Garden News & 8 Years of Blogging,

Thank you for those who have been with me for the past 8 years ,  I never thought I would last this long. This is the 415th blog piece, if you had told me that in 2015 I would be writing so much, it would have been hard to visualize.

 I have decided now to  write monthly, and see how that goes. Hopefully I will have something to talk about other than the garden and beans, a case of slowing down and not being as active in the wider world..

At least with some spare time, I will try and get back to scrap booking.  Our eldest turns 50 next year and I really need to finish his scrapbook, I haven't done any work on them, for over a year. 

My birthday is Friday and we will celebrate it at Anchors Wharf  restaurant, for lunch. I haven't been for several years since mum died, but they also closed because of the flood we had last year.

Taken from the River Side

 Hasn't it been cold this last week, even in sub tropical we have had a couple of minus figures. Thank goodness for electric blankets, and my fire.

The mandarins have been changing colour, because of it, and I have watched them go from green to orange in June. Yesterday I picked one and it was very juicy, and sweet.

 Took the lemons while I was at it. I keep wanting to make lemon butter but still haven't got around to it, so leaving them on the tree, until I work out what to do with them.

It hasn't rained at all, so after my caravan club social meeting yesterday, which I only went in to take the sign on forms and left after an hour, I decided to water the back area, and took more pictures of what is coming along.

Red Nasturiums

Jonquils

Taken up close this time the Poinsettia and Argave flowers.

The back roses need pruning and spraying, as have white powdery mildew on them, although I have finished all the front ones.

I really need to get down there and sort out the new configuration of the back, before the weeds really start growing. Lots of cardboard and mulch ready for the garden beds and then get some new plants for them, most likely flowery things. I was thinking of  working there today but it is windy and the "feels like" temperature of 11C is putting me off.

Snow drops starting to come out. Came from my parents house when we moved up here 40 years ago.

Our eldest daughter arrived yesterday from Sydney, and  I will give her a few days to catch up  on sleep, she hasn't been well with a flu bug, and is a special Ed Teacher, which is hard enough,  plus I have another dentist appointment Monday a third one, with one more to go as a result of a full mouth xray.

 There hasn't been one day I haven't had to travel into town this last week, so glad for today and no where to go.

 Tuesday she wants to check out the new small Mazdas, and test drive one, so I will join her at the resort for a couple of days then. I also would like a smaller car and interested to see what they are like. My Subaru is now 5 years old, but I would prefer something smaller like my old Mazda 323, but at the time they were noisy and not as modern with all the gadgets like being able to answer your phone while driving. 

Basil growing  wonderfully in the glasshouse because I was clever not to put it in the cold garden.

I have also started another paid online class with 50 videos mind you, on painting flowers and really loving it so far. It is very in depth and just what I need.

Lets see if I can do a 9th year

Till Next Time.