I am still feeling out of sorts after my recent eye surgery. (that's another story and another blog - Claire Heaney Cornea Transplant Diary) so I am gingerly just making my way outside.
At the moment I have limited vision in my right eye so judging where I am walking and crossing roads is tricky business. I have had to limit my time in front of the computer to an hour or so at a time.
But today I made myself get up, shower and catch up with a colleague for a coffee.
The weather in Melbourne is gorgeous today and I can't begin to tell you how my spirits lifted thanks to the combination of a caffeine hit and the emerging Spring blooms.
On the way back, when time wasn't so much an issue, I strolled down a lovely tree lined street, peering at the new blossoms.
Then, around a little laneway, I came across the tulip-like blooms on a friend's magnolia tree.
The port wine flowers are divine.
These friends have long talked about renovating and I always say "please do something around that magnolia, don't chop it down". To me, it has long since been a sign that Spring is here.
Further down the street, some vivid Camellia japonicas are equally as gorgeous. It is a great time of the year.
Showing posts with label claire heaney. Show all posts
Showing posts with label claire heaney. Show all posts
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Monday, August 27, 2012
Father's Day
I am putting last minute touches to the school Father's Day stall. It is one of my things. I love seeing their excitement as they choose a gift. Unfortunately, it is hard to source goodies for dads and granddads. Undies, socks and the like don't really cut it. For a long time now, choc-filled mugs and stubby holders have been the mainstay. But some of the mums are grumbling they've got too many cups and glasses and so on. I feel like telling them that perhaps if they contributed to the stalll they might be able to come up with something better. But most times I hold my tongue and take the criticism quite personally.
This year I have been thinking of how I can incorporate gardening into the stall. Kids love to buy plants but I haven't the room outside or time to cultivate plants. I have done it in the past but timing the plants so they are at their best is very hard.
Instead, I am opting to making little gardening packs, Terracotta labels with "parsley" and "basil" on them, little trowels, forks, pots, seeds, gardening gloves, novelties and spray bottles.
I have been collecting old orange net bags and have been putting bits and pieces in them and tying up the ends with a knot. I think they look good. They are a healthy, sustainable option and hopefully the kids will plant their seeds with Dad or Grandpa. Having said that, I have no doubt my two kids will be heading straight for the mug, glass or stubby holder bearing "their" favourite sweet. No worries what Dad might want.
This year I have been thinking of how I can incorporate gardening into the stall. Kids love to buy plants but I haven't the room outside or time to cultivate plants. I have done it in the past but timing the plants so they are at their best is very hard.
Instead, I am opting to making little gardening packs, Terracotta labels with "parsley" and "basil" on them, little trowels, forks, pots, seeds, gardening gloves, novelties and spray bottles.
I have been collecting old orange net bags and have been putting bits and pieces in them and tying up the ends with a knot. I think they look good. They are a healthy, sustainable option and hopefully the kids will plant their seeds with Dad or Grandpa. Having said that, I have no doubt my two kids will be heading straight for the mug, glass or stubby holder bearing "their" favourite sweet. No worries what Dad might want.
Monday, July 30, 2012
When life gives you lemons make lemonade
AN update on my lemon and lime largesse.
Well, I haven't made any lemonade yet. Lucy, 7, and her mate, Annie, managed to drive the neighbours bonkers one recent Sunday when they set up a stall to sell them.
Given how much they are charging for them in the shops, the 50cents each or three for $1 price went down well.
They sung and danced on the footpath, cajoling poor passing pedestrians into buying lemons and limes. I think most were happy to do so and some even gave them a tip.
Of course, lovely neighbour Margaret came back a few times to purchase. I doubt she needed them. But that is what she does. That's why we love her.
The girls closed the day with a total of something like $17.50.
They were chuffed. We agreed they could get a cheapo icecream from the Golden Arches and do what they wanted to do with the balance. In Lucy's case her share went into her iPod fund. Apparently at the age of 7 she is the only person in the world not to own one! I found it very difficult to give them away to friends and family. I am assuming it has been a bumper citrus crop year.
I squeezed plenty of them into ice cube trays and then decanted inti ziplock bags.
I made a lemon slice. My good mate Nikole turned some into lemon butter for a fundraising afternoon tea we were putting on for the Hands Across the Water charity. It tasted scrumptious on Nikole's scones. There are still a few more left and I really hate the thought of them rotting. I will have to scour my recipe books for more suggestions - lemon meringue pie, lemon delicious ........
Well, I haven't made any lemonade yet. Lucy, 7, and her mate, Annie, managed to drive the neighbours bonkers one recent Sunday when they set up a stall to sell them.
Given how much they are charging for them in the shops, the 50cents each or three for $1 price went down well.
They sung and danced on the footpath, cajoling poor passing pedestrians into buying lemons and limes. I think most were happy to do so and some even gave them a tip.
Of course, lovely neighbour Margaret came back a few times to purchase. I doubt she needed them. But that is what she does. That's why we love her.
The girls closed the day with a total of something like $17.50.
They were chuffed. We agreed they could get a cheapo icecream from the Golden Arches and do what they wanted to do with the balance. In Lucy's case her share went into her iPod fund. Apparently at the age of 7 she is the only person in the world not to own one! I found it very difficult to give them away to friends and family. I am assuming it has been a bumper citrus crop year.
I squeezed plenty of them into ice cube trays and then decanted inti ziplock bags.
I made a lemon slice. My good mate Nikole turned some into lemon butter for a fundraising afternoon tea we were putting on for the Hands Across the Water charity. It tasted scrumptious on Nikole's scones. There are still a few more left and I really hate the thought of them rotting. I will have to scour my recipe books for more suggestions - lemon meringue pie, lemon delicious ........
Monday, July 16, 2012
Bitters, Lime and Lemon
Ventured out to the backyard the other day (don't get me wrong, my backyard is not very big. It was just a matter of braving the cold to open the backdoor once we huddled inside to warm up upon our return from Darwin).
With a glimmer of sunshine, I was delighted to see just how wonderful my two Meyer lemons and two lime trees had fared while I wasn't looking.
There were lemons and limes everywhere.
It's amazing what your garden gets up to in the chilly months when you take your eyes off it.
What a delight. I had planted the trees about eight years.
Heavily pregnant, with the birth of my third child, Lucy, imminent I was madly nesting.
"Come on," I cajoled my husband. "Let's get this backyard sorted."
There was the small matter of a great block of concrete buried underneath the garden bed. It was so big we feared there must be a body buried underneath it. We think it may have been a clothesline foundation or some such thing. But it took many hours of jackhammering for it to be removed.
We got some nice herringbone brick paving and left a garden bed about a metre wide along the back fence.
We nourished that old soil like we were feeding a sickly child. Mushroom compost, cow manure and pea straw.The plan had been to espalier the trees.
I planted them carefully, tying branches against the lines of wire we had attached to the fence. It felt mean to chop off perfectly healthy branches and force the remaining branches against the wall. But it was inspired by the likes of garden designer Paul Bangay. In front of the citrus trees I planted a row of sweetly scented gardenias. In front of them a low hedge of hidcote lavender bushes. The garden flourished. But all this time later some things have fallen by the wayside. For instance, I couldn't bear to chop my verdant lemons and limes and they started to grow a little bit crazy. The gardenias flourished for a long time but then they lost their light source when the lemons and limes went a bit wild. They started looking spindly. Some died. I re-potted a few into big tubs. Then the lavender looked leggy with big woody bits. That had to go, replaced by a hedge of rosemary. That, too, looked lovely for a while. These days. The lemons and limes rule. And I'm OK with that. I have planted a few hellebores underneath them. They are still finding their feet. But what to do with all that citrus?
With a glimmer of sunshine, I was delighted to see just how wonderful my two Meyer lemons and two lime trees had fared while I wasn't looking.
There were lemons and limes everywhere.
It's amazing what your garden gets up to in the chilly months when you take your eyes off it.
What a delight. I had planted the trees about eight years.
Heavily pregnant, with the birth of my third child, Lucy, imminent I was madly nesting.
"Come on," I cajoled my husband. "Let's get this backyard sorted."
There was the small matter of a great block of concrete buried underneath the garden bed. It was so big we feared there must be a body buried underneath it. We think it may have been a clothesline foundation or some such thing. But it took many hours of jackhammering for it to be removed.
We got some nice herringbone brick paving and left a garden bed about a metre wide along the back fence.
We nourished that old soil like we were feeding a sickly child. Mushroom compost, cow manure and pea straw.The plan had been to espalier the trees.
I planted them carefully, tying branches against the lines of wire we had attached to the fence. It felt mean to chop off perfectly healthy branches and force the remaining branches against the wall. But it was inspired by the likes of garden designer Paul Bangay. In front of the citrus trees I planted a row of sweetly scented gardenias. In front of them a low hedge of hidcote lavender bushes. The garden flourished. But all this time later some things have fallen by the wayside. For instance, I couldn't bear to chop my verdant lemons and limes and they started to grow a little bit crazy. The gardenias flourished for a long time but then they lost their light source when the lemons and limes went a bit wild. They started looking spindly. Some died. I re-potted a few into big tubs. Then the lavender looked leggy with big woody bits. That had to go, replaced by a hedge of rosemary. That, too, looked lovely for a while. These days. The lemons and limes rule. And I'm OK with that. I have planted a few hellebores underneath them. They are still finding their feet. But what to do with all that citrus?
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Fragrant Frangipani
What better way to escape Melbourne's chilly winter mornings than a trip to the top end? Yes, lovely Darwin where the weather is a beautiful high 20 degrees every day. (But they do tell me the wet season is horrendous).
So, we made our way north and lapped up the lovely weather. I also loved the tropical plants. Think frangipani, marvellous lilies and the like. Okay. I don't know all the names but it is a tropical wonderland.
At Wangi Falls, in the Litchfield National Park, the monsoonal forest is a treat. The shrill sound of bats overhead are disconcerting. I felt like I was an extra in a some thriller and something evil was about to swoop and harm me. The kids were scared stiff. It's one way to keep them quiet.
A great way to cool off is to jump into the falls.
So, we made our way north and lapped up the lovely weather. I also loved the tropical plants. Think frangipani, marvellous lilies and the like. Okay. I don't know all the names but it is a tropical wonderland.
At Wangi Falls, in the Litchfield National Park, the monsoonal forest is a treat. The shrill sound of bats overhead are disconcerting. I felt like I was an extra in a some thriller and something evil was about to swoop and harm me. The kids were scared stiff. It's one way to keep them quiet.
A great way to cool off is to jump into the falls.
Monday, June 11, 2012
Winter pruning
OK, I know I was muttering about taking the clippers to the hydrangeas months ago. Well holidays and other things got in the way. I have to confess that I have just completed the task in the past few days. My procrastination was not without its upsides. The mother of one of my neighbors bailed me up in the street and begged me if she could cut a bunch of the dying flower heads.
She planned to dry them. I handed her the secateurs and she was thrilled. Perhaps, I could have urged her to keep on trimming back to the new growth! Anyway, I finally set about doing the task over the weekend. Pat, my neighbour, has a pair of long handled Fiskars clippers and happily presented me with them when she saw me struggling to reach some of the higher branches. I trimmed the blooms back to the new bulging buds. Then, I cut into the standard ficus that is growing like topsy. (it was one of a pair but they grew so much they busted out of their terracota pots) I have been warned that it could get out of control and the roots will spread. I am keeping a watchful eye on it. But the thing I love about it so much is that it has flourished in a spot in front of my verandah, along the front fence where nothing else has grown. I planted a row of sasanqua camellias and the one in that very spot died. Then I planted another and it died. Now, that the ficus has grown it provides a lovely bit of privacy in front of the door. You see our house is very close to the street and privacy is sometimes lacking. I then set about chopping up the cuttings so they would be able to break down in the compost bin. Now, the next big task is to cut back the ornamental grape vine. It provides such magnificent colour in autumn. Just gorgeous.
She planned to dry them. I handed her the secateurs and she was thrilled. Perhaps, I could have urged her to keep on trimming back to the new growth! Anyway, I finally set about doing the task over the weekend. Pat, my neighbour, has a pair of long handled Fiskars clippers and happily presented me with them when she saw me struggling to reach some of the higher branches. I trimmed the blooms back to the new bulging buds. Then, I cut into the standard ficus that is growing like topsy. (it was one of a pair but they grew so much they busted out of their terracota pots) I have been warned that it could get out of control and the roots will spread. I am keeping a watchful eye on it. But the thing I love about it so much is that it has flourished in a spot in front of my verandah, along the front fence where nothing else has grown. I planted a row of sasanqua camellias and the one in that very spot died. Then I planted another and it died. Now, that the ficus has grown it provides a lovely bit of privacy in front of the door. You see our house is very close to the street and privacy is sometimes lacking. I then set about chopping up the cuttings so they would be able to break down in the compost bin. Now, the next big task is to cut back the ornamental grape vine. It provides such magnificent colour in autumn. Just gorgeous.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Delightful Daphne
I am loving my daphne bush at the moment. Each day as I step out the front door there are more of the beautifully formed flowers coming into bloom.
Another one of my favourite flowers. The scent is gorgeous and if you can feel an emotional attachment to a plant I've got one with this one.
For more years than I can remember my late mum tried to grow a daphne bush in our big garden in Ballarat. No luck. Then one Mother's day my Dad turned up with a little pot of daphne. (possiby the most romantic thing he ever did!)
It was duly planted in the corner and over time grew and grew. It became a source of great enjoyment.
Later, I took some cuttings and this is how I now have my lovely, flourishing daphne.
I think that must have been nearly 20 years ago, as I have now lived in Melbourne for 22 years.
It is not in a very spectacular pot, but one thing I am led to believe is true with daphnes - they don't like to be messed with.
With that in mind, I am leaving it put in its rather dated fake Tuscan-look plastic pot! Last year, I noticed it was getting really leggy and decided it needed a good trim. I am pleased to say that it is looking more compact and flowering better than ever. It also enjoys a position on the verandah where it gets morning sun. Everyone should have a daphne plant. My mate, Olga, has no less than six.
Another one of my favourite flowers. The scent is gorgeous and if you can feel an emotional attachment to a plant I've got one with this one.
For more years than I can remember my late mum tried to grow a daphne bush in our big garden in Ballarat. No luck. Then one Mother's day my Dad turned up with a little pot of daphne. (possiby the most romantic thing he ever did!)
It was duly planted in the corner and over time grew and grew. It became a source of great enjoyment.
Later, I took some cuttings and this is how I now have my lovely, flourishing daphne.
I think that must have been nearly 20 years ago, as I have now lived in Melbourne for 22 years.
It is not in a very spectacular pot, but one thing I am led to believe is true with daphnes - they don't like to be messed with.
With that in mind, I am leaving it put in its rather dated fake Tuscan-look plastic pot! Last year, I noticed it was getting really leggy and decided it needed a good trim. I am pleased to say that it is looking more compact and flowering better than ever. It also enjoys a position on the verandah where it gets morning sun. Everyone should have a daphne plant. My mate, Olga, has no less than six.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Garden sharing in my neighborhood
From the Melbourne Age.
I liked this story because it is happening under my nose in my neighborhood and because it underlines that sense of generosity and goodwill shown by most people who love to grow things.
Geraniums near Florence
Check out the foreground of this photograph. We were having a little rest, having climbed up a very steep hill from the carpark to the wonderful village of San Gimignano. It is in Florence and is famous for the towers dotted around the perimeter.
Love the red geraniums. Such a wonderful view.
How it all began.
Ever since I can remember I have loved gardening. As a little child I could often be found across the road in my neighbour's garden. Mrs Nightingale (or Mrs Nightie as we knew her) kept a meticulously tidy garden.
No weeds, dead straight borders and lawn mowed just so.
She loved geraniums and pelargoniums. Two, three and maybe even more times a week she would get out dead heading them, pulling off stray leaves and making sure that not a thing was out of place.
I always looked upon the pelargoniums as being the upmarket cousin of the humble geranium. Years later, I adore geraniums planted enmasse. Each time I go to Europe I come back with a newfound devotion to red, white and pink geraniums. I adore the blast of colour they provide when planted in window boxes and placed on steps. I have endeavoured, with limited success, to recreate that look at my own house. Just back from a European trip, I am keen when the weather improves to have another go.
And the great thing about the humble geranium is that they are so easy to propagate. Cut a bit off, stick it in some potting mix and voila. Great for kids, great for people looking to do some planting on a limited budget and great for those new to gardening who want some quick gratification.
Perfectly tended roses, a Camellia Japonica (feed with tea leaves) and hellebores are some the other memorable plants in Mrs Nightie's gardening. I have always loved hellebores, or Winter Roses, as a result. They are pretty pricey now that they are fashionable for shaded areas. You often see them planted enmasse. The Fitzroy Gardens, in Melbourne, has a nice display.
No weeds, dead straight borders and lawn mowed just so.
She loved geraniums and pelargoniums. Two, three and maybe even more times a week she would get out dead heading them, pulling off stray leaves and making sure that not a thing was out of place.
I always looked upon the pelargoniums as being the upmarket cousin of the humble geranium. Years later, I adore geraniums planted enmasse. Each time I go to Europe I come back with a newfound devotion to red, white and pink geraniums. I adore the blast of colour they provide when planted in window boxes and placed on steps. I have endeavoured, with limited success, to recreate that look at my own house. Just back from a European trip, I am keen when the weather improves to have another go.
And the great thing about the humble geranium is that they are so easy to propagate. Cut a bit off, stick it in some potting mix and voila. Great for kids, great for people looking to do some planting on a limited budget and great for those new to gardening who want some quick gratification.
Perfectly tended roses, a Camellia Japonica (feed with tea leaves) and hellebores are some the other memorable plants in Mrs Nightie's gardening. I have always loved hellebores, or Winter Roses, as a result. They are pretty pricey now that they are fashionable for shaded areas. You often see them planted enmasse. The Fitzroy Gardens, in Melbourne, has a nice display.
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