Way back in January...

In the 1950s I remember my mother and her friends making little potted gardens in terracotta bowl-shaped pots. These gardens featured succulents and little hand-painted stones provided splashes of colour. And years later these little novelty gardens are still very popular. Pinterest is full of ideas! 

Late last year when I was wondering what I could do to help in the parish Christmas craft market, I had a lightbulb moment...potted gardens!! I figured that I could use succulents that I’d potted up from cuttings. Pots I found in The Reject Shop and I bought some ‘accessories’ on EBay for a reasonable price. So despite having little time due to going to the hospital 6 days a week to sit with Carrie, I was able to contribute to the fundraising. 

I was on a roll and made a fairy garden for my neighbour’s Christmas gift 😄

I added white pebbles before I handed it over...

Now I was really on a roll! When the frame on my wheelbarrow rusted through, DH had bought me a whole new barrow. Ah hah! A perfect excuse to make a fairy garden in the old barrow for the granddaughters. And so it was in late January on a day that we were minding Miss Anthea that I put my plans into action with the help of DH and Anthea. 

Anthea and I with the ornaments I’d found at stores like Reject Shop and Bunnings. 



Anthea made a path from the fairy houses using big white pebbles. 


Ta dah! All done! 


A few days later Holly enjoyed playing with the garden...

A week or so later a bush turkey came along and dug up the garden. ( I’m pretty sure it was a turkey even if I didn’t catch one in the act!) Luckily I saw the damage before the little girls, put it all back together and then covered it with mesh. So then the plants could grow without disruption. 

And I took this photo this morning...

The little girls have had so much fun with the garden. We are seeing most of our granddaughters at least once a week now that restrictions are easing a little bit. 💕

Spring...

Here in Australia we are just a few days away from Spring. Here in subtropical Brisbane, we don’t tend to have much difference between the seasons unlike the southern states. 

My garden does tend to get a bit neglected but in the last few months I’ve put a bit of effort into it. I’ve divided up bromeliads and re planted them in pots as well as directly into garden beds. Possums don’t seem to eat bromeliads or succulents so I’m extending their presence in the garden. 

DD1 gave me some dracena cuttings and I’ve potted those up too...and yes, the possums don’t seem to find them tasty either 😀. 

Some petunias have escaped being eaten by the possum gang too...

( I use the plastic forks to protect the plants when they are seedlings) 

The faithful nasturtiums that come up every year are putting on a bright display...

Some of the succulents have also flowered...

Not many veggies at the moment as DH and I will be away during September.

A self-sown pumpkin is doing nicely at the moment but will probably succumb to powdery mildew when the humid weather arrives. Or the vine and any pumpkins could be chomped on by hungry possums like my last few vines. 

Some tomatoes have come up in the compost that I put around the frangipani/ plumeria. Should take them out...but at least they are crowding out weeds perhaps! 

Months ago my cousin gave me a clump of eshallot seedlings. I planted them in a pot with a few inches of compost at the top. They’ve grown beautifully as had a whole lot of self sown plants. I did weed these plants out to start with but it looks like some more weeding is needed. 

Just 2 tomato plants which have been planted especially so far this season...

This meme is just so appropriate 🤣

Even though we Brisbanites reckon there isn’t much difference between the seasons, the king orchid that grows neglected in the back corner of the garden can always be depended on to ‘know’ exactly when Spring is looming...

Hope those drought ravaged rural areas of Australia get some rain soon 🤞🤞. 

Some more of 'sometimes it's the little things, that mean a lot...'

On Monday, I decided to use the sprinkler, attached to the tap on our water tank, to water parts of our garden that were suffering from the dry period we have been experiencing here lately. A magpie was checking out the lawn and garden beds looking for grubs...I thought that he would fly away when I turned on the sprinkler as he was standing just near it...

But no...he stood there enjoying a 'shower'. I realise that birds can't smile but this magpie sure looked really happy. He/she stood there and then when the feathers were all drenched, he/she puffed out the chest and then then flicked the water off by raising his/her wings. 

Then my magpie friend flew up on to the fence where the spray still reached...

And then a turn to face the other way to 'wash' the feathers on the back!

The magpies that visit our yard are delightful visitors with their personalities.

Another little thing that happened to me concerned some plants; in particular some succulents that I planted in some latte type mugs as they were surplus (the mugs not the plants, lol) to requirements but  I could see their potential as plant containers. Earlier this year I planted little pieces of succulents that I have in our garden...

DsD2 agreed to take the plants to her place while we were away and give them a fine mist of water every now and then,and generally look after them.She brought them back last Sunday...

As you can see, they are thriving! And I think DsD2 and her husband might be fans of succulents now too!