Wednesday, October 17, 2018

After the rain...

Over the weekend we had some glorious rain, something our region hasn't seen since the first week of March, and within a couple of days this garden we've been carefully watering, tending, pruning and weeding simply sprung to life with such vigour that now, as soon as my feet hit the floor each morning I head outside to walk around barefoot on the cool grass and see what new things I shall discover.

Like these pink buds which have simply 'appeared' on an almost bare tree we cannot identify...




...and the blue cheeked Rosella who feasted on seeds from one of our many grevillias until Tom the cockatoo swooped down to shoo it away. 




It seems that each new day brings with it more opportunity to work in the garden and there is simply no time to be bored or lazy - though my aching muscles would very much prefer it if I took a lazy day or two soon. 

Mr E has been pruning the trees and larger shrubs...



...and I am gathering seeds from the old basil we brought with us, drying pruned off cuts from the large jade plant for re-potting next weekend, catching seeds from bursting desert rose pods and planting more things in both pots and in the ground. 

I thought this looked a bit like a plant UFO when I first saw them growing on all the desert roses throughout the garden...



...but then one burst open and a lot of fluffy things flew out and began to drift past on the wind, which was when I realised these were desert rose seeds so I quickly gathered as many as I could and have them safe in a jar while I read up on planting them.




The jade plant near our front door was so huge that I had to trim quite a lot off, though to look at it now you'd still say its rather large...



...but I've kept a dozen or so good pieces which I shall plant in pots once the ends dry out and grow over. In the meantime they make a lovely centrepiece on the outdoor table. 




I finished gathering the basil seeds from the few plants we brought with us as one by one they have bolted with the onset of hot weather...



...whilst the remaining leaves have been used in many lunches and dinners.
Saturday lunch was simple pizzas made on naan bread bases. Delicious once baked, though I forgot to take after photos. 



Early Saturday morning we drove around to check out a few garage sales and I'm so glad we did!
The week before we'd been pricing large glazed planter pots at Bunnings but they were a bit out of our budget so I asked God if He would please provide good affordable pots one day.
Well, after finding nothing we needed at the the first five garage sales, the final two were meant for us. We bought four large glazed pots for $25, half the price of a single pot at Bunnings, and they were in perfect condition. I used Mr E's muscles to load them in the Jeep and then we headed off to the final garage sale where we bought this beautiful huge fern...



My beloved thought I'd like it near the kitchen window so when I looked out I could see it, but the problem was I couldn't see anything BUT the fern. LOL!!
So we have moved it to the side of the carport and it's thriving there. 



God is good all the time!
Never think something is too small or insignificant for God. I pray for a carpark at the shopping centre or down by the beach ALL the time and sometimes Mr E laughs at me, but you know what, I always get a car park close to where I need to be. He is my Dad, my Heavenly Father, and I am His child...when I have a need, any need, I ask Him about it, and I believe my asking makes Him happy because I'm turning to Him just the way my little children used to turn to me. And His word tells us to be as a child in the way we relate to Him so I sure intend to stay little in His eyes.

Other things found in the garden after the rain that I can identify are blooming bottlebrush...




...a double hibiscus...




...and a few brilliant orange ixora.




New plants we've purchased are a yellow kalanchoe...




...and an olive tree which we planted in one of the glazed pots after we read it grows 7 metres high by 7 metres wide! At least this way we can keep it small, though I do hope to get olives one day as I'd love to learn how to prepare them in brine. 



I also found some succulents in small pots beside the pool, hidden under larger plants. They were root bound so I've separated them and planted the many smaller sections through the garden and in some old plastic pots to see if they take. 



This is another gorgeous flowering shrub that I haven't been able to identify. Do you know what it is??



On Monday Blossom came over with her girls for the day and we had such a lovely time. The little ones scattered toys from one end of the living room to the other, played in the pool (my muscles ache from carrying Cully May around and around and around in the water - "More nana!"), gobbled up lasagne, bread and rock cakes, and generally had the most wonderful day. 

You can't buy those kind of days so treasure them. 





Goodness, I've gone on a bit today, but before I sign off you should know that the new issue of The Stitchery Club was emailed to all my club members today, and for those of you who are not members I have added it to my shop - just in case you'd like to stitch lots of pretty Christmas stockings.

 Do you like my new logo and pattern cover?
Over coming weeks my shop will have a lovely makeover and a number of new/old patterns will appear on it's shelves to download, all with the new logo and cover. In fact my blog will get a makeover too. Have to admit, giving the blog a makeover is one of my favourite things to do.

Shop HERE for Elefantz patterns.

And if you'd like to see what's coming in the November issue of The Stitchery Club just pop over there for a peek.

I'll be back on Friday with your next pattern in our Alphabet Pincushions Stitch-a-long.
Does your name begin with "H" I wonder??

Until then, may your days be blessed and your nights feel like a soft pillow of peace...

hugs

34 comments:

Helen S said...

Thank you for your beautiful photos Jenny. The first flower you asked about looks like a magnolia. That is wonderful to get the seeds from your desert rose. It is good that you are finding new things in your garden and that you love it all so much. Bless you for all that you give to us all. xx

Jenny of Elefantz said...

Thanks Helen, I did a google search and the leaves are not those of a magnolia so I may have to wait until the flowers are in full bloom for a proper identity answer.

Beth said...

I wonder if it is a type of stone fruit tree. You could be blessed by a bountiful harvest of a lovely fruit or just be able to enjoy the beauty of a flowering tree. Either way it looks beautiful.

Suzan said...

It is so great to read of your progress in you garden and home. I am sure the girls had a delightful day. God bless.

Little Quiltsong said...

I so enjoyed your post. Love how you touch on many different happenings from your days - each is so deliciously sprinkled with joyous moments. I too pray for safe parking spots when going for appointments. God answers each time. No prayer is too small (or too big) for Him.

Nanna Chel said...

Jenny, you are certainly busy organising your new home. I love the photos of the girls. They are such sweeties. That pool will definitely be much appreciated during your humid summers up there. I have tried to grow the Ixora plant here but without success. They grow beautifully in the garden at the beach unit we often stay in and I always admire them.

gracie said...

it is always a pleasure to stop by and visit with you.

Little Penpen said...

Such beauty around your new home. You have a great place and it's great to see you enjoying it so much.

Tammy said...

Jenny I wonder if your unidentified tree could be what they call a tulip tree here in the South. Love all the photos of the girls and the plants and things. You are surrounded by beauty indoors and out. And your birds are the most amazing birds. We do not have birds like that where we live. The girls are adorable and growing up so quickly. I hope your Blossom is doing well. And they are enjoying their new home as well that they moved to. Your pizzas look delicious. Have a great day and thank you for the lovely post and pictures in your blog. Hugs to you.

Jenny said...

What a beautiful garden! I am so very happy for you. And that fern! the pots! I agree. I often pray for a break in traffic it's so hard to pull out sometimes...or for whatever little thing I'm dealing with. It's what we do, talking to our Friend throughout the day.

Your succulents are so pretty. I can't imagine being able to grow them outside.

And yes the joys of grandbabies. I take a walk through the woods to the lake every weekday with mine in his stroller. What sweet happy times.

Brenda said...

Hello Jenny, It is such a joy to read your blog, as always, yet there truly is that much added happiness in every part you share. It is truly a blessing and I am so pleased it has happened for you and Mr. E. I absolutely adore flowers/plants of every sort but am also the worst person at being able to tell you their names. I do hope that someone will be able to help you identify these beautiful mysteries. Plus, I hope that you and Mr. E continue to have a marvelous time discovering your garden area. God Bless You Jenny, have a spectacular day!

Lin said...

You will be writing a gardening blog soon Jenny! Love all your photos, am jealous of your fern and Cully May looks so gorgeous. xx

diana said...

Your posts are like sunshine!!! I cannot imagine seeing birds like you have in your garden.

tereza said...

Este é outro lindo arbusto florido que não consegui identificar. Você sabe o que é isso??
A flor-do-guarujá - ou chanana - (Turnera ulmifolia L.): designada como invasora em algumas regiões é cultivada como ornamental em outras.

BillieBee (billiemick) said...

What a lovely home!

Farm Quilter said...

As everything but the evergreens are wearing their bright, autumn colors, I so enjoy seeing spring in your beautiful garden. Your flowers are so beautiful, I expect to be able to smell them on my computer!! Such beautiful tropical flowers definitely do not grow in the high mountain desert I live in. Reading your blog is quite like chatting with a dear friend about our daily lives...thank you for sharing so much of your life with us. I also pray for parking places and other small things that others think is silly of me, but He cares about every facet of our lives and it just gives me another reason to give Him the praise when I receive His gifts!

Angie in SoCal said...

I'm inclined to agree with Helen that that first plant is a magnolia. However, that jade plant is actually a Portulacaria afra or also called Elephant Bush as they love to eat this plant. I do believe the leaves are edible, but I'd research that before you start chomping on them. Having seeds from the desert rose is amazing as they are difficult to pollinate - but you must have a pollinator in your area. Wow. Love your double hibiscus. What 2 sweeties you have!

Anonymous said...

https://www.google.com.au/search?q=turnera+flower&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj27OiQoI_eAhXBdd4KHYuXARoQsAR6BAgFEAE&biw=1680&bih=908

Your flower looks like turnera, if the above link doesn't work. So lovely for you to be making roots and the work you put into the house and yard for yourselves is so rewarding. Regards Sandra.

Jenny of Elefantz said...

Sandra, thank you! That's it. The white flowers open in the morning and close in the afternoon. It's so beautiful. xx Now to figure out what the other plant is. LOL!

Jenny of Elefantz said...

Thanks Angie! Just googled and can see that is indeed an Elephant Bush, but also named Miniature Jade...but I do like the Elephant Bush name better. No surprises there, eh? :-)

Jenny of Elefantz said...

Thank you, Tereza, yes it is indeed a Turnera! Very beautiful.

Emma Christian said...

Your little grandies are just so sweet! Your pots are coming along so well in your new garden, and what a bargin find!

xx

Anonymous said...

The other tree, if that's it's leaves in the background, looks like a peach. Do they grow up your way? Thought it would be too humid. I have a flowering peach and another really old variety of peach and their leaves are very similar. Mine have already flowered and well on the way to being fully leafed. We live in Dungog, just north west of Newcastle, NSW. Enjoy the suspense of what you've got. Fruit Bats usually eat most of what fruit grow. Sandra.

Susan said...

The leaves on that first picture look like peach leaves here, but then your jade looks so very different from mine, so who knows? =) Those are wonderful garden pictures. Thank you for sharing a little of your early morning peace with us. I can't believe how Rafaella is growing - the speed with which she is changing. I would imagine a week not seeing her shows a lot of change! I had to smile at the cockatoo chasing out the blue bird, because he was chased out the other day by others. Isn't life an interesting cycle? YES! The Lord IS in the details of our lives, and no detail is too small to confer with him. =)

Winifred said...

My what lovely plants you have in your garden yet no rain since March. Amazing!

Those girls are growing so fast seems no time since Cully May was born. Lovely to see them.

Mimi said...

Dear Jenny, you are surely fulfilling all of your dreams and prayers with your lovely new home. I'm so thrilled for you. And I must say that FERN is the most fabulous thing EVER! Keep planning and dreaming and praying. You deserve this wonderful new stage of your life. Mimi xxx

Lorraine (Lottie) Cooper said...

Hi Jenny love the new look page. Thank you for sharing so much of your life and loves it is so very special to be trusted with a peep in to another's life. Cully May and Blossom are growing so quickly and as a nanna myself every visit I see so many changes. I will contact you by email as I have a gift for your new home and I know that you will be blessed beyond your expectations. You had many false starts and dreams of a new home. This one is just perfect and our Lord blessed you and I'm sure
He has much more in store for you. What a wonderful gift you have, your ministry touches people who would not hear the Word but through your embroidery and free Christian patterns you are in such a wonderful position to share, teach and enjoy. Sorry I waffle as always. Really I just wanted to say thank you and take time to enjoy Lorraine xx

Martha N said...

Dearest Jenny,
Thank you for this wonderful blog! I am loving the alphabet pinnies. Years ago, a group of my smocking students were stitching a Noah's Ark block of the month and I am thinking it was from you. Am I confused? I remember wishing I had time to stitch it, and can't find the source. Blessings to you and your family, Martha

Gina E. said...

Hi Jenny, just popping in after seeing you join our Home Makers Forum! Enjoying your posts and photos - the photo of the Blue Cheeked Rosella had my hubby jumping online and looking it up! Beautiful photo.

Jenny of Elefantz said...

Martha, the Noah's Ark BOM was a Lynette Anderson freebie (2008 I think?). This was before I began designing myself and I was stitching along too, even showed pics on my blog - maybe that's why you've connected it with me? It was a beautiful project which Cully May now has. Here's the blog post - http://www.elefantz.com/2009/02/february-wisp-noahs-ark-finished.html

Martha N said...

Thank you!! I've been wanting to stitch this for a long time. All the best to you and yours!

Carol said...

Hi Jenny, thank you for posting photos of your plants, I'm in Southern California USA and we must have similar weather to yours because our plants are similar too. The Desert Rose is so beautiful and new to me so I'm going to try to find one for my yard. Congratulations on your new home!

Allie said...

What a delight your garden is!! I can just picture you puttering around, enjoying every blessed moment. The pics of the girls are so darling! They will have wonderful memories of Nana's house!!!

Diane Buhrmaster Byrum said...

Lovely post, I too ask praise and pray Abba with everything! Thanking Him for your talents gifts and generosity to us through your blog! 💕😎