Friday, June 08, 2012

Around the garden

Yesterday I got out into the garden and pruned, weeded, cleared and tidied for hours! And after all that, I only managed to clear the 'secret path', weed the beds round the house and tidy the front beds, oh and prune the wisteria that goes round our side deck. It didn't feel like much for all the hard work.
I always think that the garden looks quite messy at this time of the year. There are leaves everywhere, but this work has definitely made it look a lot better.


This is the secret path - only it's not so secret anymore as you can actually see it. Planted along here are dwarf rhoddys, a huge hibiscus tree that I pruned a LOT, some dwarf Australian frangipani,  lavender, a castor oil plant ( I used to have one as an indoor plant in the uk - who knew they could grow so huge!) and various other bits and bobs. At the front there's a couple more hibiscus, a couple of camillias, a 'snow ball' tree and now, a large space - I'm thinking I might put in a yukka. The big ones are sprouting baby ones and it seems a shame not to make use of free plants!
If you want to plant one of the baby's that sprout out the sides all you do is slice it off as near the stem of the main plant that you can, peel off a few of the lower leaves and basically stick it in the ground. I've done this loads of times and have had a 100% success rate. Every single one has taken.


This is actually my rose bed, but you can't really tell, as they're all pruned right down for winter. In the background is one of the yukkas. Last year it was a teeny tiny thing, now it's got lots of babies. There's also more dwarf frangipani, lots of hibiscus, a few more camillias - red and pink ones, a little lavender border, and lots of bulbs that are beginning to pop up. There's daffodils, fresias and lots of bluebells. The bluebells were there already and are proving impossible to move. I love them and want them around, but not in this bed! Last year I managed to dig a whole lot out and put some in a big garden pot ready to give to a friend. Then I forgot about them. Now they are sprouting in the pot, which I totally love! So I'm going to do more this year.
Often the best things happen by accident.

See the hedge that runs along the back. This is my nemesis! I dislike it intensely. This is where I want my white picket fence to go. I've been saving up for it, but every time I reach almost enough we need the money for something else, something more important and necessary, not a pretty fence... one day.


It's a pretty lovely morning, we started with blue skies, then a wee shower which gave us the rainbow, and now 5 minutes later it looks like this!



...and the things I do to get photos! All pics taken while still in pj's and slippers!


Tonight I'm cooking - oh woe is me. I've been watching Jamie's  30 minute meals on tv. We also have the book. And all I can say is - lovely recipes but 30 minutes - my arse.
I've made quite a lot from this book and never once got it to less than an hour! But the recipes are incredibly easy to follow, so I'm not complaining. Tonight I'm going to make the summer veg lasagne, cos it's winter and I'm a rebel that way! Wish me luck!

14 comments:

  1. I'm so glad I'm not the only one who wears PJs other than on bed! :D I decorated our hallway one day in mine, they still have paint on the sleeve lol! I love the look of your garden, Maybe next year I'll be able to create my own little oasis :D My nemesis is our deck, rotten and unusable, we haven't used the upper deck for about 4 years! BUT...as soon as the worst of the winter is over then it's coming down and a new one is going up! yay!

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    1. I draw the line at going to New world or something in my pjs but pretty much everything else goes! I feed the chooks, alpacas, donks and moos all in pjs. Usually with my wellies on rather than my slippers though! I've been known to start weeding the veggie garden too. I hope you get your new deck this year! That'll be cool. Cant beat a good de(i)ck!

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  2. I love a rebel! I figure he manages 30mins because he has lots of little slaves who have everything prepared for him...the garden is looking great, much more tropical than our climate - minus 7 this morning here.

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    1. Jeepers I had no idea it got as cold as that where you are.For some reason I thought we had similar climates. Yeah I think you're right about Jamie. I made the chicken pie once and it took me an hour and a half!! I am loving the tv series though - he's pretty funny.

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  3. I think your secret pathway there looks lovely.....amazing just how much the pruning pile grows and looks huge, then you look at what youve done and think, wow did that all come from there....got to do it though...to keep these gardens beautiful...x

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  4. It looks quite nice now, I realised I had to do something when I walked that way with Richard last week to go to the chicken run and he laughed and said he didn't even know there was a path there. oops!

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  5. Anonymous1:47 pm

    Your garden is beautiful and I am glad I am not the only one out in pjs to catch a beautiful sight - I'd live in my pjs....I've been told there are people who do and just call them "yoga pants"lol I think winter gardens are like going in a peeking at sleeping babies....you know that you love them when full of action but they still look gorgeous when sleeping :)

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    1. oh yoga pants! I must remember that!!! You are right, winter gardens and sleeping babies - I love that idea. I just wish the weeds would sleep more soundly!

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  6. Hey Laura. Try Jamie's chicken pie recipe - very quick and even my teenager loves it. I just made that and not the dessert and it was less than 30 minutes. And your garden looks so incredibly beautiful and I must admit to being a little jealous of how established it is. So hopefully from time to time you can see how gorgeous it is rather than projects that are yet to be done....
    Good luck with dinner!

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    1. I've done the chicken pie a few times- and you're right, its delicious. I just made that and not the desert and it took me over an hour - but I am crap!

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  7. Sophie5:58 pm

    Talking of Jamie's recipes that can be made in 30 minutes reminds me of this lady whose blog I love, on the night she attempted to make one of Jamie's recipes within his promised 'Only 30 minute recipes', she had me crying with laughter ... http://rosecestlavie.blogspot.co.uk/2010/12/triumph-of-hope-over-experience-ii.html

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    1. oh that is SO funny! and having just made (only) the summer veg lasagne in an hour and a half I can totally relate!

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  8. Laura, your photos look like they are out of a magazine. Well done, it all looks lovely. xxoo

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I love it when you leave me comments, it lets me know there are folk out there reading my ramblings! Thank you, I appreciate them loads and loads
Laura x