Making Hay: Mini Movie

Now we know why farmers love the land and work so hard. There  is something so utterly wonderful about 'bringing in the crops' after a good season of rain. Our horses and cows will not go hungry for a very long time. We may have cut just a tad too much, but we have some to sell, some to trade for neighbourly favours and some in case next year is a dry one. Not to mention plenty for grandchildren to climb on in the hay shed.
I can also understand what prompted America's ancestors to celebrate Thanksgiving, a holiday that is all about expressing gratitude to the Lord of the harvest and the giver of all good things, including good health and the strength to work the land in the first place.
Praise the Lord!

Mini Movie: Morning

Noah's Ark

We have some new arrivals at the farm to add to Sharon's Noah's Ark, and here they are: Bill and Bob, so cute. And while I'm at it, here is a bit of an up date on all the other babies around the place, all bursting with good health and as fat as mud.

 

 

 

 



yuuummmm!!!! (No you can't bring it into the house)

New Projects

Spring is here and all of a sudden there seems to be a dozen jobs calling for attention every day: seeds to be planted or watered or set out; perennials to be tamed and propagated;  lawn to be forever cut and raked and composted; fertilizer to be applied; mulch put out; lawn chairs put out and sat in for long coffee breaks.
The back yard is looking nice this year.

 A new gravel path around the front and side of the house has finally finished the surrounds and given me a clean walkway. New cuttings are in and now I just need it all to grow.

Some puppies will climb into anything with wheels, just to have a ride!

Play, play, play, collapse

New canopy over back door, works a treat.

Reflect on that!

Spring: Mini movie

After countless hours of editing formats, updating programs, reading 'help' files and annoying little pop-ups telling me I can't do things, I have finally arrived at my first very mediocre  movie. If this wasn't the third day of rain I would be wracked with guilt over wasting so much time. The next movie will be much better and take vastly less time. Hope you like it!

Spring at Last

 Kate Llewellyn is one of my favourite Australian authors who writes beautifully about her gardening experiences and thoughts. I remember her saying in one of her books how she would wake on a spring morning and feel like a horse champing at the bit wanting to be out in the garden. How that resonates for all gardeners, I'm sure. Spring has come to Nanne's Garden and every day brings new delights as something else shakes off its winter sleep. 

Cuttings in the garden shed that have just sat there all winter are suddenly leaping out of their pots, including my hydrangea cuttings that I am dying to plant NOW, but patience is needed just a little longer till the back of the house gets some more warmth. The sun has just started hitting there in the late afternoon.

 The orchid has been dragged out from behind the garden shed to just outside the kitchen window where I can admire it throughout the day.

The solar clothes dryer: cheapest on the market at $5 for the rope 

and a cup of coffee for the workman

 My lovely Wisteria: only 5 fronds last year. nearly 70 this year. 

 I know these plants can pull down sheds if left to run away, but I'll face that when I come to it.

 Done all my 'pruning wisteria' reading!!!

Nanne's gardening companion, Molly 

And finally, the rhododendron comes to life, brilliantly, as usual.

Lambs and Calves

It's nice when school holidays and baby animals arrive at the same time. The grandchildrens' hand reared ewes both produced healthy twin lambs, two boys and two girls, and are proving excellent mothers.

            

Playgroup

       It's also calving time and the juniors are aiming to raise ten heifer calves this year, four                        already in from the dairy farm next door. Little 'lovey' below.

       Young engineers re-routing the creek bed and adding a reservoir. Mostly just having fun                          getting covered in mud

Two weary girls, two exhausted puppies.

September 13th Bella and Tom.

We have visitors, very big ones. Bella and Tom, Clydesdales belonging to friends,  are staying for a few weeks in our paddocks while theirs regrow after a hard winter. The spring grass is already pushing up, so we have grass to spare. Bella and Tom's paddock mate, Gary the ram, also spent a few weeks here, for a different purpose, the product of which will be in next week's blog.

     The juniors have been hard at work erecting more recycled post and rail fence and laying old       sleepers around the garden. The results have been amazing.

                               Site of the old hay shed, now new shed and future vege garden 

     The ancient apricot, peach and nectarine trees, which I have been gradually reshaping each     year to restore something of a vase shape and lower the height. The apricot had a great year     last, but the peach and nectarine  need to pick up their act.

    And spring bloomers promising warm weather is on its way.  The 90 Tree with bluebells in                  bud below.

               The ancient plum, always beautiful and always bountiful, and which I photograph every year just for the pleasure it gives.

     The port wine magnolia, doing a little better this year after a light prune last year. (A light              prune for Mark means it still has limbs, for which we can thank Sharon!) 

      And finally, the very unimposing little Boronia, nuthin' to look at, but oh the scent!. To walk along the back path is to inhale continuously. I often leave the kitchen window open, even on cold days, just to enjoy it.

Some Winter Colour

The lovely Hardenbergia, or Happy Wanderer

One Daffodil

common old Statice, but I like it

One Terrier, two terrors. Molly and Lola, the new kid next door.