My garden quilt

I did all the preparation for this quilt prior to having major surgery on my back, and completed it during my recuperation. The applique is all done by hand but I did get a professional to stipple quilt it by machine, as I have never mastered that. I do enjoy hand quilting though, but after doing all the hand work on this one, I wanted it finished quickly.
I am very fond of it, as it always reminds me of my love of the garden.
Do any of you find that people who are fond of gardening, also like doing handcrafts?

Hot weather continues

Today it is 30 degrees again, I don't think the weather is ever going to cool down.
We are desperate for rain, but we are lucky in that we have a good water supply here in Waimate and do not have water restrictions, so can have our sprinkler system going all the time.
Have not been doing much in the garden as it is too hot in the afternoon, just get a little bit done in the mornings, usually cutting back at this time of the year.
Had our pea straw delivered on Tuesday so that is waiting for me, although I want to put it through the chipper before I spread it on the garden as it breaks down quicker. That is a dirty, dusty job too, and will have to buy myself some masks before I start.
One of the advantages of living in a small town is that neighbours who have excess fruit and vegies hand it on, and in the last week, have had apples, plums and pears given to us, and we are still picking our own beans and tomatoes.
Have started making our own bread in the last few months, by breadmaker, and finally settled on a reliable recipe that we both like. Good not to have to go to the bread section at the supermarket, and have not been to the vegetable and fruit section for months either.

Autumn Musings

The days will be getting shorter soon, and daylight saving ends the first weekend of the next month. The mornings are very dewey so have to wait until after morning coffee to do anything in the garden.
I have at last found a source of pea straw to mulch the garden for the winter, not easy to find this year, as the farmers have realised people in the cities will pay bigger money for it, so naturally they sell it there. However by keeping on enquiring around we are having 10 bales delivered next week. In the meantime spreading the chippings from the tree we took down around.
The photo of the little boy is my grandson from Thailand who comes over for his school holidays, busy helping us in the garden, in this case preparing to plant sweet pea seeds,

Autumn in the Air

Early morning heavy dews, and just a different feel about the air makes me feel as autumn is on its way.
So all of you with the snow, you have the summer to look forward to, and we have winter coming up, but not nearly so severe.

Spent some time shifting a couple of quite large rhodies, Lemon Lodge, and Horizon Monarch, which were getting too big for their positions.
Why is it we never give then enough room when we first plant them, I don't anyway, don't envisage the final picture, hence always shifting things.

Then planted out some seedling hellebores, which I hope are going to be doubles, grew them from seed which a friend and I bought from a well-known supplier in Tasmania. Had a really good strike with them, so looking forward to seeing them flower.

Ate the last of our few greengages, hopeful of a big crop next season, being the third year. They tasted just great, they seem to have become quite unpopular as a fruit, yet we think they are one of the nicest. It is a bit like gooseberries and blackcurrants, they were something everyone grew in their backyard, but seem almost to have disappeared.

If all else fails---read the instructions!

Yesterday I borrowed from our local library, a book entitled "Blogging for Dummies" perhaps this will help me, and maybe I should have had it before I started on theis journey?

Rain at long last

The farmers have been calling out for rain, and at last during the weekend it arrived, not as much here as further south, but very thankful for what we got.
We are very lucky in our garden as when we first started developing it, G installed and sprinkler system all around the section. Has a lot of turn on/off valves so you can do selected areas at a time, but the disadvantages are that you need a license to run it! However I am getting used to it and learning which ones go where.
Because of the rain and the cold wind that has followed, not much has been done in the last few days.
My worm farms need attention as they are getting too full, so hope to get that done today.
I have inserted a photo of Rose Madame Isaac Perri ere, not much during the first flowering, but beautiful during the second one, as long as it doesn't get the dreaded black spot. The most wonderful perfume though!