Winter Prunings

This year Rod and I pruned all the established trees that we have planted in the garden in an attempt to improve shape and performance. I decided to bring these Manchurian Pear branches inside. To our surprise they went on to blossom and leaf. The tree outside is only now, several weeks later looking like it is about to break forth with flowers. I have now done the same with Prunus Blireana. Stay tuned.

Maple Jewels

Nature continues to deliver surprises. The rain drops on this Japanese Maple really do look like jewels. Very attractive.

How professional is this?

After a blog drought I will tempt your attention with this Chocolate Mousse torte that Aly baked for our latest family birthday celebration. Need I say there are now no left overs.

Etsy.com

I finished knitting the squares of this Mohair blanket last year and then joined and edged the squares with crochet. Unsuccessful was my attempt to sell it on Ebay so I am currently giving Etsy.com a try. I have signed up for my own on-line shop so who knows what will happen? Coloured Pencil Doodle is also listed on my shop.

Coloured Pencil Doodle

 I love to design and create. This vest design was inspired by the set of hand painted coloured pencil buttons that I have had for years. There are 23 different coloured knitted pencils and the doodles are knitted in the colours of the pencil buttons. I am hoping that with an international audience someone will want to purchase this vest that I have advertised on Etsy.com. Yes, I now have my very own on-line store. Check it out at  www.etsy.com/shop/AshwellDesigns?ref=seller_info

Scarf for Christina

This scarf was knitted last year and given to Christina for her Birthday. Alex gave me the heads up that she was wanting a scarf like the one featured in the Butter Menthol television commercial. I had a bit of trouble finding the right colour blue, even purchased a quantity and started knitting only to be prompted by Alex that it looked purple. So back to the stores to search for a better blue. It is extra long and double thickness so that you can only ever see the right side of the stocking stitch. The gift was a huge success.

Where did the time go?

My current garden project is clearing blackberries from the pottager and preparing it to be used as a parterre garden for surplus plants and plants suitable for flower arranging. I found these photo's of how it looked when it was first created. My biggest shock was discovering that nearly 20 years have now passed. I have been too embarrassed to take any photo's of how over run with blackberries and other weeds this garden had become. Let's just say that you could not see any evidence of decorative beds at all. The last two season's we did collect generous quantities of fruit, enough to make jam. The garden as a vegetable pottager was unsuccessful due to the shade, root competition and constant falling of bark and limbs from the gum tree. Then as I got caught up in study and then back into the work force, something had to go and unfortunately it was the gardening. 

 Constructed in October 1992 for the purpose of growing vegetables. You can see the very first seedlings planted.

Looking in the opposite direction gravel has now been spread on the paths and the plants have grown in the two months which have passed since the top photo.

The arch which you can see here was so over grown with Potato creeper there was no opening to walk through. The creeper was the first thing to go but unfortunately the robust creeper pulled the wire out of shape, so that too has been removed. Stay tuned for updates on this garden reno.

Jenny's Olde English Morning Tea

 Jenny’s Olde English Morning Tea

at Ashwell

When: Thursday 24th May 2012    11am – 1pmWhere: Ashwell, 32 Sheoak Road, Crafers West

                           Why: To help  Cancer Council SA raise vital funds – I am suggesting a $15 donation on the day from all attendees (unless the attendee is currently undergoing treatment for cancer – in which case morning tea is my treat

What a great Morning Tea we had on Thursday 24th May. The weather was miserable but the atmosphere was warm and cheery. Rod's roaring open-fire certainly helped thaw out the chills that were inevitable on such a day. Starting off with a glass of pink bubbly, introductions were made, the room soon filled, friends became re-acquainted and strangers soon became friends.

13 wonderful people attended and gave generously their money and good spirit for the occasion. The hot 'Potato topped Mini Beef Burgundy Pies' were such a hit that all the recipes sold out. Sausage Rolls with Pine nuts and Veggie Frittata triangles were almost as popular.

With the savoury morsels tried and tested it was time to move onto sweet sensations. Where to start? Vanilla Fairy cupcakes with whipped cream and homemade blackberry jam centres, moist chocolate and raspberry cupcakes with pink butter cream frosting, Banana cupcakes with cream cheese topping, baked cream cheese slice or maybe a mini Lemon   Meringue Pie. Thank goodness we had cake plates that matched our tea cups and saucers to catch the generous lemon filling which tried to escape.

The pretty chintz design cake wrappers certainly looked the part and teamed well with the floral paper serviettes, almost too special to use; a give away that we had an interior decorator in our midst.

Maree won the ‘lucky sticker’ prize of a beautifully boxed mug, decorated with images of cupcakes – very apt.

The mood of the day was upbeat and money generously given. Above and beyond the suggested monetary contribution, flower arrangements used for the day were purchased for a donation and pre-paid orders even placed for occasions to come. 

 Recipes for 4 of the dishes on offer were available to take home for a small donation.

An announcement that the day’s event was dedicated to Ros Thompson who did live locally but now lives in WA, had old friends queuing to sign and send a message in the card specially chosen for the theme;  an image of a kitten sitting in an old china tea pot, very fitting for someone who proudly owns and displays old English, sentimental China. Ros lives with Cancer on a daily basis but her courage, disciplined self-help and ‘get on with it’ attitude is an inspiration to all.

Many thanks to my wonderful attendees: Amanda, David, Di, Helen, Jennifer, Julie, Liz, Maree, Neil, Pat, Rosalind, Rosemary and Sue who’s genial support allowed me to run with a theme and host an awesomely successful maiden event. 

Thanks too, to those that couldn’t come but still gave generously: Aly, Bron, Jan-Claire and Marilyn.

I wouldn’t have signed up to run this event if I didn’t have the amazing support of hubby Rod. He ran the kitchen on the day, oven to table he kept the food coming out and the kettle boiling, all the while keeping the home fire burning. A big bonus was the help and professionalism that daughter Aly added to the preparation leading up to the day. My father Neil did a splendid job collecting the donations on the day and my close neighbours Jennifer and Sue kindly loaned tea cups and coffee plunger. Thanks ever so much to you all.

Overwhelmingly my target goal was more than met. No promises, but watch this space for next year’s event!

Knitted Cardigan for Eli

I started this cardigan in Summer when we were having a cold spell of weather.  Using wool from my stash and buttons from my recently sorted sewing drawer it became an exercise in using left-overs as well as creative designing.

 I am happy with the finished item, although 4ply is not my favourite wool to knit with as I don't feel it knits as neatly as say 8 ply.  The buttons I think are a clever compliment to the design and colours.  If you look closely you will see that the red ones are covered in black dots.

Eli is my friend Meg's first grandchild.  I hope the size is appropriate for a 10 month old.

Step by step

Another step crafted by Rod.  This one took two attempts because the garden designer didn't find the proportions  to be in keeping with the delicate arch.  Random Mintaro slate was the solution and the outcome is  pleasing even to the builder.  Having this step has also meant that we could continue the gravel path.  Slowly, bit by bit we are linking the paths together.

Burgundy Accents

 After the completion of Rod's stone wall, several sessions were spent improving the soil ready for planting and also installing stones on the high side to retain the driveway.  

Over several months I have been purchasing plants ready for this area.  In keeping with the colour scheme of our house the barn features two coach lights with burgundy shades, therefore I decided that plants with burgundy foliage would continue the theme and show to perfection contrasting against the carriage green and cream of the barn walls and doors.

Several plants throughout the new garden are green or variegated so that they also provide a foil for the richness of the red and burgundy plants.  As well as differing plant forms, a variety of foliage shapes has been taken into consideration to achieve maximum interest. Lastly an irrigation system was carefully laid out before the whole garden was spread with the bark mulch that we had prepared from the shredding bark from our gum trees (see entry at the end of March).

Supervised Visit

Baxter was invited to try a little sunshine in the newly made garden.

Ever Red

My first Japanese maple: Acer Palmatum Dissectum 'Ever Red' was purchased in 1990 and grown in a pot for the first 10 years or so. Unfortunately even though it has now  been planted in the garden it has not grown much, however it does have the most wonderful Autumn display with the emerald green ivy in the background.

Ponderings

The opening we left in the decking when it was constructed 5 years ago has taken a diversion from its original concept of a pond.  

A gift of a  Xanthorrhoea to Rod for his birthday has inspired the creation of a garden featuring these very sculptural plants. 

The double header is Xanthorrhoea preissii Robusta (Preiss) from WA and the smaller  Xanthorrhoea  Johnsonii (Bill Johnson)  from QLD.

Xanthorrhoea's are slow growing and it is estimated that a meter of trunk takes between 70 and 100 years to grow.  Protected plants, they come with certification that they have been sourced from areas that are being developed, so relocation is rightly or wrongly their future.  

 

River pebbles combine with contrasting black pebbles that wind through in a vein of black, terminating in a small pool.

                            The inclusion of LED lights make this garden a real highlight at night.  We are extremely happy with the result and are crossing fingers, toes and everything in between that these very special plants survive in their new surroundings.

We Don't Always See When We Look

 On closer inspection of the berries that are produced on Viburnum Tinus they are a beautiful metallic blue

 Unfortunately the bushes are suffering from rust at the moment, due to weather conditions 

However the berries are a beautiful combination with hydrangeas that have turned green.

Paving the Way

Well here it is the finished project

 bit by bit we are linking up the gravel paths.

Garden Design in the Making

Inspired by the intricate paved streets of Rhodes this paving feature has been in the planning for quite some time.  The terracotta edging is cut from terracotta roof tiles, the slate is left over from our kitchen floor and the Basket Range sandstone rocks are bedded in Brightonlite Mortar to match Rod's walls.  This project Rod and I are working on together  however I am pleased to say that the stone work is my own achievement. Check back later to see it finished. 

Chipping in!

 1) the trees shed ribbons of bark 

 2) the bark is gathered into a heap over summer

 3) Rod tricks the Chipper machine into starting

 4) cart loads of bark chips are wheeled away..........

5) .............and heaped into a pile ready for spreading onto garden beds 

(12 and a half cart loads in total)

Up the garden path.......................

........................actually it is down the garden path.