Wonderful Lily.

 

Sometimes plants really excel.

Lilium Oriental -Zalmira is one of these.  Flowering  and perfume are larger and  stronger than I expected.

 Luckily I got it tied back early on when I saw where it was headed.

 I think the perfume would be too strong inside so it can be admired outside . 8 blooms on a really sturdy plant.

Pohutukawa Trees.

 This year so far some of the smaller New Zealand Christmas Trees ( Pohutukawa ) seem to be the brightest.

 This one in a neighbours driveway.

😊

 This one next door in our neighbour's garden. I can see it best from our upstairs window.

 This one can be seen from the New World Car park at Brookfield in Tauranga.

 There are also some fabulous bright Jacaranda Trees about. I haven't photographed them as I am usually driving when I see them.

High Winds.

 

 Garden damage last evening during quite gusty winds. This flowering cherry will need quite a bit of repair to be safe again.

  To save their necks I picked 4 of my lovely lime Gladioli and put them on the bench to admire.  This year they are free of thrip damage so I am pleased about that.

 Outside we have been busy over the last 2 weeks pulling out box.

 This corner flower garden which I have planted over the last 2 years had only the rhododendron behind a box hedge when we came here. Now we have pulled out the rest of that box hedge which extended around the corner.( to the left ) 

 Here it is now minus the box hedge and newly planted with Carnations , geraniums  ( I grew ) lobelia and other seedlings. The sweet peas are self sown from last summer and the daphne and dahlia I planted 2 years ago. The difference is now box plants aren't  stealing all the nutrients from the soil and I don't have to climb over the hedge to get in there and weed. The pluses are also I now have a bigger area to grow fragrant picking flowers  and  we don't have to continually trim the box hedge.  This garden area already had a concrete strip along the front.

 I now have all the garden beds I plan to have and will just maintain and enjoy them. 

 There is now just one box hedge left on the property.

 The vege garden is producing well and Grandsons enjoy finding and picking strawberries   ( lots ) and blueberries ( just a few ) when they are here.

A Completed Project.

 

 My friend Helen had made a needle case ( for packets of needles ) with a 3 rows of tiny hexagons across the middle and ribbon ties to close it.

 I took the measurement and changed the way it looks by designing my own felt Iceland poppies for the outside covering.

 On the inside are pockets for packets or whatever I like.

 To close it, it folds into 3 and because I didn't want ties spoiling my flowers I have used 2 domes. on the corners. The binding is a pretty batik fabric I already had. Apart from sewing the binding on it  and defining the pockets it was a hand stitched project ( very portable ). It used up some of my large supply of felt and embroidery cottons.

 I am really pleased with the results.

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 Despite throwing lots of rots ( caused by last weeks heavy rain ) on the lawn for the birds 

 I managed to pick this bowl of strawberries. I have left some big ripe ones for the 2 grandsons to find ( and eat ).

A Mystery Trip.

 

 What a slack Blogger I have been lately. I have been mostly gardening not sewing.

 Last Friday which is my regular Patchwork and Quilting Group day some of our ladies ( 24 in all ) set off on a "Mystery Car Trip," organised by Marilyn . It meant an early start. I was quite spoiled as my friend Dorna offered to pick Jenni ( who lives near me ) and me up so we didn't all have to take cars.  Strangely we got to the city in really quick time ( this road is usually SO slow in the mornings ) I then changed cars and was driven by another friend Shirley with Helen navigating. All she was given to follow was an address...for rural Whakatane...which turned out to be Pins to Patches, which is a very well stocked Patchwork shop, now at the owners own home ( in the country ).

 I didn't spend much during our various stops at shops, only getting things I had run out of like green cotton and also some large domes for my nearly finished needle case project. I shouted myself some new very thin pins ( so now I can throw some of my not fit for purpose ones away ) and a magazine.

On our return journey we stopped at Blueberry Corner. I got 2 punnets a huge fresh blueberries at a good price and the ladies all got a berry cream freeze. They were huge - even the small size, and took some eating. They were delicious ,but too big for me.( above some of us sitting in the shade licking fast ) Jenni took the photo. We all arrived home safely. I was tired despite not driving. We had a happy day together and all get on well. ( I think we might do it again some time in the future )

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 My new secateurs. ( made in France I see ) After about 20 years of faithful service in garden and orchard my very expensive ones began to mal function and R couldn't fix them this time so he got me a new much cheaper pair. They won't get anywhere near the use the other orchard ones got. So far they are cutting clean and easy so I hope that lasts.

I'm off to bake now.

Flowers, Veges and Baking.

 These sweet smelling bright sweet peas are on the end of the kitchen bench. They are a bonus as they came self sown from last years ones. I endeavour to have a small vase of something perfumed in that space at all times and inhale the smell often.

 I have been spending hours and hours in the garden, but am happy there. I do have to limit the time or I get too tired.

 Our long sloping driveway has a curved garden on both sides at the top. The garden surrounds  the trunk of  2 Grandiflora magnolias  - one can be seen in the photo. Gardening around and under these trees presents it own problem. - mostly roots of every size. and dropped leathery leaves. Every time I work these 2 garden I can't help thinking maybe we should have cut the trees out before I ever started.

 I now have the bones of each garden in place and will carry on fleshing them out with small annuals or perennials.  

Plantings include Vireya rhododendrons, azaleas, hellebores, deutzia, gerbras, hostas, small red flax, geraniums, heuchera, tiarella and cyclamen. ( also daffodils that pop up and flower then die down. ) Across the front are white polyanthus and salvia. I have just respaded the edges to neaten it all up. Colours are mainly red and white.. The white vireya are perfumed. Nothing else planted here is  especially pleasing to the nose..

 My perfumed plants are closer to the house. ( roses and carnations, daphne and sweet peas)  Lavenders abound but they were already here.

 As I have done for over 40 years, I keep a garden book where I record every purchase - where I plant it when and how much. It is useful to refer to. I always take the labels off and keep them in a box.

 I started a new book when we moved here 2+ years ago. 

 Inside. The new oven is working well. As well as cooking meals I have successfully made short bread and fruit cake and mouse traps.

 In the bread maker some dense yummy seedy , fruity bread.

 My hand sewing is progressing well. I have started on the inside pockets of my needle case and have almost finished the poppies and leaves.

 Now I am off out to pot up little New World seedlings ready to harden off..

 My strawberry patch is looking really promising and we have been eating asparagus in small helpings.      There is always lots to do around here.

 I have just read 2 not so wonderful books  - can't win them all!. Its Great to have the Listener back weekly. I get very good value out of that.

 Stay safe - things are a bit scary again.

Happenings Lately.

 All the rhododendrons that were in this garden are the same. A nice small bush and one I had at the orchard called Unique. They are starting to flower and look lovely.

 I won all these goodies packed up in a basket last Patchwork and Quilting day It was the September raffle.( 2 fabrics, little scissors, serviettes, a rotary cutter, a coaster, a lovely rose mug and a little purse size hand sanitizer that smells of peaches.) Lucky me!

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Elder Grandson had lots of little friends to his 5th birthday party held at a climbing place called Rocktopia.

 Here he is having a go. All activities required harnesses  that then allow the climber to push out and get down.. A really great place for little people. The noise was loud!