Winter garden

Hello everyone, how are you?  The winter garden is really quite dismal at the moment with only a few pops of colour here and there.  However there is some which is lovely.  I planted Primula seedlings in March so they would be flowering by June.  Please ignore the weeds, it's on my to do list.

The Hellebores are flowering although their heads are very droopy from all the rain.

The Daphne is giving off the most beautiful perfume and I have placed sprigs of it throughout the house.

Some bug seems to like the leaves.

I found this Azalea hiding amongst some Pelargoniums.  I nice little splash of colour if I look hard.

These Jonquils were planted about 14 years ago and every year the grubs have eaten the flowers.  Not this year though.  It's very exciting to see some bright yellow in the garden.

This Chinese Lantern (Abutilon) flowers for most of the year.  I'm loathe to prune it back as sometimes it is the only thing flowering in the garden and the Wattle Birds love it.  Hubby pruned the side of it as it grows out into the driveway.  I've left the top branches so I can see these flowers everyday.

This Pandorea an Australian native climber, needs some serious attention.  I hoping to have lovely flowers come spring.  The sky looks lovely in this photo but it was oh so cold today.

When we have huge amounts of rain like we have this winter, the Land Crayfish also known as Land Crabs (although they are not a crab but a relative of the yabby) come up to the surface in our lawn (weeds) and make these mounds.  You can read all about them by going to the link above.

They don't do any harm, although we have to be careful not to slip on their muddy mounds.  If a yabby should venture from it's home in day light hours, our chook will gobble it up very quickly.

I was inspired by  Gillian of Eclectic Me to make some wash/face cloths.  Here is my first attempt which   turned out much smaller than I expected so I'll be adding some more stitches to the foundation chain when I make the next one.  It's very wonky around the edges and there are a few threads where they ought not to be.  I used Bamboozle yarn from Lincraft and found it very slippery to use.  I've since found a yarn supplier in the U.K. who who will ship internationally.  They have the most gorgeous cotton yarn in pretty colours just perfect for making up some more of these for the bathroom and the kitchen.

I must apologise again for the poor quality of my photos.  The good camera has gone to the camera hospital and I'm using the little digital we first had.

I hope you are all well and happy and that those living in the U.K. are having some summer weather.  It didn't look to wonderful in Paris on Bastille Day as shown on the t.v. news.  People were dressed in coats.  Brrrr.

Well it is time to make dinner.  On the menu tonight is beef rissoles (patties), Moroccan seasoned potato wedges and a mixed salad.  Menu planning is going well.

 Thank you for taking the time to stop by.

Anne  xx