Art for Heart's Sake

A Photo & Gardening Frustration!

Hi honeys, here's a photo of me at the talk the other night:

Now to my gardening frustration.  The only reason I am on this computer is because I'm grabbing a quick cup of tea before launching myself outside into the garden.  It is a bright, sunny (soon to be too hot for me) day, just perfect for gardening.  My frustration lies in the fact that I honestly don't know where to start!  There are weeds EVERYWHERE.  I have buttercup flowers gleaming in amongst my perennials in the main perennial bed, convulvulus (bindweed) choking my raspberries in the kitchen garden, I need to sow carrots and plant potatoes and also some other perennials once I've weeded to make room!  Aaaaggggggggggggggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

I truly need about one solid week to spend in the perennial bed but this just isn't going to happen anytime soon!  I would love to be able to garden in the evenings after dinner but by the time that time comes, I've done so much during the day that all I want to do is sit on the couch and watch TV.  Dang and blast I need to force myself to break that habit!

Well I'd better get outside or the day will be gone, it's 10.30am already!!!  Oh and the house needs dusting SO badly.. SIGH!!!  Whoas me!!  Smiles...

 

 

I Love Talking to Gardeners.....

...about my passion and love for plants and gardening!  Last night I gave a talk to the local Heritage Rose Society and it was so lovely.  There is something about being a room with people who share a love of plants and gardening.  I took some of my perennials - not as many varieties as I would have liked to but I still had a good selection and they were very well received.  I had a slideshow presentation too, the topic was ''Underplanting Beautiful Heritage Roses''.  

The past few days have been very busy with lots of pricking out, plant labeling, packing 5 orders on Monday and taking them into Nelson yesterday morning.  I've also received some gorgeous seed that I ordered from the UK and now I just need time to sow them!

This pm I am sowing my regular vegetable and flower seeds and I'm hoping to be able to sow a few packets of the UK seeds too.

I went to physio again on Monday and my back is definitely improving fairly fast thank heavens.  I am still doing my exercises regularly and they are helping a lot.  I can't avoid lots of lifting (trays of plants) but I am being far more mindful about how I go about things.  Long may that mindfulness continue!

Well I'd better get out to the potting bench!  Smiles..

 

 

 

Madness, Mayhem and Ballet!

Hi honeys, well firstly it's been a fairly frantic week.  Labour weekend (this weekend) is the main gardening weekend in the New Zealand calendar - the time when everyone who has a vegetable garden leaps into it with gusto (weather permitting) to plant summer crops galore.  The sales on my plants stand have been going well this week, particularly the last three days and that's been keeping me busy stocking it up and trudging down the drive every evening to water my treasures.

I've also taken as many plants as I can to Mapua Country Store and Bay Landscapes.  There will be a bit of a gap in my tomatoes due partly to slightly bad planning on my part but also the weather was very weird over the past couple of weeks so my seedlings that would normally have been pricked out the week before last are still waiting!  Bother!!  This means almost no tomatoes to deliver this week but that's life in the seedling lane.

I'm doing a talk at the Heritage Rose Society on Tuesday evening so this weekend I need to make a list of the plants I'm taking so I can note what sells and remove them from my website!  Speaking of which I have just had my 47th order which is so exciting.  My website is working well and I now wish I'd done it a few years ago!  I need to madly propagate more because my stocks are dwindling fast.  Pant, pant!

I'm heading out MY vegetable garden now!  I wanted to get out there early this morning but by the time I'd topped up the plant stand and put plants aside for orders that I need to pack up on Monday (no time on Monday as well as packing them up due to slight panic about Tuesday night - powerpoint presentation not finished!!) so now is the time! 

Ooh an update on my back sprain.  It is on the mend, slowly but surely.  I went to my really good physio on Monday (different one from last week) and she gave me some really good exercises and was pleased with the rotational range of movement I have.  I asked in trepidation ''what about ballet this week'' and was told in no uncertain terms to go and have fun!  I was SO nervous on Wednesday night but to my joy I didn't feel a tweak.  My back was stiff on Thursday but practise sorted that out, and again yesterday morning, but class sorted that out.  I do find by the end of the day that my back is very tired with that funny ''tired'' tingly soreness but stretches really help that too.  Gently gardening today with lots of stretches inbetween will help.  Smiles..

I'm Still here!

Hi gorgeous ones, oh brother what a week and a bit I've had.  I've managed to get a T7 thoracic sprain which literally stopped me in my tracks a couple of days this week.  Straight to physio and it is on the mend.. slowly but surely.  I don't believe in resting things too much because that just causes totally ''seize up'' so yes I will be going to ballet this coming Wednesday and will take it very easily to see how my back copes.

One thing is for certain I am very sensible when it comes to my body but I also know my body REALLY well so I know what it can cope with.  I did get a fright the day after I'd been to physio when I got such bad spasms in my back I couldn't breathe.. went back to the physio that day which helped a lot.  Arnica Plus is fantastic stuff and REALLY works I have to say!  I have a ballet exam on 1 December and I will be there come hell or high water and I will do my absolute best!

I think the main problem is my day to day life re my seedlings etc means I'm bending and lifting trayss of plants all the time.  I'm also manouvering bags of potting mix after John's put them up on the bench for me.  I know it is not ballet that has caused this injury and it will definitely cure it.  

I've been busy with my website and have just had my 44th order which is fabulous.  Oh my goodness how I love that people are loving my plants - it's so exciting and I can see lots of growth (excuse the pun) in my future.  I'm constantly extending my range of perennials to include lots of treasures other than my beautiful hardy cranesbill geraniums.  If you haven't had a look lately, check it out here:

https:https://www.heirloomplantnursery.co.nz///www.heirloomplantnursery.co.nz/

Well I'd better go and check on the chicken that's roasting in the oven!  Smiles..

 

Things Just Starting to Dry Out.. then...

... more rain is predicted from tomorrow (Saturday) through to Tuesday!!  Aaaaggggggggggggggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!  I had every intention of spending the entire weekend weeding in my perennial garden and planting some summer vegetables but alas this doesn't look likely now!  I'm so peeved because when the weather clears again the garden will be SODDEN once more which will mean I'll have to wait a few weeks before I can weed it properly again.  Oh botheration!

I've had a busy week so far with more orders from my website and organising about 6 orders to be sent next week.  I didn't send any this week because we didn't get back until late Monday night and the plants need to be packed up by then to go on the Tuesday. Eeek that reminds me I need to buy some boxes from Nelson Packaging (saves time ratting around in supermarkets for the right size) and I'm not at ballet today so I will have to dash out early on Monday morning to get them.  Oh poop!  Ahem!  Needs must I guess.

As I don't have ballet I've gifted myself some time in the garden this morning - I have pricking out to do this pm - so I'd better get off here and go and plant like a crazy woman!  Of course I need to remove the weeds before I can plant in each spot!  Smiles..

A Fabulous Reason for my Silence!

Hi there, well what a week it was last week, followed by a wonderful weekend in New Plymouth to celebrate Mum's 90th birthday!  Her birthday was all the more special because she almost died twice after her broken hip op earlier this year!  She's so, so gorgeous!

I'll post more later today, but here's a photo for you in the meantime!  I'm rushing out to get my hair trimmed.