Holiday

Next month my aunty and I are driving about 1200 kms (each way) to visit my sister and husband. Date chosen. Dog booked into boarding kennels for at least 12 days. Need to book car in for service. I was debating about getting cruise control but I've decided to get a GPS device instead. I hope my knee can survive the trip.

I've planted some white onions seedlings and some red and brown onion seeds. I hope I have better luck that I had with the last lot. A multitude came up and the birds demolished them all. I'd planted them too close to pine log edgings and the birds dug them up while trying to get to whatever they were after under the logs.

The assorted lettuces are going well - covered with bird netting. That keeps the little blighters off! Some beetroot up and I've planted more seed. Coloured silver beet seems to be going OK. The birds haven't attacked that as yet.

The potato plants are looking good, but I have to keep checking the dirt over the base of the plants as the birds - yes, them again - dig the dirt away and expose the potatoes. Consequently, if they are not recovered with dirt, they go green. I've put some scraps of shade cloth around some and straw around others. The little b.... will probably still removed the straw.

Planted a grapevine and prune the existing one. I have to attack the peach tree next.

Meanwhile, I have actually knitted half of granddaughter's blanket. Yeh!

Sunny Sunday

Today was a lovely sunny day but a bit windy. I spent sometime this afternoon weeding the front lawn and planting more mondo grass. That was followed by the pruning of the roses in the backyard. July is "prune the roses back hard" month.



I have been knitting about 4 rows a day on Alison's blanket. At that rate, I should be finished in about three months. The middle joint in my right thumb doesn't like the heavy wool and thick needles so four rows a day is enough. Only a couple of rows today though as I went out for dinner tonight.



I am also knitting myself a cardigan to go with socks I knitted previously. It's being knitted with Regia 4 ply sock yarn. I called the socks Joseph socks.

Front garden

I have spent several months gradually renovating the front garden. I try to do a bit each day and I'm starting to see the results.

I've reduced some of the lawn area and removed bushes that died because of water restrictions over last summer. New plantings included some native grasses and other drought resistant bushes. For borders in the garden where it meets the lawn, I have planted medium height mondo grass. There are pavers laid as stepping stones that go from the lawn to the gas meter box, so whoever does the meter reading doesn't have to tread on the new garden. Between the pavers, I've planted short mondo grass.

Yesterday, I removed some more dead bushes and severely trimmed back three others. They haven't been done for years. Even found a newspaper dated January 2008 that had been thrown in the bushes instead of up the driveway. I still have several bushes to go, but they will have to wait until August, as next month is rose pruning month.

In our area we have a fortnightly service that takes green waste placed in a big wheely bin - prunings, weeds, grass clippings, etc. Anything that will compost. This means it will take me quite awhile to gradually get rid of all the prunings.

This week, I have also planted beetroot, lettuce and silver beet seeds. I hope I have some luck. I seem to have green fingers for gardening, except for raising plants from seed sown straight into a garden bed. I think I may have a bird and/or snail problem. Netting will fix the birds, but I can't put snail bait down because of darling dog, Ned.

Meanwhile, I have nearly finished the pair of socks from the yarn I won in a draw on the Ivy Shawl KAL Yahoo site.