Garden Matters

It's been a while since the garden had a bit of attention so it's getting an early Spring clean in this unseasonal bout of warm weather.The vege garden has been restyled and lettuce, beets,marigolds and alyssum planted, the beans and peas under a frame made from an old Futon base.


The entire crop of NZ Yams (Oca) was put back in the ground although I was sorely tempted to roast them in the oven. They are not a pretty vegetable, looking like fat pink grubs, but they have that special sharp nutty flavour. I'm a bit concerned this Summer is going to be very hot but the Mandarin tree may give them some shade.




After all the hard labour is done for the day the workers relax in the hammock under the giant River Peppermint gum and read Dirk Gently.

The common Koel

This noisy raucous creature spent all morning yelling at whoever would listen from the Blueberry Ash in the backyard. I had seen her at the birdbath a few times but didn't realise what a big noisy presence she had.

It's an Australian cuckoo or Koel and in the background is the little wattlebird that has been raising this impostor ever since it forced the other eggs and hatchings out of the nest. The demand for food is constant so the poor surrogate parent doesn't get much of a break. I don't know if its a male or female as the stripey yellow plumage is juvenile but I hope it gives us all a break soon.

Horticultural Faith

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a chainsaw must be in want of self control.

Apologies to Jane Austen

I have been assured that these ragged stumps of the Melaleuca Hypericifolia will be soon be covered with many fresh green shoots and will once again provide flowers and nectar for the little Honeyeaters. The plus side is the open view to the North East from the newly installed garden seat and the extra light that the Yam bushes now receive.


I only hope that the recent cuttings struck from the bush will grow as well as their parent - a survivor of droughts and backyard bushfires (from me throwing out embers in the ashbucket!)

Blossom

I know that Summer has officially started and that the time to celebrate Spring blossoms has passed but our garden was never one to stick to convention.
Several trees have been putting on a beautiful show for the past three months so I pay credit to their prettiness.

The Blueberry Ash is a mass of pink tutu flowers surounded by bees and insects. I've given up on the blue berries surviving because the birds always get there first.

Its neighbour, the Lemon Scented Myrtle , is a bit more subdued with clusters of soft cream and lemon blooms.

Next to them the Black Wattle is past its best but its creamy flower puffs can still be seen. Despite its name this tree is not an Acacia;

"Callicoma serratifolia is a plant of historic interest as the first timbers used for the wattle and daub huts of the early settlers were cut from these trees. This plant was common at that time around Sydney Cove. Because of the close resemblance of its flowers to those of Acacia it was then known as black wattle, a name which is now applied more appropriately to some true Acacia species."

We have plenty of real wattle trees in the garden but their flowering period is long gone. The Big Boofy Cockatoos are having a great time ripping into the new seed pods and scattering the cuttings over the front garden - there is a layer of mulch about a foot deep over the lawn and the path and the car and the postman, if he stayed still for 10 minutes.

The one plant that is thriving is the Oca - so far my attempts to ward off snails and possums and birds have proven successful. The recent rains have been extremley beneficial to my Yam trials so I'm keeping my finger crossed for a good crop.

Adventures in Colour

Moss - a wonderful gold, green colour from Landscape dyes on Moda Vera Linen Mode and a skein of "Natural white Merino ultra soft boucle yarn in 100g skeins" from Virginia Farm.

The boucle shows the true colour despite the linen blend simmering in the dyepot for about half an hour.
I got tired of waiting for the dye to exhaust so I popped the merino yarn in for a few minutes while I rinsed the linen out. The results were impressive - it really does live up to its "dyes beautifully" description.

The reason why I was dying the Moda Vera was to get an alternative to the lime that was the only green shade Spotlight had in this fibre. It wasn't as successful as I would have liked but I can still use it to complement the taupe shade I'm using to knit this loose-flowing swing cardigan. Big needles, simple pattern and budget price yarn.

On the other set of needles I am nearly finished another swing cardigan - this time in lovely silky-soft, Atlante bamboo yarn from Naturally. It's 4ply and very slippery so its not a relaxed knit - I have to ensure my tension is constant as it doesn't allow for any mistakes or variations. the end result is worth it though - a slinky, cool summer top in rich Gold.

The other colour adventures we are having are Royal Blue. The Boy Bowerbirds have been practising - even though they are still without their mature, deep-blue plumage they've been dancing and preening, building bowers and collecting bits of blue booty. The bowers are a bit scrappy, their dances and songs obviously need a bit more work and all their booty is constantly being pinched by the adult bird, but they keep on trying. One of these days they'll be off their 'P Plates' and doing it for real.
In the meantime we get a lot of entertainment watching them rehearse.

Our Visitor

This chap is a regular visitor to our balcony. Of the many King parrots who use the bird feeder, he is the only one brave, or foolhardy, enough to venture near the house. Just how near I discovered a few days ago when I left a container of seed inside on the coffee table.





His unique wing markings readily identify him so I know he's gradually getting more and more bold in his adventures.







The next day he attracted a female to join him but he wasn't too keen to share the spoils.

Although it is nice to have such a close association with the local wildlife I won't be promoting this behaviour because it's probably not good for the parrots to get too complacent with Humans. My experiences with local possums and the Big, Bold, Boofy, Cockatoos also show how much damage some of these lovely creatures can create.

On a completely different topic I do hope to post some pictures of my latest knitting project. The Bamboo yarn I bought with the help of my Guild Raffle prize voucher is 3/4 finished. It has produced a lovely silken drapey garment which attracted a lot of attention at yesterday's Branch meeting.

Once I have cleaned off the bird seed, bird poo and silkworms from the table I'll take some photos to post.

Sad tale of the Flaccid Fern

The beautiful Tree Fern that grew in our front garden has been transplanted to the back with varying success. It was growing so well out front that it became a hazard to the Gas Meter Reader and the verandah.

Tree Ferns are apparently not as easy to move as their cousins the Dicksonia fern so we are hoping that the new location below the Red Cedar and surrounded by other ferns will aid in its recovery. At the moment it looks very flaccid and dejected but the soft mist and gentle rain of the past few days may prove beneficial.













The rest of the garden is bloomin' marvellous. The Native Frangipani is in full fragrant flower, the Isopogon and Mountain Devil are looking pretty and the Port Wine Magnolia fills the late afternoon with its rich scent.






The Fruit Shop cont...
The most recent information about the exciting "park your car in the shop" incident is that the driver was wearing THONGS which became caught in the accelorator resulting in the potentially fatal collision with the shopfront. Even after the car had travelled as far as it could into the building the motor was apparently still running at high revs. I was on my way to buy something for dinner and sill get a cold shiver when I think what might have happened if I had been 20 minutes early.

My Local Fruit Shop...

is not a drive-through.

Green Grass of Home

I don't know if it was because I was working away from home for a week or if the Spring weather has kicked in but everything in the garden is looking so lush and green. The rain of the past few days is obviously doing a lot of good - I swear some of the plants grow a few inches overnight.Down the bottom of the garden one of my favourite trees - the Red Cedar - is starting to replace the foliage it dumped in early Spring. It looks a bit skeletal at the moment but the new leaves are a rich red that will gradually darken to green and fill the space. It's an Australian deciduous tree that is native to the area but was aggressively logged in the past. I planted this 11 years ago and now it is over 10 metres high so I hope its seeds spread far and wide

The rich resources of Australian red cedar (Toonaciliata var. australis), which European immigrants found as they displaced Aboriginal Australians along the northern two-thirds of Australia’s east coast, catalysed the colonial exploration and exploitation of forests in this region. By the early 2oth Century, red cedar had been exploited to economic extinction in much of its range..

Fyfe and Patricia Bygrave

Phishing for God

Dear Parent,
you may be wondering how we received your child's name and (home) address.
It was sent to us by Children for Christ who ran a Craft Club at the XXX Primary School Hall recently. They thought our lessons would be a big help for you child and have asked us to send lessons....

No! No! and No! I did not provide anyone with my child's name and address, I did not give permission for anyone to pass that information on anywhere and I certainly don't want any lessons of any kind - especially not in these circumstances.

This is the 21st Century where the safety of my child is paramount. I let my son attend what was advertised as a Craft Club run by a local church where he could play games and make models. I didn't expect him to be evangelised or preached to or for sensitive information about him be passed on to other groups to target him. The School where this "craft club" was held was also unaware of the underlying purpose of the group and certainly would not have agreed to information about their students being passed around.

I regard this as an illegal and dangerous practice and am very, very angry.

In these days of cult groups and cunning pederasts in all occupations (especially religious institutions) one cannot claim an innocent desire to have fun and spread the good word at the same time. There is a clear obligation of all groups interacting with children to protect their safety and privacy.

My complaint to the the Office of the Privacy Commissioner was acknowledged but unable to be acted upon because the legislation is limited to Government organisations and private businesses with an annual turnover of more than $3 million.

This seemingly innocuous looking ship is a constant reminder of the need to be ever vigilant in a world that is not as simple and carefree as many would like it to be.

Nice to be Home

Today was the first time in what seems to be an age that I've been home for longer than a night. The past couple of weeks have been busy with shifts and commuting and overnighting in the city.
I find I really pine for the Mountain air if I spend longer than a few nights away from home. The cool green view from the kitchen window is such a respite from the fluorescent lights and air conditioning in the concrete building.

Its grey and misty at present and the poor parrots are sitting in the tree looking bedraggled and hungry but they won't be getting fed until it stops raining because their tray is so waterlogged.

Inside, the combustion stove has been taken out of hibernation. It's so efficient that the whole house is heated from a few loads of wood and the big brick chimney stays warm all night. Above the fire, in pride of place is my first original art purchase.

When I was at Otago University in Dunedin, many years ago, I somehow managed to find $30 out my meagre bursary to buy this Still-Life with Gas Stove from a coffee shop in Stuart Street.
It was very similar to the enamel gas stove in the student flat I lived in and it always held this place in all my subsequent flats. It has no name or artist signature and is simply painted on hard board. I would love to find more about the person who painted it even though it was over 30 years ago.

The Birds are Back in Town.

I know Cockatoos are engaging creatures - they can charm the birdseed right out of your hand - but like a bunch of unruly teenagers once you invite them into your home they put their feet up on the furniture and start trashing the place. We were warned several times of their bad habits but had to learn the hard way. We were a bit late in putting out the food so they gave the newly built hand rail a good chew - just to teach us a lesson.

Consequently they have been banished back to the bird feeder and if more than 4 congregate they get sent off. This gives the King Parrots and Crimson Rosellas a chance and they've been showing their appreciation by paying us a closer visit.


It could be they are also admiring all the wonderful work on the new verandah. This handsome King Parrot checked out the post, the steps and the cane chair one afternoon and invied a mate along for a stickybeak as well.



There has been much wonderful work been done on The Back Steps as shown by the before and after shots - in best Backyard Blitz style.
The strange outward opening door from the kitchen has finally been blocked off (much better for the Feng Shui apparently) and the steps have been moved to the verandah. A spot of paint here and there and the transformation is complete - provided the Cockies don't come calling.

Big

Big Bird;

This is what greets us in the morning with a big sqawking complain if we don't put some seed out quick enough

Big Mushroom;

A big patch of Horse Mushrooms growing in the front garden because of all the recent rain - large but tasteless.

Big Boats:

The QE2 crosses paths with the Queen Victoria this afternoon so we all stop work to check it out..

Big Day:

Another 0700 til 2300 working day. Put in the Ornette Coleman Quintet, then take it out.

Amazing Jazz but a tiring day.

Big Mistake:

Got a new wireless router because the old one died (probably a lightning strike) and then forget to put on a password - wondered why all my Data Allowance got sucked up so no blogging until I got it back.
Live and learn.

Computer says No!

This afternoon I spent 2 hours trying to upgrade my Mobile and Landline. A simple thing in this digital age one might think? Just go online, browse through the numerous communication packages available, bundle them all together, press the submit button and have a cup of tea.

Reality: do all the checking and filling in of forms then press the submit button and "Computer says No!"

"This service is not available to your area" in fine blue print at the bottom of the last page. AAArgh! I don't get it - I'm already on this provider - mobile and home phone.

Another 20 minutes on the phone listening to the saccharine tones of a fembot until I can get on to the Calcutta call centre to find out that all those cute little raccoons and penguins don't apply to my phone - I'm in the enemy territory no less. I therefore have the privilige of paying an extra $30 a month in Line Rental and can't get any of those tempting discounts for subscribing online.
Bring on the competition I say so the Mega Communication Oligopolies will get their due.

Treasures in the Rain

We went exploring a treasure trove today.

The Victory Theatre in Blackheath is an Antique Centre just full of old and new goodies .

Outside it was bucketing down with rain but inside there was two floors of little alcoves to explore with teapots, jewellery, chairs, books, records, chaise lounges, magazines, and lots and lots of memoriabila, collectibles and knicknacks.

This Green satin embroidered ball gown caught my eye but the price was a bit prohibitive. I could see it being displayed on a wall to show off the embroidery flowing down the front. It must have made a striking impression in its heyday.












I got lost among the haberdashery section and 40 year old copies of Woman's Journal, pretty little pinifores and a stack of handbags. The only thing I actually bought was a few bags of vintage buttons and some commemorative spoons for the lad but the mass of shapes, textures and colour was inspiring.

Christmas Colour

This stunning example of the West Australian Red Flowering Gum or Corymbia ficifolia is not in my garden. I tried growing it when we first moved in but it didn't survive. This marvelous specimen is in a suburb at the base of the Blue Mountains, much hotter and drier than my backyard and its saturated colour just takes your breath away.

My Christmas Bush has started to turn a subtle shade of red as the younger white blooms mix with the older red sepals. It is not as showy as this hybrid I saw in a garden several stations to the East but I think I prefer the demure blush to the brazen scarlet.

Ceratopetalum Gummiferum is native to this area so the bush is full of showy red trees and shrubs - especially on the wriggly, windy road of Mitchells Pass. Its funny to see the flowers of this abundant tree on sale at florists for $6.50 a bunch but this probably accounts for late night raids of front gardens and nature strips by secateur-wielding entrepreneurs.

While the focus is on the garden this is the result of the constant rain and misty cloud we have had for the last six months:

here is the feral Strawberry patch

and the feral Tomato patch:

and the feral herb patch with rosemary, lavender, chocolate mint, common mint, and lots of so-called annual flowers that have resurrected themselves. Not shown is the feral potato patch.

After the Cockatoos and snails and possums and parrots have all helped themselves there might be something left for us.