OLEANDERS

My Favourite trees are ' Willow Trees "and  "Oleanders "

Some people call Oleanders Shrubs

My Oleanders flower 8 months of the year, and are green all year round

The frost doesn't damage them, or the supreme heat

To-day it is 38% , and my white, cream and pale pink Oleanders look so cool

I use them as backdrops,or just a specimon tree

I also have them in pots ( I love the red one )

5 of them I have topiared, so that I can grow flowers underneath

Poisoners   ? Yes, the sap is especially poisoness if eaten But oleanders have been grown all around the world, and there has been only a few fatalitys
In fact, the sap from the azalea, and rhodedendron are poisoness
Azaleas -  Roman soldiers were poisoned from honey like sap of azalea pontic
Rhododendrons - Thier poisonos compound is Actylandromdal found in the nectar and produces
depressions of blood pressure, shock, and finally death

"Interesting Fact "
Oleanders are the official flower of Hiroshima, having been the first to bloom following the atomic
bombing of the city in 1945

2 Special Items I Found for my Garden

I just love this old Childrens Bicycle                              It.s so cute and looks great in my garden

I found my other find in a shop called" Cheap as Chips"

I just knew I had to have him 

To me, he looked like the extinct Dodo Bird, but I think he is supposed to be a Pelican

But  I call him "Dodo "

My Hollyhocks

I have not written a blog for so long,, I had to think how to do it

I love my holly hocks so much, and have taken lots of photos 

I really thought they were an English cottage plant, but the experts say they are native to Europe and Asia

They also say they come from the Holy Land --hence - holy hoc

All I know they are in my Garden The seeds drop, and they just come up every year like proud soldiers

My  tallest Hollyhock

   

I found this beautiful poem and hope you like it

HOLLYHOCKS

Old fashioned flowers, I love them all

the Morning Glory's on the wall

The pansies in their patch of shade,

The violets stolen from the glade

Have long been garden friends of mine,

But memories of every Summer flocks

about a clump of Hollyhocks

My mother loved them years ago

Beside the fence they used to grow

and though the garden changed each year

and certain blooms would disappear

to give them places in the ground

To something new that Mother found

Some pretty bloom or rose bush rare -

The Hollyhocks were always there

It seems but yesterday to me

She led me down the yard to see

The first tall spires, with blooms aflame

And taught me to pronounce their name

And year by year I watched them grow

The first flowers I had come to know

And with my Mother dear I'd yearn

To see the Hollyhocks return

The garden of my boyhood days

With Hollyhocks was kept ablaze;

In all my recollections they,

in friendly columns nod and sway,

And when to-day their blooms I see

Always I know Mother smiles at me

The minds bright chamber,s life unlocks

Each summer with the Hollyhocks

Poem by --   Edgar A  Guest

 My bright Red Hollyhocks   match my Christmas decorations

The dark red ( nearly black ) growing through my Christmas Tree

( just pretend the hose and shovel isn't there )

 

International Tree Day ---31st of July

Who Loves Trees ?     I do 

Who has Hugged a Tree ?     I have

I know its not " International Tree Day "  yet -- but I thought I would make a start

A Tree Story a Freind Sent Me 

We all Need a Tree !

I hired a plumber to help me restore an old farmhouse, and after he had finished a rough first day on the job----

a flat tyre made him lose an hour of work, his electric drill quit and his ancient one ton truck 

refused to start

While I drove him home, he sat in stoney silence On arriving, he invited me in to meet his family

As we walked towards the front door, he paused briefly at a small tree, touching the tips of the branches

with both hands

When opening the door he underwent an amazing transformation His face was wreathed in smiles and

he hugged his 2 small children and gave his wife a kiss

Afterwards he walked me to the car We passed the tree and my curiosity got the better of me. I asked him about what I had seen him do earlier

" Oh thats my trouble tree," he replied " I know I can't help having troubles on th job, but one things for sure,

those troubles don't belongi in the house with my wife and children. So I just hang them up on the tree every night when i come home and ask God to take care of them. Then in the morning I pick them up again.

"Funny thing is ' he smiled "when I come out in the morning to pick them up, there aren't nearly as many troubles as I remember hanging up the night before. "

Life may not be a party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well dance

We all Need a Tree !

Autumn trees and roses

My small grandchilden              ,I don't like to put them (the leaves not the children ) in the compost heap until they have had a lot of fun with them

I'm dressed the colour of an Autumn Tree -- I just love the colour orange

The Gallery Cafe in our Town

my Maple tree

Autumn roses  ( my sons roses )

A New Way With Imitation Grass !!!

I think this is such a unique way to advertise " Imitation Grass "

This Little Voltswagon tells the story

Hubby and I went for a drive on Sunday, to a garden Complex in Sheppartton (Australia ) called Emerald Bank

There was a great poem that told the Volltsies Story, but being such a hot day, the sun blocked half my photo out. I shall have to go back and revisit "Emerald Bank" to take that photo again That won't be hard -- there's also a Windmill Chocolate Shop, Antiques, Gift Shops, Cafes, etc, etc, etc

Garden Art

Our son Kyle came with this great bike he had put together with bits and pieces ( nothing goes to waste )

I just love it, all I had to do was add dirt and a flower into the hessian in the old basket

Kyle lent it against an old tree stump we meant to have removed and -- voila -- my bike had found its home

Popppies and STATE of the Art New Toilets, -- NO not with Graffiti but Unreal Art !

The POPPIES in the PARK ( The Queens Gardens in Shepparton, Victoria, Australia )

 

Aren't they gorgeous/ . Since taking this photo, they are now dense, and so colourful 

 

Now for these toilets !!!

T

 The  Park in the 1960's----- THE ART ON THE END of  the TOILET

The new toilets I find scary.

They talk to you, and you don't have much time, and the door suddenly  opened., real scary !

Maybe I didn't understand them properly, but I use the old ones !

But look at the ART on each end,isn't it just spectacular.

Going back into the past, the 1960 's judging by the cars, someone had great imagination. I shall have to find out who it was.

National Tree Day - The 31st of July -- I have chosen an Olive Tree

Extend an Olive Branch -   The Tree of Peace

Yes, I chose an Olive Tree for National Tree Day

Why did I chose an Olive Tree ? There are many reasons

1  --  First of all I think they are a beautiful tree, When the soft silver-green foliage rustles in the wind the pale underside of the leaves, reveal a true beauty

2 ---Olive Trees are evergreen

3 --- This tough, drought resistant trees are  famous for their delicious plump fruit, which can be picked, pickled, and enjoyed

4 --- Olive Trees are fire resistant
 5 ---I pick their branches, as they look great in a vase, with my liIIiums,, or any flower for that matter
6 ---The Olive Tree gives you oil for cooking, and oil for lighting
7 ---You might say your yard is too small for this tree, - NO, - grow them in pots, or there is also a
Miniature Olive Tree called " Arbequina "
8 --- You can topiary them, shape into balls etc.

There are Olive trees in the world over 2000 years old,  and still bearing fruit.
They date back to Ancient Greece, a crown or wreath, made of an Olive Branch, was worn by Kings etc,
and also as an honour,to be worn by winners of  very important games

Try to buy this special tree, they aren't very expensive !

VIOLETS

Just as well I have my Violets this harsh winter.

They are such a great ground cover, no weeds get through

 The turtle I made at ceramics looks very happy,  half hidden amongst these perfect little flowers

 Under the Ash Tree

 Under the Camellia bushes  -- The lovely dark green of the leaves also has a very cooling affect in the summer

 I even grow them around trees. I picked a bunch and gave them to a friend to-day  The first thing she did was smell their delicate perfume .It was worth the 10 minutes it took to pick them

My little dog Donna,Yes, I think shes smelling the violets.!

Frost ! what has happened to my garden

The frost has never attacked my garden like it has this year.

Will it come back to life again

This is my beautiful large, dark, orange hibiscus.

It doesn't lose its leaves, and flowers most of the year

I use this ribbon or spider plant ( as people call it )  as a border, so of course the whole border looks like this

heavy sigh !

But the picture below is a real disaster, my beautiful "Morning Glory " creeper with its perfect bluey, mauve flower. I have always called it, My " Jack in the Beanstalk Creeper " as it grows so fast

Maybe I need some of Jacks Magic Beans ?

2 Great Ideas For POTS --A Water feature, and a mosaic

Once again these ideas are from my favourite magazine,

" BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS "

2 more ideas for my " to do " list

I have shown the instructions for this simple, yet elegant, water feature.

Pity Mothers Day and My birthday have just passed !

(Below is the Mosaic Pot , I love the colours they have chosen )

Maybe 2 big Pots for Christmas and a little water pump ?

I have shown my Hubby the pictures of the Water Feature below, hopefully his mind is ticking over, 

saying " I think we can do that "

 

Girgarre - FARMERS MARKET, - GreatGarden Art

Last week we went to a large Farmers Market, in Victoria, Australia

A little place called Girgarre,   How do they do it The large towns can't !

I think its that Community Spirit, everybody is friendly, and they make it happen.

I only took a few photos as I was just too busy looking.

I thought this frog with his wheel barrow was so cute , and so clever

The next photo isn't  quite as close !

My grandson bought a kite, the large snake kite.

Don't worry he is over 6 foot ,so can manage it

The kites are so good now they can fly with hardly any wind

LETS GO FLY A KITE 

I always think of  "Mary Poppins 

When I was small I had a kite that was always getting tangled up.

Thinking back I wasn't very patient, maybe I was too small

My Christmas, Mosaic,Bollard Update ,-- And my next LARGE MOSIAC ( Am I mad )

I have now put in over 100 hours on my 6 FOOT CONCRETE BOLLARD,gradually, and patiently,

over the last 4 months.But I am tiring, and want to start my next venture.

 

My husband is putting together this large frame, ( for my next mosaic,)^

9 FEET IN WIDTH, 5 FEET IN WIDTH.

But in pale pastels,beautiful old English Plates,miniature pastel cats, old dolls heads, mirrors, etc.

Not like the bright ones I"ve been making.
TO GO IN THE AREA BELOW (across the fence, behind bricked area )

Although I have a problem, my husband won't finish this frame until I finish the Christmas Bollard

I am getting so sick of it, but I better keep soldiering on.