With January being the hottest month of the year, it’s often difficult to choose the right day – a cooler day, to mulch the front garden and the garden that runs the length of the carport. Most other seasons don’t work with the front garden and after the Christmas lights a packed away for another year, it really is the best time. For us anyway. We started laying mulch this time from the rear of the drive and worked forward to the front of the house. We did this simply because we always run out of mulch for that far end of the drive when we do the front garden first. However, just as we finished along the drive it began to rain and continued most of the day. Good for the garden but not while gardening. At least it gave us a break and some time to plan how to tackle the front garden.

We started early to avoid the heat of the day and the rain that threatened to change our plans yet again. Overcast but not to hot, not to cold. The rain held off long enough to complete the whole front garden. We even had time to go to Bunnings for a few extra shrubs to fill empty spaces along the white picket fence. I also rehoused the new gnomes we bought on a clearance pallet just after Christmas. I’m quite pleased how it all looks now.

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It’s great to see the sunshine and feel the warmth of Spring mornings again.

Nice enough to choose where to have breakfast.

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Sorry this is blurred. I took the photo from inside the back door with my phone. We put up the Lorikeet box just a few days ago. This pair actually put their head inside but were more interested in eating. We’re hoping a second visit will happen soon but not perhaps one of the many other Lorikeet pairs who visit the garden will find this new house to be so tempting they’ll move in.

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Last night Norm relocated my big screen PC to the dining room table where I am able to maneuver around better in the wheelchair. This morning I looked up from the screen to see between the verandah railings and palm leaves, ….

the bulbs I had planted in previous seasons were blooming. I promptly sent Norm around the garden with the camera to see what else I missed. I’ll look through the photos later today after church.

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I upgraded the wheelchair and I have more flexibility and freedom.

It’s so good to be in the garden. No changes needed to the driveway or kitchen-diner.

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I was finally able to visit the front garden. While Norm weeded and dead headed I took a few photos of the late winter flowering lavender, Azalias and Gazanias. Even the Bougainvillea climbing the wall is bursting with colour. A few extra cottage garden plants need to be planted when Spring arrives.

The tub of pansies and zinnia potted daisies needed to be relocated temporarily for the ramp.

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We knew about this before we bought our home back in December 2019. It’s finally happening. The noise can be annoying but at least there’s no workers or machinery on the weekends and before 7.30am and after 5pm in the evenings during the week… and when it’s raining.

The photos above were taken while standing on a step ladder on the verandah. Below are the scenes we see at floor level and at the bottom of the steps that descend into the garden. Hopefully the new houses won’t appear above the fence. We’ll just have to wait.

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It’s been a lot easier to sneak up on these adorable birds. They don’t seem to mind the camera either. This pair is one of four pairs that come in for a feed throughout the day. They all have their own colour tones and preferred times to eat. An interesting lot.

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Another sunny afternoon enticed us outside to watch the birds.

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In addition to yesterday’s post, Midday Shadows our front garden, home to our friendly gnomes, is soaked in sunshine every day in winter – except on cloudy and rainy days of course.

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According to Google, June 21st 2022 is the shortest day of the year for Australia.

Over the next two weeks, we may just spy the shadows beginning to creep back the other way back to greet the Spring.

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Two of our parlour palms brought with us on our move in December 2019 and at less than two foot high, have grown ridiculously on our back verandah where I had created a little tropical atmosphere of sorts. Here’s the photo of one. Both are about same size.

If you have been following my I’m in the Garden category on Riverside Peace you will know that the garden space is minimal. But we did it. Or, at least I pointed and directed and Norm did it. 🙂

With the two big potted palms relocated we then reorganised the verandah plants before enjoying a bottle of 2017 Sangiovese. Two neighbours also joined us with their wine glasses filled with their favourite whites.

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It’s a much wetter May this year making the garden soggy and keeping us out of the garden.

Photos by Norm.

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All this fuss over one apple.

Well, I can’t complain that we don’t have birds come to our garden. Two years ago I would never have thought it was possible.

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There wasn’t much room to land but they kept coming.

Focusing got more difficult no matter how many photos were taken.

Norm almost missed the confusion of take-offs.

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My dear neighbour and friend across the road kindly let me have her fairies, toadstools and gnomes that have been out grown by the grandchildren. “The Pond” has been overwhelmed by more fairies, little gnomes and fairy houses. One fairy has now become the centre piece of the birdbath which has inspired me to set aside a quiet day to sit and imagine before placing everything in different places. We have a young blue tongue lizard that roams my garden, and the neighbours, that bumps the poor little fairies into the pond. Some might say I’m a little crazy with my gnomes garden out the front, and now The Fairy Pond, but no one has yet disliked it. I think if I ever do get dementia, I’ll be happy in my garden. 🙂

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