Mothers Day 2021

 Happy Mother's Day to all those mothers out there. I always thought our 5 children would be close to home but unfortunately 4 of them are scattered far and wide, and visits few, but at least we have one local, our eldest and their 5 children, which I am thankful for. 

Today he decided he was my present, a rare event and gave me his time for some work. I chose the garden as it is getting out of control yet again. The twins also came and my lovely DIL.

Beyond me to clean up, needs a Whipper Snipper.

 This bridge has been sitting there for months as it was supposed to go to the Community Gardens. Just a few main beams now as floor has rotted, and will be pulled apart for easy carrying.

Wasn't Light to move either.

Yesterday I cut the hedge having got enthusiastic for the visit, it was well overdue.

Bridge gone, grass cut looking so much better. The next area was my not so new rose garden. 

What can I say there is a path under this.

Garden Area itself. Tree is a Mulberry and out it came.

Looking across the weed filled pond with Mulberry Tree.

 Once the Mulberry was cut, DIL cut all the branches up for twigs for next years fire, as they need to dry out,with the twins helping her fill up the containers for them. I normally do this every year, by cutting the tall branches, up a ladder as well. Sometimes making little twig fences with them, then breaking them up once summer was over. Getting to old now.

After the cleanup with a mulch  of pool weed.

What a difference, and the rubbish was all carted up by the twins to the rubbish bins. Lucky we had next doors as well, as by the end of the day filled that too. 

Good bye Mulberry which is sad but I can't keep the effect up, of cutting in half every year.

 So then we had lunch in the Gazebo just a simple Cold Roast Chicken with Salad and Banana Muffins,with cups of tea, as well as a much needed rest by the troops. The day was perfect with a threat of rain coming so not too hot in the sun, bit steamy but they all seemed to manage.

 First Mother's Day lunch I have given, in so, so long, a big treat for me to have the family around for a meal. 

Thinning out the Japanese Fishing Pole Plant. Note the children's feet, they got very wet "helping"

 So the two adults, hopped in to the pond to pull up the green plant that just loves it in the sub tropical and hard too keep under control as it takes root in the bottom sludge, a big mistake from 2004 when we changed everything. So thankful for their effort of pulling it up as best they could. Plants are very heavy as filled with water. 

It is raining now and 5pm but I dashed out to take the last photo.

 How different the pond  looks now. These two deserve a medal, with such a lot of heavy work. On the 12th they celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary

This is not to say it is finished. I will now weed the rose garden, and tidy up here and there, something I can actually cope with. 

My job I decided was to get the Gazebo back into order, between fetching water and lunch and morning teas, plus giving the twins little jobs here and there. They were earning pocket money you see.

I moved out quite a bit of stuff and swept the floor of blown in leaves then washed down all the posts, which had a fair bit of mould on them. Yesterday I also pulled out a lot of fish fern on two sides, which was growing every where under the hedge, and in the retaining wall, so that cleaned up that area, as well.  Made room for the 6 of us to have a wonderful lunch then stacked everything left, to paint the posts.

Liking the all white and will paint the beans above as well.

It is a start but still lots to do in there, hopefully we will get a ceiling fan put in, and hovering on surrounding it with flywire mesh, against mosquitoes, if it comes in a roller blind, so I can get to the hedge. We can then use it at night in the summer. I will also fix the clock and put in some batteries.

In the middle of all of  this I received some flowers from our daughter in America.

Such unusual chrysanthemums

All in all a great Mother's Day.

Till Next Time.