Calliandra common names powderpuff and fairy duster.

This is still one of my favourite plants in the garden. On an overcast day it is most striking and beautiful. I love to see the round pink buds uncurl into those white dainty dusters.

Happy Bees.

They say a happy garden has bees ...

well the bees are happy in our garden this morning.

I hope you had a great sunday morning!

 

Rue.

Everything in the garden is getting ready for spring which is still 3 weeks away.

The rue plant is flowering. Although rue has many medicinal uses I like planting it in flower beds because it is an excellent insect repellent.

Flowers remain beautiful and undamaged because the rue has a strong smell and bitter taste so insects like aphids avoid it completely.

Brrrr ... Winter

The beautiful coloured leaves announces the arrival of winter.

Young plants are covered by special fabric to protect against frost.

Frozen drops of water.

Variegated Periwinkle

It was only 14°C today with an icy wind, but the variegated Periwinkle was looking happy as if it were Spring.

Photos taken in May 2011

Here are some photos taken in May, Just a few days before the winter cold hit us for the first time this year.

                White Angel Trumpet flowers starting to open.
                                        (Also known as moonflower)

                  White Angel Trumpet flowers in full bloom.

      A lot of acorns and leaves to be raked up in the garden.

                              My dog wants to play catch.

Calliandra (powderpuff)

Calliandra common names powderpuff and fairy duster.

The pink shuttlecocks of the Calliandra.

Flowers in winter.





White single Camellia.

The huge trees have lost their leaves but the beautiful cream blooms of the Camellia enjoy the early morning sunshine.

Pink double Camellia.

The first lovely bloom on this young Camellia bush. I have waited 3 years for it to flower.



It is winter time and there are still some lovely flowers in the garden. A bee enjoys the flowers on the rosemary bush.

The Weekend.

After I had my car serviced in March the mechanic suggested I take it in to have the exhaust checked.  I postponed it because there were so many holidays with Easter etc.

Last weekend the weather was cold and windy and I stayed in. On Monday morning I felt guilty – I should have done more with my weekend.

Well yesterday I left early and made sure I was first on their ramp to be helped. The guy just bumped the exhaust a few times with the palm of his hand and told me everything was fine. He did not look like he was in the mood to do any work so that was a wasted effort.

The weather was warm and it was early so what does a girl do? Shopping of course!

Then this morning I forced myself to sleep in a little. This habit I have of jumping up at 3am is not doing me any favours.  I got coffee in bed and by 8h30 I got up and saw it was great outside so that is where I went.

I was busy trimming a thorny bush when my dear neighbour from across the road opened his gate and pulled out his car.

Not wanting to seem rude I waved and said “Good morning T...” he reluctantly came over to speak to me. It annoyed me because firstly he could have just waved and left it there instead of making out as if I was forcing him to come over and talk to me and secondly because I can’t stand it when someone comes and gives me advice when I am busy, covered in mud and dead leaves.

T...  then said “I have been watching you, you have so much patience!” (What! #@!) I know he likes keeping tabs on me but saying that he has been watching me made my skin crawl. I feel permanently like I’m going through PMS, I want to kill everyone in sight and he thinks I have patience.

T...  left and I was thinking too much of him (I was standing on an overturned bucket and did not realise what I was doing) while trying to take a back step off the bucket and put my shoes on at the same time I slipped and fell into the muddy bedding. I got up with a not impressed look on my face. While removing the mud from between my toes I thanked my lucky stars that I did not break anything.

Well at least Monday morning I can say I did not spend the whole weekend blogging.