered some wild strawberry clumps growing in the garden near the quince tree. Amazingly they have yellow flowers instead of white. I didn't realise, until I looked it up on the internet, that there are yellow-flowered wild strawberries as well as white ones. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">There was one t</span><span style="font-family: arial;">iny red strawberry on one plant which had been partly eaten by something. It didn't look appealing at all and hasn't been included in my list of fruit in my garden. I will let the blackbirds enjoy them if that's what they like :)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX86e-2S9drMXBkfHcnJW3KewJwni9BsKCluT1Q9W_dhrxS1w_6xKRezGWrXbpK4HJ9qb1SZJgiri6tzGnVBFIBlfk4B8YdkQWj01tjel9nlwCgtu0YIjGjelB6VNGQfL5mUFI9JoQFRs9aHqH_xDZy0xq_4tYM8tRFUY1zftQAmdfXAkATLPAl55dqYYx/s2800/the%20fist%20plum%20blossom.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2800" data-original-width="2735" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX86e-2S9drMXBkfHcnJW3KewJwni9BsKCluT1Q9W_dhrxS1w_6xKRezGWrXbpK4HJ9qb1SZJgiri6tzGnVBFIBlfk4B8YdkQWj01tjel9nlwCgtu0YIjGjelB6VNGQfL5mUFI9JoQFRs9aHqH_xDZy0xq_4tYM8tRFUY1zftQAmdfXAkATLPAl55dqYYx/w626-h640/the%20fist%20plum%20blossom.jpg" width="626" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plum blossom</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;">The plum blossom is starting to open up and it smells lovely. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">There are quite a few buds on the tree :) </span><span style="font-family: arial;">The previous owner said that the tree is a Black Doris plum. We should hopefully get some plums from it around Christmas time.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The plum tree branches are covered in lichen, which I read is a sign of healthy air. I read that lichen doesn't harm the trees that it grows on. However, dad thinks that this tree is dying. I hope not. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeDBdPUJioHozyZv3YFlqCN551v0f0YFGbdfd2lQLYWNUzj7FyoN6kEcSruQ-hqZmCuOZ8aFzHRjXjr6CWPUznskZHJpZoWyKpIEPl5bcnQpT9XLwiNuZomH4Ab8jbIMLsT-yTsXmfxKWJmOz_-2HzbpC2O1vFuR2B6V07XZXzmSRe6qNQ0HdOpTu49erL/s3460/new%20spring%20leaves%20on%20quince%20tree.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3460" data-original-width="3096" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeDBdPUJioHozyZv3YFlqCN551v0f0YFGbdfd2lQLYWNUzj7FyoN6kEcSruQ-hqZmCuOZ8aFzHRjXjr6CWPUznskZHJpZoWyKpIEPl5bcnQpT9XLwiNuZomH4Ab8jbIMLsT-yTsXmfxKWJmOz_-2HzbpC2O1vFuR2B6V07XZXzmSRe6qNQ0HdOpTu49erL/w572-h640/new%20spring%20leaves%20on%20quince%20tree.jpg" width="572" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New quince leaves</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;">This little cluster of leaves is the only sign of life on the quince tree so far. I'm hoping that there will be a lot more new growth to follow. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We discovered the quince tree when we were tidying up some overgrown bushes. The tree was right in the middle and looking very sorry for itself. Dad gave the tree some fertilizer and we tidied up the weeds that were growing at its base.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I hope that the tree recovers as I've never tried quinces before, nor have I seen them for sale in the shops.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I'm having fun <span style="font-family: arial;">checking the fruit trees and bushes for new growth. </span>I love </span><span style="font-family: arial;">the surprises I get each time I go out into our new garden, and t</span><span style="font-family: arial;">here are so many good things to look forward to!</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">See you again soon. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Hugs, Rose xxx</span></div>Rose Petalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998936212351555661noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3399013680692193889.post-89407166890133263562023-09-30T18:28:00.000+13:002023-09-30T18:28:01.947+13:0022 varieties of fruit in our new garden!<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7lCulVtxQ4jRmhpv24OsFm2kzfaftw2ErKeNXjUOtBs3fGWqVWrC0Gux1Ke52USY8j7l6z26fGmpQDgAfTvGH0kNev61GuSIVn2y4rjuWKfw1WTyomIWxFmemqejGPt88V3DXAIhTLIszAHyw1E6wPQoN-oz8uyB_ydsKhGVVEptwPUC9rXYp1S7RoP1h/s4032/lemon%20tree.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Meyer Lemon" border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7lCulVtxQ4jRmhpv24OsFm2kzfaftw2ErKeNXjUOtBs3fGWqVWrC0Gux1Ke52USY8j7l6z26fGmpQDgAfTvGH0kNev61GuSIVn2y4rjuWKfw1WTyomIWxFmemqejGPt88V3DXAIhTLIszAHyw1E6wPQoN-oz8uyB_ydsKhGVVEptwPUC9rXYp1S7RoP1h/w480-h640/lemon%20tree.jpg" title="Meyer Lemon" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meyer Lemon<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;">I have just made a list of all of the different kinds of fruit trees, bushes and plants that I could identify in our new garden and was amazed at the number; 22 in all! So much variety, I am so happy. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;"><u>There are 4 different kinds of berries:</u></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;">- <i>Blueberries</i>, which are flowering at the moment, on last years' growth. </span><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;">T</span><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;">he previous owner told me that they harvested 5kg of blueberries last year off the three bushes. </span><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;">The bees and the tiny wax-eye birds are pollinating the </span><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;">flowers at the moment and are loving the pollen and nectar after the long Winter. Once the flowers are pollinated, they drop off the bushes leaving the fruiting-body behind to develop into yummy blueberries for us (and the blackbirds and thrushes no doubt) to eat.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;">- <i>Thornless Blackberries or similar berry? </i>One side of the house is filled with berry canes that are now just beginning to flower. I cannot tell from the plants which type of berry they are, but I like all berries lol. The question is, should I be cutting out the old canes now and just leaving the new canes in place?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;">- <i>Raspberries. </i>Just 3 canes of these starting to show Spring-growth.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;">- <i>Orangeberries, </i>these are trailing along the ground at the side of the house, near the lavender and raspberries. I don't know if the previous owner was successful in getting any fruit off the orangeberry plants. They are supposed to be temperamental when it comes to fruiting here in New Zealand.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;"><u>6 different kinds of citrus tree:</u></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;"><i>- Lemons</i>, fruiting now. They are Meyer lemons, large, yellow and juicy. Quite different in lemony-flavour than Lisbon lemons. Lovely to use a slice in a cup of tea, to use in some cooking recipes and of course, baking. Lemon meringue pie comes to mind, yummy!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;"><i>- Naval Oranges. </i>We have just finished picking the last of these. There is only one orange left in the fruit bowl now. They were delicious, juicy and full of flavour. Much better than shop-bought ones.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;"><i>- Blood Oranges. </i>These weren't successful in producing any fruit this year and there are no flowers on the tree. The leaves are yellowing. The tree looks as if it has been neglected. Dad and I gave all of the citrus trees a good dose of citrus tree fertiliser, plus some Epsom salts for all of the yellow-leafed citrus. I read that yellowing of citrus leaves is due to the lack of magnesium.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;">- <i>Clementines. </i>Again, no sign of fruit or flowers and they have yellowing leaves. Hopefully the treatment we gave them this week will revive the trees.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;">- <i>Limes. </i>There are two of these trees. One looks healthy and has lots of new leaves growing on it, although it only produced 3 limes this year. It looks like it is a young tree, so maybe this is why it didn't produce much fruit. The other lime tree is huge, there is a lot of fruit on it, but the fruit is very lumpy and bumpy, plus the leaves look green but are deformed. I don't know what could be wrong with it. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;">- <i>An Unidentifiable Citrus Tree. </i>This is one large citrus tree, very healthy and full of flowers. It didn't produce any fruit this year. It will be exciting to find out which type of fruit it will have. I only hope that it isn't grapefruit. Unfortunately, neither mum, dad, nor myself can eat grapefruit as it is contraindicated with some medications we are on. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;"><u>3 types of stone fruit</u></span></p><p><i style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;">- Peaches</i></p><p><i style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;">- Apricots</i></p><p><i style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;">- Plums</i></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;">These fruit trees look old and they haven't been pruned properly, so we shall see what happens with them. The plum has a tiny bit of blossom starting on it and the peach has just finished flowering. There is no sign of life on the apricot tree yet, although it may be too early for it to flower. We have given all of these trees some fruit-tree fertiliser to help them along.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;"><u>9 other fruit</u></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;">- <i>Apples. </i>Still dormant after the Winter.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;"><i>- Pears. </i>Also dormant.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;"><i>- Figs. </i>New fig leaves have sprouted at the ends of the branches, all are looking fresh, green and good.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;"><i>- Yellow-fruited cherry guava. </i>There are some little green, unripe guavas on the bush and a lot of new leaf growth. The blackbirds are very interested in it.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;"><i>- Rhubarb. </i>A few leaves have come up now after the Winter.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;"><i>- Passionfruit. </i>There is a lot of new passionfruit-vine growth, which looks very promising. I will need to tie the vines up to some stakes before they start climbing up the bushes or the wind damages them.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;"><i>- Quince. </i>This looks like quite a youngish tree. It still had its plant label on it. The label was only slightly faded, but it was starting to cut into the trunk of the quince tree.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;">- <i>Feijoas (Pineapple Guava). </i>New flower buds have appeared on the tree, I hope that they will develop into fruit. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;"><i>- Olives. </i>There are 2 olive trees. One lost all of its leaves during Winter. We had the wettest Winter on record here in Auckland this year. The soil became waterlogged. I doubt if the tree has survived. All you can see is bare branches. We will leave the tree where it is, just in case it is still alive, but I very much doubt it. The other olive tree, in a drier part of the garden, looks healthy and full of green leaves which is a relief.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;">I am enjoying keeping an eye on the fruit plants growing and also learning how to look after them. A new hobby for me. We are so lucky to have them in our garden. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;">Now I need to find my lemon meringue pie recipe and start baking!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;">See you again soon.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;">Hugs, Rose xxx</span></p>Rose Petalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998936212351555661noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3399013680692193889.post-79797031224914400512023-09-24T21:00:00.000+13:002023-09-24T21:00:08.040+13:00We have moved to a new house!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVF357oTgX3O-k0m4Ko8qv6TaW39_CMrK-sLl0wl5LOCeykdcvABiy8l61fcB1xxnLt9WZ7es3JW6b1Wo8fIjtibx1W-XcJNCR9idog_QsebQzTHYmUhMmJomfO-pWdAoVEjjTNfKHflbNUeh5Jy9iTWJ9NfVosWZH5xxyeT9DVJRidJBO0jRkD9osKptM/s4032/clivia%20and%20arum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVF357oTgX3O-k0m4Ko8qv6TaW39_CMrK-sLl0wl5LOCeykdcvABiy8l61fcB1xxnLt9WZ7es3JW6b1Wo8fIjtibx1W-XcJNCR9idog_QsebQzTHYmUhMmJomfO-pWdAoVEjjTNfKHflbNUeh5Jy9iTWJ9NfVosWZH5xxyeT9DVJRidJBO0jRkD9osKptM/w480-h640/clivia%20and%20arum.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Hi everyone, after such a long break in posting, I am back. The year 2022 to early 2023 was chaotic to say the very least. The biggest thing that has happened is that we sold our house and 10 acres that we lived in for over 40 years. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We bought a house on a 1/3 of an acre of land in the next village. Dad was finding it difficult to manage the upkeep of the old house and land. He is now 93 and things got a bit too much for him. T</span><span style="font-family: arial;">he new garden has established trees, bushes and fruit trees around the perimeter, a large deck to sit on and a lawn which dad can manage with his ride-on-mower.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Mum had an accident in the kitchen at the old house last year. She fell and broke her sacrum, at the bottom of her spine, and ended up in hospital for 11 weeks. While she was in hospital she caught Covid and other bugs which prolonged her stay. Mum had rehabilitation to get her to walk again, with the help of a walker, and she is now able to get around again. She was discharged from hospital on the day the furniture was moved into the new house and didn't manage to get to say goodbye to the old house. But she loves our new home.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Shortly after moving, dad caught double pneumonia. He started off feeling unwell and went to bed, then the next morning he stayed in bed, which is very unusual for him. I took his temperature, which was high, and he complained of pain in his side. He didn't think anything of it, but I insisted on taking him to A&E and he was admitted to hospital for 11 days. Dad's recovery was slow, but he is much better now, though he gets tired after pottering around in the garden and keeps needing to have breaks.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">And as for myself, I thought I was just worn out, getting very tired and in pain for no particular reason, until I was diagnosed with Chronic Pain Syndrome and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. The diagnosis upset me very much, but I have now come to terms with it and am learning to pace myself so that I can do things that I enjoy again.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmdb17SUkggCAC0pe9mpJ9o9ik6s_kVRlBug7VtNelTUsSy_SQERqqqFnebJs3gG2rGTtzIeXvreRO8He4w1nbeXpEFJxAcpNeIyBOd8E5Iv49JHGRzqR9UnqAyAVR2rfqWE8YKZObLTJCrYkZgfgNlKcQ54ZQOxdjrfYEcGUUfZEk3DEExg6GOGK20uBF/s4032/cineraria.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmdb17SUkggCAC0pe9mpJ9o9ik6s_kVRlBug7VtNelTUsSy_SQERqqqFnebJs3gG2rGTtzIeXvreRO8He4w1nbeXpEFJxAcpNeIyBOd8E5Iv49JHGRzqR9UnqAyAVR2rfqWE8YKZObLTJCrYkZgfgNlKcQ54ZQOxdjrfYEcGUUfZEk3DEExg6GOGK20uBF/w640-h480/cineraria.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Today the clocks were set an hour forward, for daylight savings, and it is the third week of Spring which is my favourite season of the year. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I am enjoying seeing our trees coming back to life with blossom and bright green leaves after a very rainy and stormy Winter. This is the first Spring in the new garden, so it is exciting to see what plants will come up. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The flowerbeds are all in shade or semi-shade in this garden, so we need to plant shade-loving flowers in the gaps. We brought cineraria seedlings from our old house and they are doing very well as you can see in the photo above.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We also moved white irises, golden arctotis, yellow phlomis, white hellebores, purple tibuchina and freesias here. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg23DHLVx7_WRzy_9PXcbQ6xWwnLUS1TbDXVWVK1iluD2ELpBwZd8Nt8StY6MCRfZyn4jodxP8DsqgYt5wZf72mSxXJ1tHP5uj7APq_YDSS7YAMqIebDK1aiI-IJRC17YmMG9tirZXHMRddxXsuARiOAOprix-qBY1GIDJoAoGngMPU3wBmrI00VuTQ6kqi/s4032/pink%20bush.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg23DHLVx7_WRzy_9PXcbQ6xWwnLUS1TbDXVWVK1iluD2ELpBwZd8Nt8StY6MCRfZyn4jodxP8DsqgYt5wZf72mSxXJ1tHP5uj7APq_YDSS7YAMqIebDK1aiI-IJRC17YmMG9tirZXHMRddxXsuARiOAOprix-qBY1GIDJoAoGngMPU3wBmrI00VuTQ6kqi/w480-h640/pink%20bush.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I spent some time this afternoon in the garden, with dad, planting some nicotiana seedlings which we had bought. It was pleasantly warm outside (16 C) and had just stopped raining, so I decided to take some garden photos to show you. I don't know the names of a lot of the plants here. The pink flowering bush above is just starting to flower.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6pkUEzBwXY5I969YZIKIu4erT6nmov-ZgFP5Ge8b0x5RHVz7gC-cwMihwLgPnNi9CcWIVP7Z3Wb_erbwNKg8tm5Ml5yF5fAK77OyT1cpjxsYNUD65WGHS2gCFQdPszw2KnRPMRVCh-ePW7FKBdY-DHAEsun2oC4vvcbYIFqz947fc32v528GPjSvGBsrG/s4032/red%20camellia%20and%20blue%20bush.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6pkUEzBwXY5I969YZIKIu4erT6nmov-ZgFP5Ge8b0x5RHVz7gC-cwMihwLgPnNi9CcWIVP7Z3Wb_erbwNKg8tm5Ml5yF5fAK77OyT1cpjxsYNUD65WGHS2gCFQdPszw2KnRPMRVCh-ePW7FKBdY-DHAEsun2oC4vvcbYIFqz947fc32v528GPjSvGBsrG/w640-h480/red%20camellia%20and%20blue%20bush.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /> The light lavender flowering bush above is very pretty, It looks like it is a small tree that has fallen over because there is a tangle of horizontal branches behind it. The pink flowering bush to the right is a camellia.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3grKyJW1InwL_JPD6fBD0c--HhK-WntSku67EpbQboXfBqVvyXEiaeEKen0YP7hRcB2N5BnP4UJiRSFs8pJ2n8Vyz-zDDI8OSwkl4yN6TisxzYmCPIDaPunvO9QFSCSXdKgdFvURNg0T2cdruQMFDBaVqoMB3u1ByWNMQLIyaPBbuSJ0N71Kp_iEXAMr0/s4032/new%20bay%20tree%20in%20tub.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3grKyJW1InwL_JPD6fBD0c--HhK-WntSku67EpbQboXfBqVvyXEiaeEKen0YP7hRcB2N5BnP4UJiRSFs8pJ2n8Vyz-zDDI8OSwkl4yN6TisxzYmCPIDaPunvO9QFSCSXdKgdFvURNg0T2cdruQMFDBaVqoMB3u1ByWNMQLIyaPBbuSJ0N71Kp_iEXAMr0/w480-h640/new%20bay%20tree%20in%20tub.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: arial;">More unknown plants. I think the green clumps of leaves may be arum lilies? I won't know until they flower! We planted a small bay tree in the plant pot and I am still deciding where to put it. It is in a sheltered spot at the moment while it recovers from being transplanted.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGev-VUx_fuxOPzfck4cwWxf7ugEtlLnsbZ_Evve56GIjcjy6j4ALaYAHu2O6p-N2DM1IY-DsKZMqiPRTS-VavHawfSBbyAgZkGmXK7Xnx6yguqJWP2bu6Jik-FeBIlxPTOogI3yi-2lzfgyaHK2M3_pQIFa_unyR2fapLHqSczNdamKoPI379W8LOfih7/s4032/hebe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGev-VUx_fuxOPzfck4cwWxf7ugEtlLnsbZ_Evve56GIjcjy6j4ALaYAHu2O6p-N2DM1IY-DsKZMqiPRTS-VavHawfSBbyAgZkGmXK7Xnx6yguqJWP2bu6Jik-FeBIlxPTOogI3yi-2lzfgyaHK2M3_pQIFa_unyR2fapLHqSczNdamKoPI379W8LOfih7/w480-h640/hebe.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /> This is a lavender coloured hebe and to each side of it you can just see pink hebes starting to flower.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJRgLmPhUEiA92DCbzf29VtXPTCjtQp3Rgc4k-JacYrx_ZNu6pbFWnpKH38YJuP0m-Dh_uqyPG5cdB-wofrlbaIUPtBiHLAZy1WAoNZwZrsZxim8YQ5hyNUtAcXBlR8GRKZRJfu97luzmuLR44AHGu040oW4nqvTSDuoxrh3gBc95SyTrRFFrWyYDtukoE/s3024/lavender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJRgLmPhUEiA92DCbzf29VtXPTCjtQp3Rgc4k-JacYrx_ZNu6pbFWnpKH38YJuP0m-Dh_uqyPG5cdB-wofrlbaIUPtBiHLAZy1WAoNZwZrsZxim8YQ5hyNUtAcXBlR8GRKZRJfu97luzmuLR44AHGu040oW4nqvTSDuoxrh3gBc95SyTrRFFrWyYDtukoE/w640-h640/lavender.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: arial;">There is a flower border full of lavender, at the side of the house, under-planted with dichondra silver falls. I need to weed this section as there is oxalis spreading along the front, smothering the dichondra. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS8c1ag23k1gD5wP-y0_jNW3KWsPC3gGjS8ykEgdFPiyy8m5ON_A9lexgqmn47AUtdUFWbSoMLYXHy5ouh7V8mtvOK5qUkf6y8og4qwCJ_5R7CjLJ7Dzx_Bg0Ppcztq9T5cCw_v3SM3q3QpBtFHuOfHIRD4eRQ9VyMqZt9xhCBruTZF4w-SzygONsy-GoU/s4032/arum%20and%20yellow%20bush.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS8c1ag23k1gD5wP-y0_jNW3KWsPC3gGjS8ykEgdFPiyy8m5ON_A9lexgqmn47AUtdUFWbSoMLYXHy5ouh7V8mtvOK5qUkf6y8og4qwCJ_5R7CjLJ7Dzx_Bg0Ppcztq9T5cCw_v3SM3q3QpBtFHuOfHIRD4eRQ9VyMqZt9xhCBruTZF4w-SzygONsy-GoU/w480-h640/arum%20and%20yellow%20bush.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;">Above are more arum lilies in front of a yellow flowering shrub. And at the front, left of the photo is a rhubarb plant just coming up.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I hope that you are keeping well and enjoying the season that you are in, like I am. I would love to hear from you. See you again soon.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Hugs Rose xxx</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br /></span></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /> <p></p>Rose Petalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998936212351555661noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3399013680692193889.post-60746935421301474912022-04-18T08:48:00.000+12:002022-04-18T08:48:46.981+12:00Happy Easter :o)<p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRTj0ii3nEWJL6UPAMid1eKfj-30_NSGwfGHRM83O-zX5MSs-JZx3sKI34IjHlXGGjyMFpqXdheozkv41dzdxChXTc-IvtPgc9d-I1okA2p-08aaqUiHd2hONfhCjkJsjmimMAJ8GAmZjXcRFql3A0Lf_jU2cmucCD7EUQGt7d8edO1XGr1ogfB54haw/s692/Happy%20Easter.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="521" data-original-width="692" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRTj0ii3nEWJL6UPAMid1eKfj-30_NSGwfGHRM83O-zX5MSs-JZx3sKI34IjHlXGGjyMFpqXdheozkv41dzdxChXTc-IvtPgc9d-I1okA2p-08aaqUiHd2hONfhCjkJsjmimMAJ8GAmZjXcRFql3A0Lf_jU2cmucCD7EUQGt7d8edO1XGr1ogfB54haw/w640-h482/Happy%20Easter.JPG" width="640" /></a><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Wishing you and your family a lovely Easter with lots of Easter eggs to celebrate!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Hugs,</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Rose xxx </span></p>Rose Petalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998936212351555661noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3399013680692193889.post-53463906391955338432021-12-30T11:25:00.000+13:002021-12-30T11:25:17.252+13:00Happy New Year 2022!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj2rRoXkiYlVKMpGuc6tKhdet_rWJCDRn2KUFaLyyoFQ5PtV6ePYvxRyMCQ_WJ318UjT9a9tdPx9Aq_3WY-NvZnEaKzl_xrVjZ9QvtsoxGLDsC7cQagaGoGTO6XzprXBe7f-h2njZPj-spkZFQU_2Uo2m5WoVTzuFxPyKdre7LhYX-Cfyb91kI2x8GyaQ=s834" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Happy New Year 2022" border="0" data-original-height="625" data-original-width="834" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj2rRoXkiYlVKMpGuc6tKhdet_rWJCDRn2KUFaLyyoFQ5PtV6ePYvxRyMCQ_WJ318UjT9a9tdPx9Aq_3WY-NvZnEaKzl_xrVjZ9QvtsoxGLDsC7cQagaGoGTO6XzprXBe7f-h2njZPj-spkZFQU_2Uo2m5WoVTzuFxPyKdre7LhYX-Cfyb91kI2x8GyaQ=w640-h480" title="Happy New Year 2022" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>Rose Petalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998936212351555661noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3399013680692193889.post-51966665690629863722021-12-23T09:25:00.000+13:002021-12-23T09:25:28.547+13:00Have a very merry Christmas!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiXnoYmr2VHxbUam-DSCHKzlMr3KWvOaMiC9THNCIXRKbleURW6UWbH5XhI_D9pjKbFRMRzS7JQpgkGYARCXcMgvMgLLcGSScLMcpJkD5JsOohnupEE1UFHFOPAJhdipCfHhOXAVLhB3DMlvegC1S3d9HM7iL3WUTEOE8SWtZ4NQfFBQeWYWn_Jlz5qYg=s695" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Merry Christmas wishes" border="0" data-original-height="523" data-original-width="695" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiXnoYmr2VHxbUam-DSCHKzlMr3KWvOaMiC9THNCIXRKbleURW6UWbH5XhI_D9pjKbFRMRzS7JQpgkGYARCXcMgvMgLLcGSScLMcpJkD5JsOohnupEE1UFHFOPAJhdipCfHhOXAVLhB3DMlvegC1S3d9HM7iL3WUTEOE8SWtZ4NQfFBQeWYWn_Jlz5qYg=w640-h482" title="Merry Christmas wishes" width="640" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Wishing you and your loved ones the most wonderful Christmas. May you never be too old to search the skies on Christmas Eve! Enjoy your celebrations, stay safe and take care.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">With lots of love from Rose xxx</span></p><p></p>Rose Petalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998936212351555661noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3399013680692193889.post-37208270539454700952021-12-17T14:43:00.000+13:002021-12-17T14:43:20.952+13:00Silver and red, vintage and antique, Christmas tree decorations<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEilvM-6DXafX8QR6Y1htNpNQuBoMadySubotyhrtX48SXAbJIiiGRtVKwWoeO3QO5s5FDJHKxYFVBlCQJQeUQkmqIaL3WsU66b6aMFPkblfXPE3-1z8BXmcz_-EzH-MNIZOJiu5nlKHIcOx0xUcfqOScTWvUa2DNwCCvDDgECc74hu3rZngVi2jezE7AQ=s4013" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="table top Christmas tree" border="0" data-original-height="4013" data-original-width="3009" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEilvM-6DXafX8QR6Y1htNpNQuBoMadySubotyhrtX48SXAbJIiiGRtVKwWoeO3QO5s5FDJHKxYFVBlCQJQeUQkmqIaL3WsU66b6aMFPkblfXPE3-1z8BXmcz_-EzH-MNIZOJiu5nlKHIcOx0xUcfqOScTWvUa2DNwCCvDDgECc74hu3rZngVi2jezE7AQ=w480-h640" title="tabletop Christmas tree" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">At last, here is my little tabletop Christmas tree, decorated with silver and red, vintage and antique, Christmas tree decorations. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The shiny baubles are made of mercury glass and the </span><span style="font-family: arial;">little figures are made of chenille and spun cotton. I found them on eBay many years ago when I became addicted to buying Christmas decorations online. I get so much joy from them. They remind me of my childhood Christmases when we had a real tree with real candles on.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhTWq9j7MbRc9rXq7O16AERqdnFmrhOTtslyuh1e3-feaKL60rsMt6CkyMb0NKFDOL08q9km67NlHoESFmsU41bKJMDb3szju_2hfVPukn2mEtsGeZ3GwAxSP3z_t7GLoUr6JMPCrWoYdqlVni24vJV_yDKeAILHPcLCqn-ySJS5F8usJwUXPhpt7ec6g=s4128" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4128" data-original-width="3096" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhTWq9j7MbRc9rXq7O16AERqdnFmrhOTtslyuh1e3-feaKL60rsMt6CkyMb0NKFDOL08q9km67NlHoESFmsU41bKJMDb3szju_2hfVPukn2mEtsGeZ3GwAxSP3z_t7GLoUr6JMPCrWoYdqlVni24vJV_yDKeAILHPcLCqn-ySJS5F8usJwUXPhpt7ec6g=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOrPLTz-LRIJFRLLRsd1w3QkbMq6DscxY1AOqruEaDOLl6-kzsft6FTLTp5WSXa8ibs1JS2dlQjAHAVkpRNSPIqt7sWMV_aYKMwh0zHiOKIRGSw3QCzM0ihBO1c-ghiIm9eNrZ5ctP4qNjV-pHP9e3GmNZrL5msdJyD1cl6FDN1LaXa_dhjZPXBV8xrQ=s4128" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4128" data-original-width="3096" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOrPLTz-LRIJFRLLRsd1w3QkbMq6DscxY1AOqruEaDOLl6-kzsft6FTLTp5WSXa8ibs1JS2dlQjAHAVkpRNSPIqt7sWMV_aYKMwh0zHiOKIRGSw3QCzM0ihBO1c-ghiIm9eNrZ5ctP4qNjV-pHP9e3GmNZrL5msdJyD1cl6FDN1LaXa_dhjZPXBV8xrQ=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiH3jGIb-cb2ezGsR9v6XQRlYQUY2I8QP1V2vUVuTlTxi0oQKmhVWYKOj6pvksFInLeGti1vHQ5bAGvPkCHBmgoq6aAmksgrEQrqVxs6EYaqlO2uysPRz3aKnh-FO3P9Yfp8BqhQoEs2KsJ8wsqzTlfBzTIU1d3ty9GvyRAwKKvwOX6OpzOeRV9FVb98g=s3846" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3846" data-original-width="2908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiH3jGIb-cb2ezGsR9v6XQRlYQUY2I8QP1V2vUVuTlTxi0oQKmhVWYKOj6pvksFInLeGti1vHQ5bAGvPkCHBmgoq6aAmksgrEQrqVxs6EYaqlO2uysPRz3aKnh-FO3P9Yfp8BqhQoEs2KsJ8wsqzTlfBzTIU1d3ty9GvyRAwKKvwOX6OpzOeRV9FVb98g=w303-h400" width="303" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhKhhlnJAr4uOtT3lSH_Wl2PVl84ORPHCTxXevPL3-JOk_xDnccDPqerO748uQeGqJht2xoynJYhPKsMwyYrODPevj5dm7XtXDRxNipdBDsizGzNLmaVg8DzloFPjHbC0hpl8w9F2MnQYOe8qxtzaSDfyXAPKjFmELsWyC24Qydtoj1wXP9LDEDhnmiRw=s4128" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4128" data-original-width="3096" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhKhhlnJAr4uOtT3lSH_Wl2PVl84ORPHCTxXevPL3-JOk_xDnccDPqerO748uQeGqJht2xoynJYhPKsMwyYrODPevj5dm7XtXDRxNipdBDsizGzNLmaVg8DzloFPjHbC0hpl8w9F2MnQYOe8qxtzaSDfyXAPKjFmELsWyC24Qydtoj1wXP9LDEDhnmiRw=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjPdjIaa9u1q8MNm7OsBekB0j6lMMqxYQJn_2dKdUy207T7ODlcYu6LrpZg3q5fP8xjEGUjdfxUStpdOxHXOd5JmBZYbeh1rbMcKwXpNz9VqYz4ajx3KiZg8r9whNuuXhqtADxVv71bXYeNanKLHxBWPzH01pkT7urHdmyzfnHk2kW2CTWywwHtxX24rQ=s4128" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4128" data-original-width="3096" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjPdjIaa9u1q8MNm7OsBekB0j6lMMqxYQJn_2dKdUy207T7ODlcYu6LrpZg3q5fP8xjEGUjdfxUStpdOxHXOd5JmBZYbeh1rbMcKwXpNz9VqYz4ajx3KiZg8r9whNuuXhqtADxVv71bXYeNanKLHxBWPzH01pkT7urHdmyzfnHk2kW2CTWywwHtxX24rQ=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj7n6pWjipcXqR3pGMOwSxxWgN1PxoE_g0YvQ5bnmOxDeIKwut2Q13ieXXZEzuU6NMWgCpyh2uWxGnRsKeCY005L9ir-AZXpoZuydRwxah3j0Qb9RagPMQM-obr6rbpPGFAbsP20S_sNmw53YQSCCMvGg8BkZDNXypU400SbLhPjqX6q0W2Ue_KaGtV2A=s4128" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4128" data-original-width="3096" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj7n6pWjipcXqR3pGMOwSxxWgN1PxoE_g0YvQ5bnmOxDeIKwut2Q13ieXXZEzuU6NMWgCpyh2uWxGnRsKeCY005L9ir-AZXpoZuydRwxah3j0Qb9RagPMQM-obr6rbpPGFAbsP20S_sNmw53YQSCCMvGg8BkZDNXypU400SbLhPjqX6q0W2Ue_KaGtV2A=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I have had a very busy 2 weeks looking after my mum, taking her to her doctor, audiologist and optometrist. Her blood pressure was extremely high, but now has lowered below the danger level, with new medicine doses, which is a big relief. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Also, mum's hearing has deteriorated by 50% in a year and she was struggling with her old hearing aids, one of which she lost. So she now has new ones in time for Christmas. It is a bit of an ordeal for her getting the hearing aids to work as needed though, so yesterday I went to the audiology clinic to learn how to program them using an app on my cellphone. Then yesterday afternoon I managed to adjust the settings so that she can now hear me and dad with no difficulty 😊 </span><span style="font-family: arial;">I will need to do another program setting for the hearing aids at Christmas, when the family is all gathered together, </span><span style="font-family: arial;">as hearing will be a challenge for mum in a group setting.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">It is hard to believe that it is only 1 week to go until Christmas! The time has flown by quickly since my last post. Everything is ready now apart from a delivery of groceries next week for Christmas. I have my fingers crossed that they will be able to deliver everything I need, otherwise it will be a last minute visit to the supermarket, which I imagine will be a crazy time.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">In the meantime, I have been watching the Chateau Diaries Christmas Advent vlogs every day on YouTube. It is a lovely channel to watch and is making it feel like Christmas 🎄</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Have a wonderful weekend. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Hugs, Rose x</span></div>Rose Petalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998936212351555661noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3399013680692193889.post-84068632515056646852021-12-04T20:01:00.001+13:002021-12-04T20:01:56.696+13:00Getting into the Christmas spirit<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5J96HPTJhxf7Ag22SQwK5VGWAJT5g9SyfRqqsGVLFi1jffA9jN2yjSL5n_SU6Ug9YNvR0RoaT4OthiT3989x4HPquXiW2GLoelHWGDwjzG2jSayNf3EmgcsM3MG_ujDSnhn9gGhu3ZlxjV765aemLfZOfukKY8kWnmzESWAzOMBsznrVGdUiVOc42sQ=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2022" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5J96HPTJhxf7Ag22SQwK5VGWAJT5g9SyfRqqsGVLFi1jffA9jN2yjSL5n_SU6Ug9YNvR0RoaT4OthiT3989x4HPquXiW2GLoelHWGDwjzG2jSayNf3EmgcsM3MG_ujDSnhn9gGhu3ZlxjV765aemLfZOfukKY8kWnmzESWAzOMBsznrVGdUiVOc42sQ=w632-h640" width="632" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I have been slow with putting up my Christmas decorations and getting into the Christmas spirit, which I am finding a little bit difficult, this year. So yesterday I decided to do something about it. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I put on some Christmas music from YouTube with pretty Christmas scenes and gathered up all the gifts that I had bought throughout the year. Then I got out my Christmas wrapping papers, sellotape and scissors, and I was all set to get wrapping.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It didn't take long for me to realise that I was thoroughly absorbed and having fun with this activity 😊</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I had one dilemma though, my brother's Christmas present, which I ordered in October, hadn't arrived in the mail yet. I phoned the company that I purchased it from and was told that, unfortunately the parcel was delayed in transit from overseas and it would be another 12 days before they got it to send on to me...😕 This will be too late to give to my brother as he is going away for Christmas to his in-laws shortly and he is coming to visit and pick up the presents tomorrow.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">So I had an idea.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I found a picture of the gift that he is going to get eventually, then printed it out on glossy photo paper and turned it into a little card. Inside I explained that this is a picture of his gift which he will receive next year, as unfortunately Santa was a bit delayed this year. All will be fine.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOi51foAcD8enrEQ7c7WmtHoKcIY7bEoOr7XbeI3C7X1YQXjNw6X_XWUbrMWEhFDtq4cFM4_QCHO0RLaUdnywrChRb2Tr6eTIfIOgC4s4jWb8pv4XZpBk4pcuIf1Rds7fcWAnkxLd_6Q7EuDensaxOCKodhaIC7yoad_ND770rlwzvgmJHVth2w2cBDw=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1535" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOi51foAcD8enrEQ7c7WmtHoKcIY7bEoOr7XbeI3C7X1YQXjNw6X_XWUbrMWEhFDtq4cFM4_QCHO0RLaUdnywrChRb2Tr6eTIfIOgC4s4jWb8pv4XZpBk4pcuIf1Rds7fcWAnkxLd_6Q7EuDensaxOCKodhaIC7yoad_ND770rlwzvgmJHVth2w2cBDw=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The next thing on my to-do list was to start rearranging my desk to make it look Christmassy. I added a red gloxinia house-plant which came into flower last week. It isn't quite a poinsettia, but it is the right colour and very pretty.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I then placed my new tabletop Christmas tree on my desk. I bought it recently to replace the little white tree that I had. The white tree had turned light brown and looked awful. I had wanted another white tree but couldn't find one that was suitable. Then I found this little green tree with white flocking which made me very happy.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Tomorrow my father will get my vintage Christmas decorations out of storage and I will be able to decorate my trees...Yay! I won't be putting up my large tree this year, as there isn't room for it anymore, which is a shame.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I also received my first Christmas card yesterday, so added it to my desk too. I plan to make garlands again with my favourite cards which I have saved over the years.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The menu for our Christmas Eve meal is now planned and I have bought all the non-perishables for it. (It is very hard for me not to tuck into the pfeffernusse biscuits and mince pies!) I also made a list of things that need to be bought a few days beforehand. The food will be hit-and-miss this year with not knowing what groceries will be available or not. But the main thing will be that we will have a good time together.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">How are you getting on with your holiday plans this year?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Have you managed to get into the spirit of things?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">See you again soon. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Hugs, Rose x</span></div><p></p>Rose Petalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998936212351555661noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3399013680692193889.post-15813078881393930982021-11-22T19:29:00.000+13:002021-11-22T19:29:00.041+13:00My vegetable garden is coming along well<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmN3zycXucgDzyw_820qNa3GdLQRPOrDRk5-n2_Mk6KahswhI2Rf6JkPQn-q28s4ko5aNfbf6up6Weg9wsDBURNoG2x3v6VlKl8J6vP0XQFhnVvEqLDte3dmduynbSpZlXy0EarMr2GMwz/s2048/English+breakfast+radishes.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="French Breakfast radishes" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmN3zycXucgDzyw_820qNa3GdLQRPOrDRk5-n2_Mk6KahswhI2Rf6JkPQn-q28s4ko5aNfbf6up6Weg9wsDBURNoG2x3v6VlKl8J6vP0XQFhnVvEqLDte3dmduynbSpZlXy0EarMr2GMwz/w480-h640/English+breakfast+radishes.jpg" title="French Breakfast radishes" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: arial;">The first radishes are being picked and they are really delicious. These are French Breakfast radishes which are mild and juicy, not hot like other radishes can be. I like to eat them with a bit of butter and a sprinkle of salt. Yummy!</span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh1ztvuerqxKPVQVEhGMemCnHJof9rvm8JKHxT81ivdkFFjMJ1RLgAbAxIxII08Em57pMjZnlr73jOLKVuG4XsEfUjvZwyc53gnYEFVh8o9RpiDUTk5DrwRKzqSxdM9aaCi3mTHnfgCC3N/s1128/Otto+inspecting+the+poppies.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Tabby cat Otto amongst the poppies" border="0" data-original-height="1128" data-original-width="1098" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh1ztvuerqxKPVQVEhGMemCnHJof9rvm8JKHxT81ivdkFFjMJ1RLgAbAxIxII08Em57pMjZnlr73jOLKVuG4XsEfUjvZwyc53gnYEFVh8o9RpiDUTk5DrwRKzqSxdM9aaCi3mTHnfgCC3N/w622-h640/Otto+inspecting+the+poppies.jpg" title="Tabby cat Otto walking past Flanders poppies" width="622" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">The Flanders poppies are taking over, much to my delight. We are planting vegetables around them under Otto's close supervision. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">In some places you could easily think that this is a flower bed with a few vegetables dotted around lol.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinuDWyxEcZMYtFre80H56q0oDfRmU6x9DfvhCpP1SAqfzz3oY_1dP_FKC3GB4kALWrG_U7hoqdQIuYxXhNDjcltzJu8xFX6ZWAlepcVuQaNDtWBQb6uZhQV0XxAN1TedSxeYjHiMi3YH_W/s2048/poppies+in+vegetable+garden.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Vegetable patch full of poppies" border="0" data-original-height="1641" data-original-width="2048" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinuDWyxEcZMYtFre80H56q0oDfRmU6x9DfvhCpP1SAqfzz3oY_1dP_FKC3GB4kALWrG_U7hoqdQIuYxXhNDjcltzJu8xFX6ZWAlepcVuQaNDtWBQb6uZhQV0XxAN1TedSxeYjHiMi3YH_W/w640-h512/poppies+in+vegetable+garden.jpg" title="Veggie garden full of Flanders poppies" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZeHsBUAtY3ONosLoSJhV6w3SzykV5bRT4ESINFLsLMtPkmFMIen2XOswtI_eAQ2YR7vJnu3rGfhmyJ_Y-keyFgvqKhsrpgXCyzXfvlWqAEE3SwC5PkeCgynWn172-PdmxTiCgvSC1iiZ9/s2048/flowers+in+the+vegetable+patch.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="More flowers in the veggie patch" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZeHsBUAtY3ONosLoSJhV6w3SzykV5bRT4ESINFLsLMtPkmFMIen2XOswtI_eAQ2YR7vJnu3rGfhmyJ_Y-keyFgvqKhsrpgXCyzXfvlWqAEE3SwC5PkeCgynWn172-PdmxTiCgvSC1iiZ9/w480-h640/flowers+in+the+vegetable+patch.jpg" title="Flowers in the vegetable garden" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJo9A0Oa0tJdgp-GLd0BNtR1Bof-7IxuSM9wD_4QFGaeFsgTfYAMlGLgp7V7rxMthDXMv7cPPpNP6IyHznJwcCOC_i6s7q6jK2SOMWuwi-rz1hThFyK64QEZR_bQvwZdIfan-LcXb_fPa2/s2048/courgettes+growing.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Courgettes growing" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJo9A0Oa0tJdgp-GLd0BNtR1Bof-7IxuSM9wD_4QFGaeFsgTfYAMlGLgp7V7rxMthDXMv7cPPpNP6IyHznJwcCOC_i6s7q6jK2SOMWuwi-rz1hThFyK64QEZR_bQvwZdIfan-LcXb_fPa2/w480-h640/courgettes+growing.jpg" title="Zucchini growing" width="480" /></a></div> </div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The courgettes are flowering too and there are a few baby courgettes, but for some reason they are rotting. I don't know what is going wrong. Maybe the weather has been too wet for them, or the flowers haven't been pollinated well enough? I will just have to wait it out and keep my fingers crossed. The plants themselves are looking really healthy.<br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif5TJ5Z_eNHcA9aImZ7T_CCElZ9AZvQZKQ7j82OsJXilpEx-Ljcch6T41UDlc6_hMiRFCf-eWIUvEaMW5G-UY64YqS3BNnQBs4kWNCZLBr4x_4r-N4KeQAqW3Z6s8YkyaIlxJDAkCMEba6/s2048/veggie+patch.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="tomato and runner bean seedlings" border="0" data-original-height="1615" data-original-width="2048" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif5TJ5Z_eNHcA9aImZ7T_CCElZ9AZvQZKQ7j82OsJXilpEx-Ljcch6T41UDlc6_hMiRFCf-eWIUvEaMW5G-UY64YqS3BNnQBs4kWNCZLBr4x_4r-N4KeQAqW3Z6s8YkyaIlxJDAkCMEba6/w640-h504/veggie+patch.jpg" title="runner bean seedlings and young tomato plants" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The tomatoes are growing well. Dad started them off from seed and kept them under cloches until they were big enough to plant outside. Since taking this photo the tomatoes now have flowers on.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg82-OQ3IGCRnZNubixUaJSPP-wYzYl6m7gafGqyIO9hI1agpg0Ae-JMPlayCvlJGQkk6kSnjouQr-5qJ-L8UzF2Z_TINgmmas62_1XK_UnutDv3cniY7-mRgDy67i6tuAnBLDYJeBW8zN3/s2048/self-seeded+feverfew.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="feverfew flowering" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg82-OQ3IGCRnZNubixUaJSPP-wYzYl6m7gafGqyIO9hI1agpg0Ae-JMPlayCvlJGQkk6kSnjouQr-5qJ-L8UzF2Z_TINgmmas62_1XK_UnutDv3cniY7-mRgDy67i6tuAnBLDYJeBW8zN3/w480-h640/self-seeded+feverfew.jpg" title="feverfew flowering at the edge of the vegetable garden" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I like the white daisy-like feverfew flowers growing beside the veggie garden fence. They are attracting plenty of beneficial insects to the garden.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The potatoes are now ready for harvesting. Their leaves are turning brown now. At first I thought there was something wrong with them, but dad dug a few up and we have lovely baby new potatoes 😊 Now we need to decide what to plant after the potatoes have been dug up.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The leeks are being harvested a few at a time and I am making leek and potato soup, chicken leek and ham pie and leek and bacon quiche with them. I suppose I could use the leeks in other recipes instead of onions...hmm that is an idea. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Do you have any other ideas on recipes that use leeks?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimWWrH279myxuXyTlE96BOrpXlrO8PIa2aXwwYSd83NJdAIPFQeRoTVrPU78gFIjs7ahy1XLo4ZBOGiZRfEpn6gq714feIC5BjKehp8IKjgXpWcTBJ-3e3wUMJz0prycm954QcIPWTt8Yh/s2048/New+Zealand+vegetable+patch.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="veggie patch" border="0" data-original-height="1402" data-original-width="2048" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimWWrH279myxuXyTlE96BOrpXlrO8PIa2aXwwYSd83NJdAIPFQeRoTVrPU78gFIjs7ahy1XLo4ZBOGiZRfEpn6gq714feIC5BjKehp8IKjgXpWcTBJ-3e3wUMJz0prycm954QcIPWTt8Yh/w640-h438/New+Zealand+vegetable+patch.jpg" title="vegetable garden" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The cavalo nero kale is flowering nicely. I am keeping them for seed to grow later as I love kale chips made with olive oil, garlic and salt roasted in the oven.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfES8ZJUw5xoHr3Tvbz0x1TQZ0Llubq0luAL2JfySescZsNri6U7TFj7iG0X5ng4EX2UG7r8VFh6a2qcSJyB_4wwXLcTqENtKmiKFFNiEj2F3eWyNgt-2Fvf6S_dbIk-kikBQBjWO4nB3u/s2048/nasturtium+patch.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="nasturtiums growing near the compost heap" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfES8ZJUw5xoHr3Tvbz0x1TQZ0Llubq0luAL2JfySescZsNri6U7TFj7iG0X5ng4EX2UG7r8VFh6a2qcSJyB_4wwXLcTqENtKmiKFFNiEj2F3eWyNgt-2Fvf6S_dbIk-kikBQBjWO4nB3u/w480-h640/nasturtium+patch.jpg" title="nasturtiums and compost heap" width="480" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>Dad turned over the compost heap and used some of the mature compost on the veggie patch to return nutrients back to the soil. </span><br /><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The nasturtiums grew here, by themselves, not far from the vegetable garden. It is a good place for them because they attract pests away from the vegetables and also bring beneficial insects to the garden.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">It is now evening and the heat of the day is passing. It has been very humid today. Otto is lying near the open window loving it. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">This morning Otto's friend Ginger brought a live mouse and presented it to Otto by dropping it at his feet. Luckily this happened outside. I have never heard of a cat giving food/playthings to other cats that they aren't related to lol.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Now it is time to water the veggie garden, it's getting dry and some of the seedlings aren't big enough to survive untended with this heat.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">See you again soon. Have a great week.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Hugs, Rose x</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>Rose Petalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998936212351555661noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3399013680692193889.post-29573832441641319172021-11-10T13:26:00.000+13:002021-11-10T13:26:44.387+13:00An evening walk with Otto and his friend<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBQdKh81VqpOhABvk3leDPe9fy8K80sI6zVXPIT-gRQ58LZ8TZe_IAWZOg91ar5RsIbun4mnzllZ9aejwVnjoGjcot_v8hFruRcr4yQiip99uKvkLrSuEDiros2vs9BWOnwC8xrBE2If5l/s2048/yellow+and+orange+nasturtiums.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Orange and yellow nasturtiums" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBQdKh81VqpOhABvk3leDPe9fy8K80sI6zVXPIT-gRQ58LZ8TZe_IAWZOg91ar5RsIbun4mnzllZ9aejwVnjoGjcot_v8hFruRcr4yQiip99uKvkLrSuEDiros2vs9BWOnwC8xrBE2If5l/w480-h640/yellow+and+orange+nasturtiums.jpg" title="Orange and yellow nasturtiums" width="480" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: arial;">It is still spring and yet it feels like summer has arrived here. The temperature was 27 C yesterday and it is the same today. There is no humidity and not a cloud in the blue sky. We have all the windows open to let the gentle breeze in to cool the house down.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">By evening-time yesterday the temperature was very pleasant, so I decided to go out for a walk </span><span style="font-family: arial;">around the garden with Otto. We were soon joined by Otto's friend, who we think is a neighbour's cat, or maybe a stray.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">We call him Ginger or Gin-Gin, but he is very shy and won't come any closer than 5 metres to us. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I managed to get a long-distance photo of him which I enlarged. It is rather out of focus, but here he is. He is rather a cute cat with a sad face.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLUNkWekDF2pn6TIccDhcf2wd2MRa1Gbsntdt9ULHKEbE2uGFUSmjZ6xtqWzyYapelBy0hhzCki3qCHcCi9z0zjMgKSDkrY0zlotoSbjwEG-6tY4uTndX4XeTUu9wM-LeCm36N7OjHcNgs/s2048/ginger+cat+visiting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Ginger cat amongst poppies" border="0" data-original-height="1963" data-original-width="2048" height="614" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLUNkWekDF2pn6TIccDhcf2wd2MRa1Gbsntdt9ULHKEbE2uGFUSmjZ6xtqWzyYapelBy0hhzCki3qCHcCi9z0zjMgKSDkrY0zlotoSbjwEG-6tY4uTndX4XeTUu9wM-LeCm36N7OjHcNgs/w640-h614/ginger+cat+visiting.jpg" title="Ginger cat amongst poppies" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3dlV3YYVaDP3jvupAJ9UlKIxnXcOFFk_85mT8qU0Xi4y9GYPTHxH9M3TdydYQJLmvFRfhwyV2cejW4w9Be-7gdt7ngaIMlXwcioCry4ModL3xYuGsQV9jz8oKlvAXK26X7smdYnAnIbf4/s2048/purple+cineraria.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Purple cineraria flowers" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3dlV3YYVaDP3jvupAJ9UlKIxnXcOFFk_85mT8qU0Xi4y9GYPTHxH9M3TdydYQJLmvFRfhwyV2cejW4w9Be-7gdt7ngaIMlXwcioCry4ModL3xYuGsQV9jz8oKlvAXK26X7smdYnAnIbf4/w480-h640/purple+cineraria.jpg" title="Purple cineraria flowers" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The cinerarias and nasturtiums are in full flower now and I love the contrast in colour between the purple and the orange.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhM7MvuAlUmm0WqfkMis9WhI4aSqEIFxBhc0PjKQ33Y1wDcFXJAqKMG5uDno3WD4aF5TUnFun5aRSzJtdJlG6sknAnhm-r8mwqQSxxft9tgvgbUTdhalz2Ysd_fKQHHkTVE546DgHW9K6w/s2048/grape+vine+leaves.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="View over the grape vine" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhM7MvuAlUmm0WqfkMis9WhI4aSqEIFxBhc0PjKQ33Y1wDcFXJAqKMG5uDno3WD4aF5TUnFun5aRSzJtdJlG6sknAnhm-r8mwqQSxxft9tgvgbUTdhalz2Ysd_fKQHHkTVE546DgHW9K6w/w480-h640/grape+vine+leaves.jpg" title="View over the grape vine" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The grape vine is creeping over the feijoa bushes again. We let it grow wild and it produces many kilos of red grapes each year. Plenty for the birds and for us. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We cook the grapes to make juice which we use to make kissel, a Russian dessert, which is quite delicious. Which reminds me that we still have 4.5 L of grape juice in the freezer to use up from last year.</span></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpeDx0pMel4wCFRf530W-MDJ3J4B6m7bt04WJje1tZdkLdka9Wol0oBZ97MjyIGugHPPSD_SunEnUEddaryF9Su2Gy2LHFZAUHLavRLKkDHeMa4FDm6fsTpOo6dm6C7VitNq_kpxF9tCcL/s2048/comfrey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Comfrey flowers" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpeDx0pMel4wCFRf530W-MDJ3J4B6m7bt04WJje1tZdkLdka9Wol0oBZ97MjyIGugHPPSD_SunEnUEddaryF9Su2Gy2LHFZAUHLavRLKkDHeMa4FDm6fsTpOo6dm6C7VitNq_kpxF9tCcL/w480-h640/comfrey.jpg" title="Comfrey flowers" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I discovered a patch of comfrey that has planted itself under the grapes. Comfrey is great to use as a fertiliser as it is very high in nitrogen. But I don't fancy the putrid smell of rotting the leaves down in water to make the fertiliser.</span></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoOZfwaPibD7CGcqkZjmFb-55TO0tHylN3jAkNg898lmiSjaFkdZR_B8LRR_zSA4lFYv0LF7U9SgdcyVhseWeozvOuBCnLgCZNNlgjcHTCys6pApc8deT5mUlpchMjQScJWbteH7PD5Vfh/s2048/Otto+tabby+cat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Otto tabby cat" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoOZfwaPibD7CGcqkZjmFb-55TO0tHylN3jAkNg898lmiSjaFkdZR_B8LRR_zSA4lFYv0LF7U9SgdcyVhseWeozvOuBCnLgCZNNlgjcHTCys6pApc8deT5mUlpchMjQScJWbteH7PD5Vfh/w480-h640/Otto+tabby+cat.jpg" title="Otto tabby cat" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Here is Otto. It is very hard to take photos of Otto because he is so lively and doesn't keep still very often. But I managed to take this one of him.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I think Otto and Ginger are about the same age, still quite young. They play together, pouncing on each other and making trilling, purry meows. Then they run up trees together. It is lovely to watch Otto with a companion since we lost Abby.</span></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiATbtD3hk7NU6CriyVKgzVzDRvwFbdL1z0OD9gKKI1nRv2z8tDzdQuRgbblc2jaEMUyetQrOmitYn4wFYaYqMOr_SsyD0iWShvZjlfkRpG6u06r9r8PKpGncmR59JEEnG6rb-cXapyCis0/s2048/looking+towards+the+vegetable+patch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="View towards the vegetable garden" border="0" data-original-height="1303" data-original-width="2048" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiATbtD3hk7NU6CriyVKgzVzDRvwFbdL1z0OD9gKKI1nRv2z8tDzdQuRgbblc2jaEMUyetQrOmitYn4wFYaYqMOr_SsyD0iWShvZjlfkRpG6u06r9r8PKpGncmR59JEEnG6rb-cXapyCis0/w640-h408/looking+towards+the+vegetable+patch.jpg" title="View towards the vegetable garden" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><span style="font-family: arial;">While I was walking I saw quite a lot of wildlife in the garden. Rabbits, Canada geese, quail, pheasants, rosellas and of course the pukekoes. I wasn't fast enough to get photos of them though. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">It is lovely to be so close to the wildlife. Very enjoyable and relaxing.</span></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIsQqOrRU4QV_kJYj9Oltq9qVOh7AEn7SDkoJzbAmqRwmEs5li6AvW3hdszYpcGYvpRAeZzagq7uJ75nGPWEdndpUZFDV0YqGcYyvX8rP0ElG-sYvsJR8lOPGL5UZSs4B4ln0eTwKKvDvU/s2048/landscape+with+canna+leaves.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Over the canna leaves to the orchard" border="0" data-original-height="1535" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIsQqOrRU4QV_kJYj9Oltq9qVOh7AEn7SDkoJzbAmqRwmEs5li6AvW3hdszYpcGYvpRAeZzagq7uJ75nGPWEdndpUZFDV0YqGcYyvX8rP0ElG-sYvsJR8lOPGL5UZSs4B4ln0eTwKKvDvU/w640-h480/landscape+with+canna+leaves.jpg" title="Over the canna leaves to the orchard" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Here is a view over the canna leaves towards the orchard where the trees are now green. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I need to pull out the kikuyu grass which is starting to swamp the cannas. It is a crazy grass that smothers everything in its path. (I always find things that need to be done in my photos!).</span></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4DxtqKNqv2MKJ-w59TQt_pLQtYLPr2oYumJ8uC7yYzxVVJBlDQQDQJGjr5YQKPP-_-3my0GLn8ULS6mwKJANRFIdSBAetm_MuGvrPmuKVMk-yM1j3WXrcQyxFWENL_oHDBOhzAolyEZuK/s2048/mock+orange.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Philadelphus flowers" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4DxtqKNqv2MKJ-w59TQt_pLQtYLPr2oYumJ8uC7yYzxVVJBlDQQDQJGjr5YQKPP-_-3my0GLn8ULS6mwKJANRFIdSBAetm_MuGvrPmuKVMk-yM1j3WXrcQyxFWENL_oHDBOhzAolyEZuK/w480-h640/mock+orange.jpg" title="Mock orange flowers" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The mock orange (<i>philadelphus</i>) is flowering beautifully this year, and the scent it gives off is glorious. I wish the flowers would last longer so that I could pick them to bring into the house.</span></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1X6rqCwcnAbs0T1GvMCfOCwbW9sbmkeG7tbtNiEv9xvDX7CJgzQ0GuN1vAOjMIu8dGAVsHPmC6oK3pH49wjylbFblfeWedaKsKAkcSYmOgpCK7AQ_5ddqUzhUocho-ah0hnJQEXznvuaa/s2048/pink+rose+bush.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Pink roses" border="0" data-original-height="1649" data-original-width="2048" height="516" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1X6rqCwcnAbs0T1GvMCfOCwbW9sbmkeG7tbtNiEv9xvDX7CJgzQ0GuN1vAOjMIu8dGAVsHPmC6oK3pH49wjylbFblfeWedaKsKAkcSYmOgpCK7AQ_5ddqUzhUocho-ah0hnJQEXznvuaa/w640-h516/pink+rose+bush.jpg" title="Pink roses" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I shall pick some of our pink roses instead 😊</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSK0VsO7aYn2mxVYiy7vgdlvXAXkwcwHvqDzupzHVR-3tf4_T26SkykZ0U03LCBWR1W3R_MTnu3dMxGtSQT12NQ84hS8mJ72_ADO0wL7w5nqZ7V3eBiUuPJ9bIYnpgLvQThLInOeQmb9Th/s1114/Otto+and+Ginger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Cats bumping noses kissing" border="0" data-original-height="1114" data-original-width="817" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSK0VsO7aYn2mxVYiy7vgdlvXAXkwcwHvqDzupzHVR-3tf4_T26SkykZ0U03LCBWR1W3R_MTnu3dMxGtSQT12NQ84hS8mJ72_ADO0wL7w5nqZ7V3eBiUuPJ9bIYnpgLvQThLInOeQmb9Th/w470-h640/Otto+and+Ginger.jpg" title="Otto and Ginger kissing" width="470" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">I shall leave you with another blurry long-distance photo of Otto and Ginger kissing. They do really like each other. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Mum has just told me that Ginger came into the house and walked past her in the sitting room and then out through the window. He was very scared when he saw mum, but he is being quite brave coming into the house!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I hope that you have a great rest of the week. I will see you again soon.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Hugs, Rose x</span></div>Rose Petalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998936212351555661noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3399013680692193889.post-6379704048253951992021-10-30T16:50:00.002+13:002021-10-31T21:10:49.297+13:00New unusual mushrooms have appeared in my garden!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTTutn-Vn6wKAavMAaJ5nO8LuJ6pjzabepTbv9UIBUfWCukz1W8U6iol80wqzp_FpnhITymkH9750K3-spKnKdydCOZO-aMxXQuw_S90UM0dBIsSWcWnj2XLp8DhiNmLDe-r2-0glaY-Au/s2048/shaggy+inkcap+mushrooms.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Shaggy inkcap mushrooms" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1624" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTTutn-Vn6wKAavMAaJ5nO8LuJ6pjzabepTbv9UIBUfWCukz1W8U6iol80wqzp_FpnhITymkH9750K3-spKnKdydCOZO-aMxXQuw_S90UM0dBIsSWcWnj2XLp8DhiNmLDe-r2-0glaY-Au/w508-h640/shaggy+inkcap+mushrooms.jpg" title="coprinus comatus" width="508" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Yesterday dad called me to come quickly into the garden, with my camera, to see what he had discovered under the trees, near the shed. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I was really surprised to see a clump of large white mushrooms, which are about 20 cm to 25 cm tall, surrounded by younger small ones. They were happily growing in the damp decomposed leaf litter. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The weather here in Auckland has been very wet and warm this spring, quite often around 19 C to 21 C during the day, which must be ideal for these mushrooms to grow here.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjySg_c3VoQ1clxn5LvjXoeZ7SvVks4WEFWVN3fhkXOT7ogmRP-fePUMKFvhBizisw0zTFWduOLlTqNiBWxO9EiLeoAJ19YZlPiVSaRXEGjB9J9bc7nuWxpPkpXOVkZw715hUX194QIxUFR/s2048/coprinus+comatus+mushrooms.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="coprinus comatus mushrooms" border="0" data-original-height="1419" data-original-width="2048" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjySg_c3VoQ1clxn5LvjXoeZ7SvVks4WEFWVN3fhkXOT7ogmRP-fePUMKFvhBizisw0zTFWduOLlTqNiBWxO9EiLeoAJ19YZlPiVSaRXEGjB9J9bc7nuWxpPkpXOVkZw715hUX194QIxUFR/w640-h444/coprinus+comatus+mushrooms.jpg" title="Shaggy inkcap mushrooms" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">The mushrooms are huge. I had no idea what kind they were. So after taking some photos I ran back inside to search the internet for a name.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIOv5k2qA0XsV2Nh_CedZpRzUR61D8QTCuP2DWfMpdexBtAx-MjrdSQTqvn-TsrR8Mp0XqzKIKRrkGcyCMcIa8ZNOT1HNbfQ_We8F2fR8sfvRy7nr_xNwqjw12qReYVk832luWiqtVhFMW/s2048/lawyers+wig+mushrooms.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Shaggy ink cap mushrooms" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIOv5k2qA0XsV2Nh_CedZpRzUR61D8QTCuP2DWfMpdexBtAx-MjrdSQTqvn-TsrR8Mp0XqzKIKRrkGcyCMcIa8ZNOT1HNbfQ_We8F2fR8sfvRy7nr_xNwqjw12qReYVk832luWiqtVhFMW/w480-h640/lawyers+wig+mushrooms.jpg" title="Shaggy ink cap mushrooms" width="480" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">I wasn't quite sure from my photos what the mushrooms were called because they hadn't opened up and I didn't know if these were fully mature or not.</span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLjNUvaUHWsmmP8jjloAwPfZZeu6RmaDN8m4MtdmM9ElXTihOn83koLQrfoZHl-xT_FwXBlNZnBxhJTUTU0gd4QJnl5_xEWCxHO_Sneb6WzacOVOxVWgsnkRaofT5KFRP7Kb3vehWyJrcf/s2048/coprinus+comatus+lawyers+wig+mushroom.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Shaggy ink cap mushrooms also known as Lawyer's wig" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1676" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLjNUvaUHWsmmP8jjloAwPfZZeu6RmaDN8m4MtdmM9ElXTihOn83koLQrfoZHl-xT_FwXBlNZnBxhJTUTU0gd4QJnl5_xEWCxHO_Sneb6WzacOVOxVWgsnkRaofT5KFRP7Kb3vehWyJrcf/w524-h640/coprinus+comatus+lawyers+wig+mushroom.jpg" title="These mushrooms are also known as Lawyer's wig" width="524" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Then early this morning, before it started to rain, I went back to the mushroom patch to discover that 2 had opened up at the bottom and had a lip of black curled up around the bottom of the cap.</span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiElTFzYaHjeOXInyRnJyUl6doKHipmFoanaoNTLhOQX-xxp3qheD4EYF_i12EX2WmOR6Yimk7JRcwQ26rnnJomRVa3XGVkOSs7ywkpY8MhdfU555TfyEUHiT2rSqRFQucNv6G01InvE6ff/s2048/shaggy+inkcap+mushrooms+coprinus+comatus.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="coprinus comatus in my New Zealand garden" border="0" data-original-height="1552" data-original-width="2048" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiElTFzYaHjeOXInyRnJyUl6doKHipmFoanaoNTLhOQX-xxp3qheD4EYF_i12EX2WmOR6Yimk7JRcwQ26rnnJomRVa3XGVkOSs7ywkpY8MhdfU555TfyEUHiT2rSqRFQucNv6G01InvE6ff/w640-h486/shaggy+inkcap+mushrooms+coprinus+comatus.jpg" title="coprinus comatus in my New Zealand garden" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><span style="font-family: arial;">After my search on the internet, I found that these mushrooms may be the commonly called shaggy ink caps, shaggy mane or lawyer's wigs (depending on which country you are in), with the scientific name of </span><i style="font-family: arial;">coprinus comatus</i><span style="font-family: arial;">. Though I may be wrong. </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>(No matter what the these mushrooms are I will </i></span><u style="font-family: arial;"><b><i>not</i></b></u><span style="font-family: arial;"><i> be eating them!!!)</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I wonder what surprises my garden will give me next month!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Do you have any idea if I am correct in my identification? </span></div><div><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I hope your weekend goes well and that you have some pleasant surprises too.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Hugs, Rose x</span></p></div></div>Rose Petalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998936212351555661noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3399013680692193889.post-19091292367494811702021-10-25T17:15:00.000+13:002021-10-30T16:55:44.315+13:00Moonrise over the camellias<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3fTEsHURCH6GwenW3ptL1J_S7PSHJAP5-wifEPFMektbY8PxV59e8KsWgxMlIomal3dd3469Wed0jNkhJUFSz1ya2cIRQWEnxdHZI8N1gXs-jElSYDl_AvSBLDY9d6fJ_GMJ6VBApsbjH/s2048/002+%25282%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="moon rising over camelia bushes" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3fTEsHURCH6GwenW3ptL1J_S7PSHJAP5-wifEPFMektbY8PxV59e8KsWgxMlIomal3dd3469Wed0jNkhJUFSz1ya2cIRQWEnxdHZI8N1gXs-jElSYDl_AvSBLDY9d6fJ_GMJ6VBApsbjH/w480-h640/002+%25282%2529.jpg" title="moon rising over camelia bushes" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><span style="font-family: arial;">Last Tuesday evening I looked out of the sitting room window to see the full moon rising in the sky, over my pink 'water lily' camellia bushes. </span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The sky was full of soft pastel shades of purple, pink and blue, and t</span><span style="font-family: arial;">he air was filled with the joyous sound of evening birdsong.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I opened the window to hear the birds more clearly and I could make out the songs of the blackbirds and skylarks. There was also a pheasant calling and I could hear the shrill, rattling sound of the spur-winged plovers cry.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I quickly ran for my camera and managed to capture the colours of the sky, just in time, before the pinks and purples faded away.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Then I sat and listened to the birds until their evening chorus stopped. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">It was such a lovely way to wind down at the end of the day.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The weather has been stormy since that time, with blustery gale-force winds and torrential rain until today. I ventured out at lunchtime to see if any damage had been done to my garden and found all my ixias and poppies flattened, and the petals of the purple babianas gone. Oh well, such is the spring weather I suppose.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Now I need to sit and watch another sunset and listen to the evening birdsong again. It won't be this evening because it is raining again. So I will snuggle up with a hot chocolate and do some more knitting instead.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I hope that you enjoy the new week and maybe manage to watch a sunset and listen to the evening bird song too.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">See you again soon.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Hugs, Rose x</span></div>Rose Petalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998936212351555661noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3399013680692193889.post-31716791453806904882021-10-19T18:51:00.000+13:002021-10-30T16:56:12.483+13:00I made a paper automaton aeroplane - Warning! air pockets<p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp7DHNn8V3rS46_S2w2OfcPQYFOVlRtEwKrZMN91M-7w9RaDD8nakPSNz_kluvMLXmpTp03MebI_hvdmk2p3Q8DWB5qQTUHD1r4k1VRCmHJTOF4pgw1WFwwG1-YfRly1omxczhq9AN_fe1/s2048/20201207_105609.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="Paper automaton aeroplane WAP" border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp7DHNn8V3rS46_S2w2OfcPQYFOVlRtEwKrZMN91M-7w9RaDD8nakPSNz_kluvMLXmpTp03MebI_hvdmk2p3Q8DWB5qQTUHD1r4k1VRCmHJTOF4pgw1WFwwG1-YfRly1omxczhq9AN_fe1/w640-h480/20201207_105609.jpg" title="Warning! air pockets aeroplane automaton" width="640" /></a></p><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I had a lot of fun making this moving automaton for my 11 year old nephew. It took me just over 2 weeks to make and it is made out of paper printed on my printer. </span></div><div><br /></div><span style="font-family: arial;">The Warning! air pockets (WAP) automaton was designed by Giuseppe Civitarese and I found the free template for it on his <a href="https://www.paperpino.net/wap/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">website</a>, together with the theory behind the mechanics and a YouTube clip showing how it moves.</span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">There were 19 pages of instructions, with diagrams, and 52 pages with 165 parts to cut out! The printing used a very large amount of ink and different thicknesses of paper. The construction was quite complicated for me, being the first automaton that I have ever made, but I completed it and it works 😎 </span><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwNbI9-TzbHLug5CokK52j5dFuMze8ziaCPEW_ne2ZclNpq1PWDpaCLel2GJGMVab1-125a_kJFx00B5vd8OOwzVSWahZwz95HGobiMu52hmWiMG1kgoPJ07CeqcgjTNsCWjlFBHNg2crO/s2048/20201207_105542.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="WAP moving aeroplane model automaton" border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwNbI9-TzbHLug5CokK52j5dFuMze8ziaCPEW_ne2ZclNpq1PWDpaCLel2GJGMVab1-125a_kJFx00B5vd8OOwzVSWahZwz95HGobiMu52hmWiMG1kgoPJ07CeqcgjTNsCWjlFBHNg2crO/w640-h480/20201207_105542.jpg" title="WAP moving aeroplane model automaton" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The flying movements of the aeroplane mimic those of an aeroplane that is hitting air pockets. Quite a bit of turbulence!</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">To make the automation work, you turn the handle on the large wheel at the front. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>This makes</u>:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">- The waves rock up and down individually</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">- The aeroplane move up and down and rock from side to side as if it has hit air pockets</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">- The seagull's wings flap up and down</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">- The sun spin around</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">- The cog wheels at the back work as gears moving the pistons and crank shaft</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">It is quite complex and you can see all the workings as they control the automaton.</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGSLd9uSR9DBjvkWSJUyRFb5HlbqyeVt2MGHgzMUvdu0VU3atKwZQNK9mfG__qKuNEIpEQVy-yNRNs3-rC-RPz1Uhtxq8GbxX-9U_Sj5Q53k1_GgT30vFiHJlPlH7BWzWhhBaZGjBTnIoB/s2048/20201207_105634.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Rear view of the WAP automaton" border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGSLd9uSR9DBjvkWSJUyRFb5HlbqyeVt2MGHgzMUvdu0VU3atKwZQNK9mfG__qKuNEIpEQVy-yNRNs3-rC-RPz1Uhtxq8GbxX-9U_Sj5Q53k1_GgT30vFiHJlPlH7BWzWhhBaZGjBTnIoB/w640-h480/20201207_105634.jpg" title="Rear view of the automaton" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><span style="font-family: arial;">I had such a great time making this and even more fun playing with it. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Really happy 😊</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Hugs, Rose x</span></div>Rose Petalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998936212351555661noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3399013680692193889.post-39924393137281553412021-10-13T18:12:00.000+13:002021-10-13T18:12:22.673+13:00Another spring walk with my cat Otto <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE4zMo6xLggV7VUPHUovEP0Cr_y3Ed6Q2WqHpjrBIKb10B82zh6Pyk7G3LgEa1UGGc2AiYCp8L0eykBztcu5HxFV312zAYpMWqu5PCY5DIv_Rb1mz-otxseCTPhtQWm6L86CLc5NL3Ok84/s2543/view+to+the+gum+trees.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="view towards the young eucalyptus trees" border="0" data-original-height="1237" data-original-width="2543" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE4zMo6xLggV7VUPHUovEP0Cr_y3Ed6Q2WqHpjrBIKb10B82zh6Pyk7G3LgEa1UGGc2AiYCp8L0eykBztcu5HxFV312zAYpMWqu5PCY5DIv_Rb1mz-otxseCTPhtQWm6L86CLc5NL3Ok84/w640-h312/view+to+the+gum+trees.jpg" title="view towards the young eucalyptus trees" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">The sun came out at last, in between squally Spring showers, so I took the chance to go for a walk with my cat Otto, in the fresh air, while I could.</span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Otto is very much like my shadow, he likes to follow me wherever I go. He is now 2 and a half years old and acts like a kitten still, always leaping about and climbing up trees. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVCYABm6fLE1jRYx2lMsLjLlAK1EBlk5A4fMBt5D_oe5g31vxjxzB66m1bAA_XOHXx_JDFqem_dKmpe6-wj_0ZXiaBacQDAJ2NHireDpjxhTvHa7YaRwotgck_JBtO5X17jTPUWz7nhuMO/s2048/otto+up+gum+tree.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="my cat Otto up a eucalyptus tree" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVCYABm6fLE1jRYx2lMsLjLlAK1EBlk5A4fMBt5D_oe5g31vxjxzB66m1bAA_XOHXx_JDFqem_dKmpe6-wj_0ZXiaBacQDAJ2NHireDpjxhTvHa7YaRwotgck_JBtO5X17jTPUWz7nhuMO/w480-h640/otto+up+gum+tree.jpg" title="my cat Otto up a eucalyptus tree" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><span style="font-family: arial;">You can see Otto in the photo above, near the top of a very tall eucalyptus tree. This is the highest that I have ever seen him climb. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">My heart was in my mouth when I saw him rush up the tree trunk at lightning speed. He has only just learnt to climb down backwards, instead of just leaping down from any height, or trying to run down the tree trunk head first! </span><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9IHIeE01aaQ5T1Bt31teCbs0Aiuk7Gyhkh6q3SrDi4t9IuqJEZXGxpz9D6SzxwPVyNTOc7vl32xcCCbmqd1s0Z1nPNZn6oO3w9g8SeplL31M_vZtmzNIQjf9DOPH_X-yxFdGZjuT397u4/s2048/009+%25282%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="overgrown garden" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9IHIeE01aaQ5T1Bt31teCbs0Aiuk7Gyhkh6q3SrDi4t9IuqJEZXGxpz9D6SzxwPVyNTOc7vl32xcCCbmqd1s0Z1nPNZn6oO3w9g8SeplL31M_vZtmzNIQjf9DOPH_X-yxFdGZjuT397u4/w480-h640/009+%25282%2529.jpg" title="overgrown garden" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The ground was very wet and muddy and the grass was long, so I had to wear my gumboots to keep my feet dry. We are waiting for the land to dry out before we can mow the grass. It is quite overgrown at the moment.</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJVWSMYV9IvMxH6z0ZpPhrb5tgiUKHIgEPj5Stdpc-cDxCsgS9lJx_RKmhQl1JDQs4ymZRgZlo7dk8gIqAhr23fRnbwSyY0CqsuiE_VIEVLh7Fbdx1od9TEzW2_Hljd1orIBI2N1zVMxHg/s2048/Otto+up+cabbage+tree.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="my cat Otto up a cabbage tree" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1462" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJVWSMYV9IvMxH6z0ZpPhrb5tgiUKHIgEPj5Stdpc-cDxCsgS9lJx_RKmhQl1JDQs4ymZRgZlo7dk8gIqAhr23fRnbwSyY0CqsuiE_VIEVLh7Fbdx1od9TEzW2_Hljd1orIBI2N1zVMxHg/w456-h640/Otto+up+cabbage+tree.jpg" title="my cat Otto up a cabbage tree" width="456" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">This cabbage tree (<i>cordyline australis</i>) is Otto's favourite tree to climb at the beginning and end of each walk. He also uses it as a scratching post, then rushes up the trunk until his head is in the leaves which he plays with. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Occasionally Otto will bring long cabbage tree leaves into the house as presents for me, or to play with. 😄</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiibLyPgvNDiRC_4yBl2S4pxLfSm97JWXJ3z8XHZ-zDy3p_I_d7MMy2RAielUICIhLd74One8jvPY98g8Z5FR_oL8dlIyAdNqBhyqNwPxTl-UkpsxN-4IaRDzCnruZx6Dk2mD-E2G7aDxPF/s2048/017+%25282%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="the blue wisteria in flower" border="0" data-original-height="2002" data-original-width="2048" height="626" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiibLyPgvNDiRC_4yBl2S4pxLfSm97JWXJ3z8XHZ-zDy3p_I_d7MMy2RAielUICIhLd74One8jvPY98g8Z5FR_oL8dlIyAdNqBhyqNwPxTl-UkpsxN-4IaRDzCnruZx6Dk2mD-E2G7aDxPF/w640-h626/017+%25282%2529.jpg" title="the blue wisteria in flower" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The blue wisteria is in full flower now and smells wonderful. This one grows just outside my bedroom window, so I can enjoy the scent when I have the window open.</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYZb77fkKtMfznUUKHlKXxDyBlL2WPG8a3Cpe-401onO3yvn6mfJcPYA3vxH6aNlvBguQ-K8LL4MtCpcRbjgKyOMsA0wrxEr0HfZEMx819rzcO7qJ0CMeL2tLme8aZb9rZBbM3-qTLSDIN/s2048/024+%25282%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="view across the orchard" border="0" data-original-height="1747" data-original-width="2048" height="546" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYZb77fkKtMfznUUKHlKXxDyBlL2WPG8a3Cpe-401onO3yvn6mfJcPYA3vxH6aNlvBguQ-K8LL4MtCpcRbjgKyOMsA0wrxEr0HfZEMx819rzcO7qJ0CMeL2tLme8aZb9rZBbM3-qTLSDIN/w640-h546/024+%25282%2529.jpg" title="view across the orchard" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Above is the view through our orchard and across one of our fields to the nature reserve. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">You can see the lemons, which are ready to pick, on the small tree at the bottom right of the photo. The buds on the rest of the fruit trees are just starting to open.</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivMGmrrpyuyI_UoM_5cBqDqJupIWh8swTAdxx1728XDWPfEOGQS-WHW8qW74PFQafnOWgpUxMcBaSv0sToTqtjlrHrAB6NxFzP81znQLZoIgqGnDiPu7B2JygYuGXZcx_dyruKHGIdoGQO/s2048/044+%25282%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="our pond" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivMGmrrpyuyI_UoM_5cBqDqJupIWh8swTAdxx1728XDWPfEOGQS-WHW8qW74PFQafnOWgpUxMcBaSv0sToTqtjlrHrAB6NxFzP81znQLZoIgqGnDiPu7B2JygYuGXZcx_dyruKHGIdoGQO/w480-h640/044+%25282%2529.jpg" title="our pond" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Our pond has filled up with water now, after all the rain that we have had. The pond is frequently visited by Mallard ducks, Canada geese and Paradise ducks. Although there were none to be seen on this walk. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I love the Canada geese with their honking call, but they are very shy here and fly away as soon as they see us.</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzX7KdaJ4i7kWmZGj8zz06IAcRjGz6kbMu8ImBjLdNDSWD7FWBGzjEOsVqVGwPBzXgbIqovNP8kwFKGZzklY_ZTfFnrJ_EUnvji-C9rDb-79i-0_xyrfl2I2ar1T2jJ5v1iqt7LOUG7X7B/s2048/062+%25282%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="view towards the daffodil patch" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzX7KdaJ4i7kWmZGj8zz06IAcRjGz6kbMu8ImBjLdNDSWD7FWBGzjEOsVqVGwPBzXgbIqovNP8kwFKGZzklY_ZTfFnrJ_EUnvji-C9rDb-79i-0_xyrfl2I2ar1T2jJ5v1iqt7LOUG7X7B/w626-h640/062+%25282%2529.jpg" title="view towards the daffodil patch" width="626" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">In the middle of the photo above is where the daffodil patch is. The daffodils finished flowering a month ago and we are waiting for the leaves to die off before we can mow over that area again.</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5GHBBNTZAY3EtC22_qRyqk7FL9MevwvkgHHfBGAT2rKWHkIAenTBjiky6zMAIPypHngwgNGrIS5_taL5vHOtA4LMN0f9i1BBBWk7mVo1LmEqvikPZ6PKCiTlUz2FrmxSI5lsRfulGU3Rk/s2048/022+%25282%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="view past the persimmon tree" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1764" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5GHBBNTZAY3EtC22_qRyqk7FL9MevwvkgHHfBGAT2rKWHkIAenTBjiky6zMAIPypHngwgNGrIS5_taL5vHOtA4LMN0f9i1BBBWk7mVo1LmEqvikPZ6PKCiTlUz2FrmxSI5lsRfulGU3Rk/w552-h640/022+%25282%2529.jpg" title="view past the persimmon tree" width="552" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The bright green tree on the left is our persimmon tree. It puts on a lovely show of fresh green leaves in the Spring. Then in Autumn the leaves turn a bright rusty orange colour and the tree is then full of bright orange persimmons.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0RSteuzrubk6-N8YWB6w_rNkBOCXLoMplkPzd9dofiQ2v-tcmCbhJHDXsM48WWOe0ZUEjEvdYgTB0J6WSnXZZS9JVE9w0KsU6Bfjm0uVA97KIemyBv-mR3Cj1mGzKPxEPpZVXJFvVSIWx/s516/otto.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="my cat Otto" border="0" data-original-height="516" data-original-width="361" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0RSteuzrubk6-N8YWB6w_rNkBOCXLoMplkPzd9dofiQ2v-tcmCbhJHDXsM48WWOe0ZUEjEvdYgTB0J6WSnXZZS9JVE9w0KsU6Bfjm0uVA97KIemyBv-mR3Cj1mGzKPxEPpZVXJFvVSIWx/w224-h320/otto.JPG" title="my cat Otto" width="224" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Otto and I very much enjoyed our walk 😊</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">It is time now for me to have my afternoon tea. Twining's English breakfast tea, no milk, 2 sugars and a slice of lemon with a couple of shortbread biscuits today. Yummy.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I hope that you are having an enjoyable week.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">See you again soon.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Hugs, Rose x</span></p></div>Rose Petalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998936212351555661noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3399013680692193889.post-66682160213009035912021-10-08T14:20:00.001+13:002021-10-08T14:20:45.196+13:00A Springtime ramble in my garden<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiTv2OQgLrXuWCDZJ2ZqusKd0sL_JUIyDdSh2PEFxaufCCZEuSdN_e25wdslPAGwlt-wQEMIrjMtyQAJ3MUx89Jc4mDsqL-4AW-CsVwGewU6K7YTAsYHJipxoAfIKnoBl7QlLY8gpFPK2s/s2048/039+%25282%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="naturalised purple babiana" border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiTv2OQgLrXuWCDZJ2ZqusKd0sL_JUIyDdSh2PEFxaufCCZEuSdN_e25wdslPAGwlt-wQEMIrjMtyQAJ3MUx89Jc4mDsqL-4AW-CsVwGewU6K7YTAsYHJipxoAfIKnoBl7QlLY8gpFPK2s/w640-h480/039+%25282%2529.jpg" title="naturalised purple babiana" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">The rain has finally stopped, for the moment, so I jumped at the chance of going for a stroll in my garden with Otto and my camera. I love being outside during Spring, seeing the new flowers opening and the leaves on the trees unfurling. </span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfTr3WgDvlNNxTPDAIAOg7lYXUTXM0JKap9esMk5Pzp-vEs9pIknleyi38BLrf28cuKdpavT9uVqXKL-w35MasZDedZk6EimkMWjIZsrVnvus4S9Io8k1cSpXHo7I_vdG1EG3aA-j7ov4Y/s2048/babiana+naturalised.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="view with babiana" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfTr3WgDvlNNxTPDAIAOg7lYXUTXM0JKap9esMk5Pzp-vEs9pIknleyi38BLrf28cuKdpavT9uVqXKL-w35MasZDedZk6EimkMWjIZsrVnvus4S9Io8k1cSpXHo7I_vdG1EG3aA-j7ov4Y/w480-h640/babiana+naturalised.jpg" title="view with babiana" width="480" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">The purple Babiana flowers are abundant in my garden this year. They grow from corms which I spread about each year to form new clumps. The flowers also form seeds which I collect and sprinkle around wherever I want them to grow.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwRb8JqwKcbE7K69Qjd8Uru4HK1v49fnZ4o3ygm64wlezdjQBiniHFFlicjm8Zxtv2ep_JUseOJ4sKx8RCXYDqjQdf3dyJyqBBZMn03xtyFs1vSK-AQ28OQdzpzvJLcQZu-1JLziv7SzKL/s2048/DSCF0459+%25282%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="New Zealand garden view" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwRb8JqwKcbE7K69Qjd8Uru4HK1v49fnZ4o3ygm64wlezdjQBiniHFFlicjm8Zxtv2ep_JUseOJ4sKx8RCXYDqjQdf3dyJyqBBZMn03xtyFs1vSK-AQ28OQdzpzvJLcQZu-1JLziv7SzKL/w480-h640/DSCF0459+%25282%2529.JPG" title="New Zealand garden view" width="480" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">Once established, the Babiana clumps grow quite quickly. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">I love the contrast between the purple of the Babiana with the gold of the Arctotis.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2DjbtDPypqYCp-8JMTiVeps2OvfoFnfbmAGZKpWd7XdnQrGbSMz0svPsc8RxoOpwH7zA_pMciEoPMjkwk47q8n0eUcPDgUQrKTMA4zZ18WCR1ccJUhj4U667QT5hAyYzECKjHe60RhZWU/s2048/babiana+and+arctotis.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="purple babiana and gold arctotis" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1684" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2DjbtDPypqYCp-8JMTiVeps2OvfoFnfbmAGZKpWd7XdnQrGbSMz0svPsc8RxoOpwH7zA_pMciEoPMjkwk47q8n0eUcPDgUQrKTMA4zZ18WCR1ccJUhj4U667QT5hAyYzECKjHe60RhZWU/w526-h640/babiana+and+arctotis.jpg" width="526" /></a></div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOoz3Pr7GZUbr0NMnadr-OL-ywrcPNTeLAplKHL_2R3y3dwivev7Va_r_Tc6UeliF5SLbUItqp5BjgO_Mn8ISMzSppaNJmP6DJjLv-DWZ9fGVG95yljj89wDE5CkM-4gy69r2EiHZMb12Q/s2048/babiana.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="babiana close up" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1885" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOoz3Pr7GZUbr0NMnadr-OL-ywrcPNTeLAplKHL_2R3y3dwivev7Va_r_Tc6UeliF5SLbUItqp5BjgO_Mn8ISMzSppaNJmP6DJjLv-DWZ9fGVG95yljj89wDE5CkM-4gy69r2EiHZMb12Q/w590-h640/babiana.jpg" title="babiana close up" width="590" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">We spread the golden Arctotis by taking cuttings, at any time during the year, and planting them directly into the ground. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">We tried growing different colours of Arctotis, but for some reason gold is the only colour that will survive in our gaden. I have no idea why.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">If the Arctotis flowers are regularly deadheaded, they are supposed to flower from Spring right through to Autumn. But it is backbreaking work, we have so many of them. I tried one year and had to give up. There were too many flowers and each flower only lasts 2 days. Maybe this year I will try deadheading just one clump and see what happens.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4isQEDNXf1ByPgF-rQ7Qgr5vdTeHKWcnv1nazU1qK3j-U-QIVnd8GGiDvaLtf9lipF56qbeaD0uUq6dWIS_X5Hjv-vZ-arFMSbhPC9VngrAYpdrmB9Wx8BQp9sXqCwU1r5GZ54lI4OUCf/s2048/gold+arctotis+2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="gold arctotis" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4isQEDNXf1ByPgF-rQ7Qgr5vdTeHKWcnv1nazU1qK3j-U-QIVnd8GGiDvaLtf9lipF56qbeaD0uUq6dWIS_X5Hjv-vZ-arFMSbhPC9VngrAYpdrmB9Wx8BQp9sXqCwU1r5GZ54lI4OUCf/w480-h640/gold+arctotis+2.jpg" title="gold arctotis" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Below is a view across the Ixia wild flower bed towards the native New Zealand Ponga trees (tree ferns). The Pongas grew themselves there, we didn't need to plant them. 😊 </span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBHtJbWTRFL9DxMeHvq4Yb3egP2aBbbKj-Xl0zVgvLV2Ktib4E-ZgeP8E3aZDPueM5DQW4Brf6ZZ5izcqtVZL9mWCRRdh2svjT0FznNazpD4kldmtkPkPjqcnTE5yDn2Pc3SVtyHp0bKsI/s2048/035+%25282%2529.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="1278" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBHtJbWTRFL9DxMeHvq4Yb3egP2aBbbKj-Xl0zVgvLV2Ktib4E-ZgeP8E3aZDPueM5DQW4Brf6ZZ5izcqtVZL9mWCRRdh2svjT0FznNazpD4kldmtkPkPjqcnTE5yDn2Pc3SVtyHp0bKsI/w640-h400/035+%25282%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">And another view, in the opposite direction, of the Ixia. The wind was blowing quite strongly so the flowers were bobbing around making it hard to take a clear photo. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisJ2yThmSxVIhtqplSbxwPu5qgo3qRBQ0vETi5xZ-WEyiD1fu3YmtZDFJxCpLkiT_ye7kxUmJOmZSqP1jYSlEq7stAjeRJzYj2rGIF2n5HIdFn7eQzOcJ7iHhPR4qnArpB2Q2DAwOryxvl/s2048/015+%25282%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="naturalised ixias" border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisJ2yThmSxVIhtqplSbxwPu5qgo3qRBQ0vETi5xZ-WEyiD1fu3YmtZDFJxCpLkiT_ye7kxUmJOmZSqP1jYSlEq7stAjeRJzYj2rGIF2n5HIdFn7eQzOcJ7iHhPR4qnArpB2Q2DAwOryxvl/w640-h480/015+%25282%2529.jpg" title="naturalised ixias" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUc7c7GAkNdMOPe_c5BTtA6s-f-sJA8s5eflfFFD4k9iGr1-LXs5lKUuAMhp1t45lYWbabV6f2z28CoTYOnN3cnRL5SAUwkemsDGnqNj36OcU80b-Ty80pqJxPWyxL-BbX23ZtdNQ3VIdu/s1999/garden+bench+view.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="view to garden seat" border="0" data-original-height="1999" data-original-width="1547" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUc7c7GAkNdMOPe_c5BTtA6s-f-sJA8s5eflfFFD4k9iGr1-LXs5lKUuAMhp1t45lYWbabV6f2z28CoTYOnN3cnRL5SAUwkemsDGnqNj36OcU80b-Ty80pqJxPWyxL-BbX23ZtdNQ3VIdu/w496-h640/garden+bench+view.jpg" title="view to garden seat" width="496" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">This is my favourite garden seat, overlooking the Ixias to the pond. Behind the seat are Kniphofia, Agapanthus and Clivia plants. The Clivia didn't flower this year. It tried to, but snails ate all the flower buds off them 😕</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhe5gAOhr6BcmFtEauAjZumICLkcBq7e-XUM-PN1G60gxEgGu64I0pt7az3SZO9bySsVHsVS6adEF_FNzZpvXixM0Yk5yAt945mhSqmyp_8PNuWStqVMjK4kOQ4qj_6XthUN97gY3IbGa9/s2048/065+%25282%2529.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1697" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhe5gAOhr6BcmFtEauAjZumICLkcBq7e-XUM-PN1G60gxEgGu64I0pt7az3SZO9bySsVHsVS6adEF_FNzZpvXixM0Yk5yAt945mhSqmyp_8PNuWStqVMjK4kOQ4qj_6XthUN97gY3IbGa9/w530-h640/065+%25282%2529.jpg" width="530" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">I still haven't managed to find the name of our frothy, pink-flowered succulents. Please let me know, in the comments, if you have the name for them. It has been puzzling me for years.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7bRnCYwcSuTcvPcaIE-huxNCAahzubP65bZMzB0F5PHoEpZYn6_2JC5hv69EJSLLI3enG_HCNdLEKQLrQgHDPdnGc32iWQePBCSy19UfKSgXiUHbzp894YMwiTa4Rw58TCKE10bwu9uGs/s2048/pink+frothy+flowers+succulent.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="pink frothy flowers succulent" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7bRnCYwcSuTcvPcaIE-huxNCAahzubP65bZMzB0F5PHoEpZYn6_2JC5hv69EJSLLI3enG_HCNdLEKQLrQgHDPdnGc32iWQePBCSy19UfKSgXiUHbzp894YMwiTa4Rw58TCKE10bwu9uGs/w480-h640/pink+frothy+flowers+succulent.jpg" title="pink frothy flowers succulent" width="480" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHSisE1hBt-G1a3NkwCM-ApWLQ0PJ8zgw4Mpyq_SKrSE2jfoz9tODZAzxGp0pXeli43XKPgdv-U77vQlEpsEFBPEl6Vy_CRdOhb92qvz1o284gduG8_PBvXND2lCNM76qofYcAl3CkqSm_/s2048/pink+succulent.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="pink flowered succulent" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHSisE1hBt-G1a3NkwCM-ApWLQ0PJ8zgw4Mpyq_SKrSE2jfoz9tODZAzxGp0pXeli43XKPgdv-U77vQlEpsEFBPEl6Vy_CRdOhb92qvz1o284gduG8_PBvXND2lCNM76qofYcAl3CkqSm_/w480-h640/pink+succulent.jpg" title="pink flowered succulent" width="480" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">Here is Otto, walking alongside the orange Sparaxis. This clump has been growing steadily in size over many years. You can see how big they are compared to Otto!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8NRumsfoWhXnhWEsplr33UczdWFTl-JcaUdX410oFGQ-WGw-1RhpflCrkXAuAWzOAqKIELHPoz87NbkohTfEk7ZVElPBJn55w3cwWzurjIlPvOGb9sJKLN9n6qjBJK6v1erQmMqgzqJ9V/s2048/Otto+with+orange+sparaxis.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Otto cat with sparaxis" border="0" data-original-height="1474" data-original-width="2048" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8NRumsfoWhXnhWEsplr33UczdWFTl-JcaUdX410oFGQ-WGw-1RhpflCrkXAuAWzOAqKIELHPoz87NbkohTfEk7ZVElPBJn55w3cwWzurjIlPvOGb9sJKLN9n6qjBJK6v1erQmMqgzqJ9V/w640-h460/Otto+with+orange+sparaxis.jpg" title="Otto cat with sparaxis" width="640" /></a></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The Sparaxis have also naturalised into the wildflower bed near the Ixias. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">This year the pheasants have left the Sparaxis alone. Usually they peck all the flowers off. I don't know if they actually eat them, or just like picking at them. Hopefully they will form large clumps like in the photo above. But it will take many years.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6AA9J7gNyhtXBaIARZ2qWQLub2JGpqwSZiMY_DV5XgTKynrse3jVy9hm-eo0PAIludlEFeAqFglPPs3qOnwHANJzReBpTEzoCQLXO_nG6xQMZ9AM4XlZ_mrptfhH0G8S3hYpYLPaBz-Ec/s2048/naturalised+sparaxis.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="naturalised sparaxis" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1488" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6AA9J7gNyhtXBaIARZ2qWQLub2JGpqwSZiMY_DV5XgTKynrse3jVy9hm-eo0PAIludlEFeAqFglPPs3qOnwHANJzReBpTEzoCQLXO_nG6xQMZ9AM4XlZ_mrptfhH0G8S3hYpYLPaBz-Ec/w466-h640/naturalised+sparaxis.jpg" title="naturalised sparaxis" width="466" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I feel refreshed after walking outside. I find the garden calming and soothing, and Otto is quite hilarious as he follows me around, then runs up trees all excited that I am outside with him.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Now I am back inside trying to sort out some technical problems. My mum's iPad has stopped being able to download library books. I phoned the library to see if it was an internet/library problem, only to be told that their eBook application had been updated and that many people are having the same problem. The libraries are all closed to the public in Auckland, due to lockdown, so there is no other way for mum to borrow books.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It turns out that the operating system on the iPad is too outdated, even after doing an update for it. Sigh. Mum was beside herself with despair. I phoned my brother for help and he said there is nothing we can do apart from by a new iPad....But shortly after, he phoned back and said to expect a new iPad mini in the post! Thanks big brother, mum is now over the moon with delight.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">My next technical glitch happened after I downloaded the latest update for my Android cellphone. Included in the update was a change to how the phone's camera operated, to speed up the time it takes to take a photo. My photos now are not as clear. I will have to investigate the settings and see if I can do anything about it. Plus there are other changes that I haven't tried yet...a job for this afternoon.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">My last technical problem was with this blog post. Not being able to align my photos and text properly. Not sure why it is happening, but please excuse the messy bits.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">They do say horrible things come in threes, so fingers crossed that that is all, for a while at least! </span><span style="font-family: arial;">I am off now to have a play with the camera function on my cellphone, while the weather is still fine.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Looking forward to seeing you here again soon.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Hugs, </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Rose x</span></div></div>Rose Petalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998936212351555661noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3399013680692193889.post-46189880602545871282021-10-03T12:34:00.003+13:002021-10-04T10:45:40.536+13:00Spring has arrived in my veggie patch<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhij-PbLR4DTCOIXyXTm212TbO_ugImWm_Dy81VLsbGFjX1B1N9jI7xru2iQxcBd391K1GYHK8W7K3eE5yKzWNU4RQ0g3IPWI4JscD0TgeydeCzO7JOpKinw4OjJA9cLFxvs8Fwu_NnqWHi/s2048/054+%25284%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="cineraria and silverbeet (Swiss chard)" border="0" data-original-height="2015" data-original-width="2048" height="630" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhij-PbLR4DTCOIXyXTm212TbO_ugImWm_Dy81VLsbGFjX1B1N9jI7xru2iQxcBd391K1GYHK8W7K3eE5yKzWNU4RQ0g3IPWI4JscD0TgeydeCzO7JOpKinw4OjJA9cLFxvs8Fwu_NnqWHi/w640-h630/054+%25284%2529.jpg" title="cineraria and silverbeet (Swiss chard)" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">My vegetable patch is looking colourful with self-seeded cineraria coming into flower just now. The cineraria are so pretty that I am going to leave them growing in-amongst the silverbeet (Swiss chard). They will attract beneficial insects, which is always a good thing. </span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I also discovered that some evening primroses have seeded themselves in this spot too, together with echiums. I can't wait until they are all flowering.</span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsgeEvacx3dlywWpn_BcqNWCHJk7hJigmon6f8CV2T2Xz8G5bVgm6shpdXqg8yJ52thsRnD6Wtjorl4XJRz0jBteW1wJJo3ezox5sQB6kdgkr6V45hh6X1GKl6XCtlHRZUz4JN77gOhVaG/s2048/005.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Edible sage flowering" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsgeEvacx3dlywWpn_BcqNWCHJk7hJigmon6f8CV2T2Xz8G5bVgm6shpdXqg8yJ52thsRnD6Wtjorl4XJRz0jBteW1wJJo3ezox5sQB6kdgkr6V45hh6X1GKl6XCtlHRZUz4JN77gOhVaG/w480-h640/005.jpg" title="Edible sage flowering" width="480" /></a></div>The edible sage has started to flower too. I am going to leave the flowers for the bees, then trim them down once the flowers have faded. Hopefully the sage will grow back, I think it is a perennial? This is the first time that my sage has survived through the Winter.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEici-KIaEnqjOMvEORRFSy1dEE6Rzj_q35PnqtGF2NY_sUYuTsv2xwYJAXYEgOLHKXErqzfPmEn4Frd5UEpazLEXpHdorj7KNatf4WEwyEP19gKoOJC-ZD7pPhc7vASsIMc9zoGNZVyYGMJ/s2048/004.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Oregano growing strong in Spring" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEici-KIaEnqjOMvEORRFSy1dEE6Rzj_q35PnqtGF2NY_sUYuTsv2xwYJAXYEgOLHKXErqzfPmEn4Frd5UEpazLEXpHdorj7KNatf4WEwyEP19gKoOJC-ZD7pPhc7vASsIMc9zoGNZVyYGMJ/w480-h640/004.jpg" title="Oregano growing strong in Spring" width="480" /></a></div><br />The oregano has put on a strong growth spurt after the flower stems were trimmed down to the ground a month ago.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBax1eat5rFiMSyno5S7Sw4dD9oxnp2SFCFHsp71NXo5J00FWN6Z5MNvdr6hkuKbH3S6OQXMmsBvh9OiIsixAHr5VJEcCe7kdGfZ8w8irNJMybexl0Jbwj-ZCaWus8VHgZKu4BCoM4sJDG/s2048/050+%25284%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="My vegetable garden in Spring" border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBax1eat5rFiMSyno5S7Sw4dD9oxnp2SFCFHsp71NXo5J00FWN6Z5MNvdr6hkuKbH3S6OQXMmsBvh9OiIsixAHr5VJEcCe7kdGfZ8w8irNJMybexl0Jbwj-ZCaWus8VHgZKu4BCoM4sJDG/w640-h480/050+%25284%2529.jpg" title="my vegetable garden in Spring" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><span style="font-family: arial;">All of the parsley has bolted in the warmer weather. However it can still be used as a cooking ingredient at this stage. I am going to leave it to flower and set seed, so we will have plenty more parsley later in the year.</span> </div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">In this photo you can see the Winter vegetables which are now ready to harvest (swedes, red cabbages, broccoli and cavolo nero kale). </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw9Yils_lp1_dMrzYIzUcG8AwqLkT637Lwm2UlTNCi0E0KDaqFQIkNaX6vANIfWhWprCjSaC_ymmJb0eOSvayjrpWJ7XwiNmzWruO_YHDLpUEva4-uLDYKfBib6riEr0xb_pS-x2HAyh9v/s2048/024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Potatoes growing in early Spring" border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw9Yils_lp1_dMrzYIzUcG8AwqLkT637Lwm2UlTNCi0E0KDaqFQIkNaX6vANIfWhWprCjSaC_ymmJb0eOSvayjrpWJ7XwiNmzWruO_YHDLpUEva4-uLDYKfBib6riEr0xb_pS-x2HAyh9v/w640-h480/024.jpg" title="Potatoes growing in early Spring" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The potatoes, planted a few weeks ago, now have leaves on and should be ready to harvest at Christmas. I love new potatoes 😊</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I am hoping that the danger of frosts has passed by now. Although it is still possible for frosts to happen at this time of year, we had an exceptionally mild winter, so fingers crossed. We have cloches, made from large plastic water bottles, ready to use just in case.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDZBtn2TfTcR1QmVi-IbqwWZNy4tL3vf59GjPpBVJvwpBrAAnkkPZ43I1DjW7cd2Omy9E5GT3fShtI9n6dMvt3_D_sPS7hE_2jR_aW3FpMC95YXVqRpfMcneOWxbVHf1hLEN9xAbaEOZSX/s2048/018.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="garlic planted mid June" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDZBtn2TfTcR1QmVi-IbqwWZNy4tL3vf59GjPpBVJvwpBrAAnkkPZ43I1DjW7cd2Omy9E5GT3fShtI9n6dMvt3_D_sPS7hE_2jR_aW3FpMC95YXVqRpfMcneOWxbVHf1hLEN9xAbaEOZSX/w480-h640/018.jpg" title="garlic planted mid June" width="480" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>Dad planted this garlic in May and it is looking really healthy. It should be ready to harvest 6 months from planting, as long as nothing goes wrong. There is no </span><span style="font-family: arial;">sign of the dreaded rust yet, touch wood. We are hoping that, having planted the garlic earlier this year, it will have a good chance of forming bulbs before the rust arrives.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjANymjcHlBI7c6ZtE4V-O3mwp9j2h43jLVTGYRCOT49_Bg55YNVGBYy5uETfJ8OkalJFMwTNT0GR4w_w0TdaDfpVbLQT01svNJ1iVHk4jGYlnZkCGm7dW3nRzneAnCFqQJlDyar8NaObCG/s2048/vegetable+seedlings+in+cloche.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1257" data-original-width="2048" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjANymjcHlBI7c6ZtE4V-O3mwp9j2h43jLVTGYRCOT49_Bg55YNVGBYy5uETfJ8OkalJFMwTNT0GR4w_w0TdaDfpVbLQT01svNJ1iVHk4jGYlnZkCGm7dW3nRzneAnCFqQJlDyar8NaObCG/w640-h392/vegetable+seedlings+in+cloche.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Some of the vegetable seedlings are coming up well in the cloche on the deck. The courgettes are ready to be planted out and the tomatoes, capsicums, pumpkin and purple sprouting broccoli seedlings are looking good.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We sowed the Blue Lake runner beans and Goliath snow peas directly into the veggie patch where the soil has been rejuvenated with homemade compost.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOkjTZF6Gf7pBGWhmdrcX9tXXftS36JbLqmz59K6GYreOyKozXIOHo4YzIHcBm75btiPepopYs7olyQVnbNhf9OziF0seRwAg48P494Go70fjaY8_lxgGQjjsaMrpSMHGWHLrP9uBTPtCw/s2048/021+%25282%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Otto in the vegetable patch" border="0" data-original-height="1773" data-original-width="2048" height="554" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOkjTZF6Gf7pBGWhmdrcX9tXXftS36JbLqmz59K6GYreOyKozXIOHo4YzIHcBm75btiPepopYs7olyQVnbNhf9OziF0seRwAg48P494Go70fjaY8_lxgGQjjsaMrpSMHGWHLrP9uBTPtCw/w640-h554/021+%25282%2529.jpg" title="Otto in the vegetable patch" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">The soil preparation for the rest of the new seedlings and seeds is almost complete, with the help of my cat Otto of course! </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Otto loves to inspect anything new that is happening, especially in the veggie patch.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUyLcOFNVQLwJifK2243H3iic93DYhLdNlQRk7SQ9nQEGA30RIiQ2VTi6w-A2XPWU0XUDtK4-Ul7EOYGaOMUct4pP8jhO63CjtXWwSVSdlTpBtfciIzKFzw7MKn0xrxMURcKsKJNMsLiGm/s2048/022.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUyLcOFNVQLwJifK2243H3iic93DYhLdNlQRk7SQ9nQEGA30RIiQ2VTi6w-A2XPWU0XUDtK4-Ul7EOYGaOMUct4pP8jhO63CjtXWwSVSdlTpBtfciIzKFzw7MKn0xrxMURcKsKJNMsLiGm/w480-h640/022.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><span style="font-family: arial;">Silverbeet grows all through the year here in Auckland and I pick fresh leaves for dinner whenever it is needed. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">These plants self-seeded themselves here and now that the weather has warmed up, they are bolting. I will leave them to set seed again and let them grow wherever they want. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBPi_okerfukSmYIlCvMxFibV_ehxUPUp7pHQrDHqwkzkSKR5QsivHM6Eklcnl4aZ4CoFcH3tQ4goGTeJWvX89i_q0yy90-t-lGbzQULNOJuhaAAeAnzrH-pXCxXGLVv-iR-N-Ea-W-wvT/s2048/049+%25282%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Swedes ready for harvesting" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1637" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBPi_okerfukSmYIlCvMxFibV_ehxUPUp7pHQrDHqwkzkSKR5QsivHM6Eklcnl4aZ4CoFcH3tQ4goGTeJWvX89i_q0yy90-t-lGbzQULNOJuhaAAeAnzrH-pXCxXGLVv-iR-N-Ea-W-wvT/w512-h640/049+%25282%2529.jpg" title="Swedes ready for harvesting" width="512" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">The swedes are ready to dig up now. It is a new vegetable crop for us and we quite like it. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">We had one as a side-dish for dinner yesterday, boiled for 20 minutes in salted water, then drained and mashed with cream, butter and a large pinch of nutmeg. It was surprisingly tasty!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">On the topic of food, I am now off to plan the meal menus for the week and the grocery list.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I hope that you are having a great week.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">See you again soon.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Hugs Rose x</span></div></div>Rose Petalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12998936212351555661noreply@blogger.com6