Art for Heart's Sake

Windy & Cloudy!

Morning on the last day of June!  It's a bit windy and there has been about another 24mm (approx an inch) of rain overnight.  We were predicted to get much more than that though.  The rain has eased and it is meant to be showery for most of the day I think, with a possibility of thunder (oh yes please!).

I'm going to spend the morning vacuuming and dusting then I'll head out into the farmshed to try and tidy it up a bit.  I was going to pot up my seedlings in the glasshouse but I've realised I need to sit them somewhere outdoors to become acclimatised before I pot them up and place them in my nursery.  The temperatures are meant to lower this week too so I don't want to frighten them to death, literally!

I also need to get into my studio to work on my gift tags so all in all, a busy day ahead. 

I managed to get a lot more weeding and composting done in the studio garden yesterday pm and I didn't get inside until about 4.45pm by which time I was pretty cold.  It felt so good because I got the amount done I wanted to, yay!!  I still have the two wider parts of the studio garden to weed and compost but it won't take too long.  I am determinted to jam pack the studio garden with plants to help keep the weeds down and make it as pretty as I can. 

Time to go for a walk and then get the vacuum cleaner out.  Smiles..

A Busy Day Yesterday!

Hi on a STUNNING winter Sunday morning.  It is a gorgeous day - slightly frosty to begin with but the birds are singing, the sky is blue and the sun is shining! 

We had a really busy day yesterday, starting with a walk along a lovely walkway in an area between Richmond (10 mins drive from here) and Nelson (30 minutes drive) called Stoke.  What made this walk even more special is we saw.. dun dun dun... a New Zealand Falcon!  John was walking ahead of me and I had Chester, alongside a creek that has a few trees on either side.  I suddenly saw something brown and medium-sized swoop down past John's knees and up into a tree on the left hand side of the path.  We stopped and there, much to our absolute amazement, was the most beautiful falcon.  It is really rare to see one as close as that and also in suburbia!  Wow!  A life moment for sure.  Here's a link so you can read something about them .  Check out the gorgeous images on the right hand side, a bit further down..  http://nzbirdsonline.org.nz/species/new-zealand-falcon

We went on from there to a local large hardware store and I bought a few plants.  John got two small green fish bins which are now acting as herb planters on the railing of our verandah.  They look great!  When we got home I made a pavlova just for fun and then spent the afternoon in the garden, ah bliss!  Hence no blog post!

John is off to Motueka (near Abel Tasman National Park) for another choir concert.  He is doing his solo again.  I am going to spend the afternoon in the garden.  The weather is going to turn rather nasty this week so need to get as much done as I can.  Smiles..

Beautiful Bounty!

Hi there, it's 2.15pm on Friday afternoon and I've had a busy morning.  I left at about 9.45am to go and get our vegetables for the week (can't wait until I'm GROWING them again) and then dropped some plants off for sale at Bay Landscapes.  After that I headed to our friends Mike and Milli to give Mike some ''after you get home ideas'' because he's having a hip replacement on 16 July.  I think I helped in a couple of areas so that's great.

Yesterday was a very dull, chilly day.  I just couldn't get motivated at all which was awful.  My iron levels are still showing up as fairly low at the moment so I now realise why I have days when I just feel completely flat with no energy - yesterday was one of those days.

I'm hoping to get a bit of weeding done this pm but only in the raised garden because we had a bit more rain last night and the ground is so sodden it's ridiculous!  More tomorrow honeys, I'd better get outside before the day has gone!  Smiles..

Boy Did It Rain!

Hi there, wow did it rain yesterday!  It started in the morning and gradually got more and more heavy until it was torrential for a while around lunchtime.  There was water EVERYWHERE and our pond was overflowing like a river into our next door neighbours pond, which was then pouring down their lawn (as it's meant to) and into the stormwater system.  Needless to say then the stormwater system overflowed across Maisey Road!

I realised fairly quickly that the chook house was getting wet on the inside because the wind was blowing moisture under the roof so it was seeping down the wall.  I decided I had to do something about it so donned wet weather over-trousers and a sort of waterproof jacket (as I found out) and after about 4 trips down to the paddock and back I managed to screw a thin piece of wood into place to stop the water getting in.  The corner at the bottom that we have had all sorts of problems with leaked too darn it.  I thought I had that sorted because we have a special strip of rubber ''stuff'' (not sure of it's name) stapled so it drapes down over the edge of the house and I've painted it with about 3 coats of thick paint where it joins the house.  Nope water is still getting there and I think it must seeping up from underneath somehow (the house sits on a frame). 

The wind came up quite badly early pm and there were a few moments when I was holding my breath because if one of our tall eucalyptus trees towards our north boundary decided to fall it would crash straight onto the house!  The sooner we get them all cut down the better I fear.  Eventually we plan to plant shorter, more sturdy trees on that side.

Today I'm going to do a bit of work in my nursery because it's far too boggy to try to weed anywhere.  Maybe tomorrow.  Smiles..

Raining, Blowing & Weirdly Warm!

Morning on this really weird Wedneday morning.  It is blowing a gusty Northerly wind, the rain is steady and almost horizontal and it's WARM!  Well warm for winter anyway, how weird.

Yesterday, on the other hand, was a true winter's day.  Cloudy, dull and very chilly - we only got to a high of 12.7 degrees C briefly.  This morning it was 13 degrees C at 7am!  Needless to say it doesn't feel as warm as that out in the wind. 

I'm off to get my hair trimmed this morning - yes great weather for it, giggle. 

I did quite a lot of gardening yesterday and it felt so good.  I'm starting to see a tiny bit of headway in the main perennial garden thank heavens but I still have a very long way to go!  This rain will delay me leaping back into it for a few days unfortunately because the ground will be too boggy. 

I'd better get ready to leave for my hair appointment.  I hope you're having a really lovely day/night wherever you are!  Smiles..

A Funny Sort of Day!

Hi there on a cloudy, chilly Tuesday morning.  Oh I love it when it feels like winter in winter!  So often here in Nelson it still feels too warm when it's meant to be chilly.  Does that make sense?  Giggle.

Yesterday was a bit of an odd day really.  I went for a walk up the hill across the road and went further than normal.  I had a chat with a neighbour on my way back down the hill and then when I got home I launched into the vacuuming and dusting.  In hindsight I think I might have done a bit too much because my leg feels heavy and slightly swollen today.  Bah!  It's been 16 weeks since my operation so I guess I think I can just do things normally by now without really thinking about it.  I guess not says my leg. 

Yesterday afternoon my neighbour Lyn brought her special needs daughter, Lisa round to see Gertie the goat and to have a look at the garden and my art studio.  It was lovely to see them.  As they were about to leave our friend JR came round with his wife to borrow (we hope, not keep) the air compressor that JR gave John because he didn't need it.  We got the impression maybe Jan wanted it back.  I really hope not because John uses it a lot and we were told we could keep it.  Time will tell I guess.

I managed to rescue one of my gorgeous double hardy geraniums from one area where the lawn has joined the garden - eeeeeeeeeeeeeek!  I also managed to rescue a gorgeous campanula (bell flower) that has large white flowers with a wedgewood blue edge.  Phew, I seriously thought I'd lost it.  I have so much weeding to do in my main perennial garden I'm in a mild state of panic.  Not to mention I have LOADS to do in the kitchen garden including digging up the entire raspberry patch so I can dig out as much couch grass as I can and then replanting the raspberries after composting the area really well.  I will need John's help to dig them out but I think we ought to be able to do it over one weekend, or worse case scenario two.  I will heel the raspberries into a different garden while we do it.  My strawberry patch really needs moving too.. oh crikey dick and heavens!  Pant, pant.. enough, enough.. my brain is overloading!  Giggle..

I was planning on doing some gardening this morning but I will just see how my leg feels.  Cup of tea here I come.  Smiles..

Did I or Didn't I?

.. Somehow I think I didn't!!  I'm talking about posting yesterday - I can't remember if I did or didn't!  Ahem.. giggle.

Well here we are on Monday morning and I'm just back from a walk up the hill across the road.  I stopped to chat to a neighbour who wanted to tell me I am doing really well re walking, which was so nice of her!  I am walking without my elbow crutch now - I only use it on the steep part of our drive coming down (because it can be slippery on the gravel) and on the way back up (because I'm normally pooped by then and the last thing I need is another slope!). 

Yesterday was a fairly full day.  We had our usual delicious bbq breakfast (bacon, tomatoes & mushrooms, plus an egg for John), then John walked Chester while I finished writing and recorded my radio show.  I also phoned Mum and typed her weekly letter.  We left here about 12.30pm to go to the concert.  It started at 2pm but John had to be there early along with the rest of the Nelson Male Voice Choir.  John's short solo went really well but I did feel for him.  He had to wait until 3/4 of the way through the concert to do it and I know it was on his mind.  They sang some lovely pieces.  After the concert we and quite a few of the choir members went to a local pub for a drink.  Needless to say we got home around 6.30pm, phew it was a long day!

Today I'm about to vacuum and wash the kitchen floor and then I'm hoping to spend the afternoon weeding part of the garden and doing some more potting up.  I have a rotten headache this morning and I think it is because I didn't drink enough water yesterday plus I missed out on my afternoon cup of tea.  It's one of those dull, thuds in my right temple!  Paracetemol has taken the edge off it thank goodness, but it's still in the background.  I'm sipping lots of water today!  Time for a cup of tea too!  Smiles..

One Garden Bed Finished!

Hi on a rather dull, wintry-feeling Saturday morning.  Brief rain is predicted tonight but at the moment it looks as though it might arrive a bit earlier than that.  Yesterday was a lovely day and I spent quite a lot of time in the garden in the afternoon.  A bit too long I think judging by how my left femur is feeling today!

I finished weeding and cutting back the garden right against the verandah.  I dug out some dwarf red alstroemeria which was driving me batty because red just doesn't ''go'' in this garden.  I've planted three medium sized clumps of it on the edge of the studio garden at the far end by the drive and I also heeled some into my neighbour's vegetable garden for her to plant when she's ready.  It won't become instantly invasive (as alstroemeria tends to do) so it should be fine for a couple of months in her vegie patch. 

Today I need to lift G. oxonianum ''A T Johnson'' which is being attacked from beneath by couch grass.  I planted some older plants I had in my nursery in the oak garden last week so I need to replace them with new stock too.  I will dig in lots of beautiful fish compost before I replant the geranium in the same spot.  Once that's done I need to declare war on one particular part of my main perennial garden that is a complete and utter SHAMBLES!!  Aaaggghhhhh, I fear I may need to do some quick rescuing of plants there too.

This morning John, Chester and I went for a walk up the hill across the road.  I find it so hard to get enthusiastic about walking but by the time we were halfway through I felt better. 

I'd better go and write my radio show now so I can record it tomorrow.  I'll take a photo of my revamped garden bed for you later today.  Smiles..

A Lovely Book!

Hi, it's Friday morning and I'm about to set off for the farmshop to get our weekly vegetables, drop off some more plants for sale at Bay Landscapes and go for my walk.  Then it's back home to leap (figuratively only) into the garden.  I have so many plans for the garden over the next few months, it's rather daunting.  One step at a time!

I'm reading a really lovely book at the moment.  It's about a single Mum in London who discovers a neglected walled garden that is owned by a rather austere elderly lady and she transforms it.  Needless to say it makes me want to sit and read it from cover to cover (which I could never allow myself to do!).  It is called ''Sowing the Seeds of Love'' by Tara Heavey.  I'm on page 76 and the characters have already completely captured me.  I manage to read a little bit each day early in the morning.  I'd love to be able to read when I go to bed at night but I only get to about the third line and then start to fall asleep so there really is no point!  Oh to be able to just switch that TV off and READ... We tend to just sit and become absorbed in one programme or another.

It is REALLY making me want to concentrate on transforming parts of the woodland and main gardens.. my fingers are itching!!  I can't describe how I feel when I'm thinking about or doing gardening, it's just beyhond special.

I must go and get my vegies so the rest of my day can begin.  Smiles..

 

More Gardening!

Hi, oooooh yesterday I did more gardening in one stint than I've done for months.  It felt so, so good even though my leg was really tired afterwards.  It won't be long now before I can just garden to my heart's content and I can't wait.

I started by going next door and cutting back Caroline's hellebores for her.  She only has about 8 but I love doing this each year - there's just something about seeing those fat buds looking at you as you expose the crown of the plant - very satisfying!  I also snuck across her drive and cut back some dahlias that had browned off.  She mentioned how much they were frustrating her a couple of weeks ago so while she was down working in their hydroponic glasshouses for an hour or two I cut them back too. 

I came back here and after lunch I did a bit more weeding at the end of the studio garden.  There was a chilly SW wind blowing by then and it was in the shade so I didn't last more than about 20 minutes there.  I moved to the small garden in front of the house again and continued giving it a good dig over to get as much couch grass out of it as I can.  I am losing a few little seedlings as I'm doing it but that's okay. 

Today I have an appointment around lunchtime but other than that I am planning on spending more time in the garden.  Can you tell I'm loving it, even though I have truckloads to do everywhere??!!

I need to go and hang out some washing and then have a cup of tea.  Smiles..