Saturday, December 10, 2011

December's Garden

The weeds are done, what little there is of the lawn could do with a whipper snip, vines are tied down, plants fertilised and the lemon tree has been pruned. We have had unseasonal rain and chilly nights but all is finally looking rather nice.

The pumpkin patch is finally taking off.

Pumpkin Patch

Likewise the strawberry patch. A lot of runners were transferred to large pots over the previous two Summers with the year old ones not expected to fruit until next year.


Strawberry Patch
The tomato patch has some green fruit.
Tomato Patch with Cucumbers on the end.

The blueberry trees, one a few years old and the other small has several potential fruit.

Blueberry Bushes
Agapanthus and passionfruit vines on the Southern fence. The passionfruit there hasn't been happy but the vines have survived and may do better with age. I am allowing some of the previous hedge bushes to regrow for some shade for the bottom stems.

Agapanthus and Passionfruit

The Grapefruit in a pot which can be taken into the greenhouse in Winter is doing better after an early attack by snails. The strawberry runners at the top of the pot are very happy.

Grapefruit with Strawberry Runners

Radishes that never made it out of the pots.


Corn that was grown in the greenhouse.
Broccoli that was grown too close together and not thinned.
Lettuce doing well and yummy.
Spring Onion Bulbs Flowering

Small Compost Heap that wants to be a Potato Patch

Very Hot North Facing Fence that has defied all planting. Now trying some hardy daisies, currants and youngberries.

Climbing Rose on Hot Facing Fence

Side of Unit with Hydranger, Lemon Balm, Comfrey and Daisy

Kiwi Fruit and Native Climber in Front of Unit

Kiwi Fruit, Grapes and Native Climber on opposite front of unit.

Same bed as above but different angle.

Another shot of Unit Bed
Pruned Lemon Tree and Kiwi Fruit North Facing Side of Unit'


Back of unit with Grapes and Kiwi Fruit

Lemon Tree Bed
Back of Unit with Grapes, Kiwi Fruit and Geranium
Bottom of Yard looking South with Parsnips in Bed

Nasturtium in Bottom Bed
Pear and Mulberry Trees in Bottom Corner
Plum Tree Bottom Corner
Potato Patch
Clothes Line with Kiwi Fruit, Grapes, Passionfruit
Cherry Trees South Facing Fence
Cherry, Nectarine Mulberry and Apricot Trees
Bottom of Garden Rock Bed

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

New Lounge Curtains

I rather liked my old curtains that came with the house and which I suspect were here from the original owner about 45 years ago.  They were definitely 70s Asian Inspired ...  bamboo with cream and brown on rust. Just the colours that are 'in' and that I was doing for the new look lounge.  Too bad they were mostly too far gone to keep although I managed to keep enough to line two large window curtains and some to make cushion covers.

The other curtains at the far end of the lounge were a cream white cotton.

70s Curtains

   
Cream Curtains







I found some upholstery material at the local fabric shop that was just the colours and thickness that I wanted: we get cold Winters and Hot Summers. 

New Curtains

These are Greener than Shown

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Khaki Lounge Room Colour

My Lounge Room: dull dirty cream walls below the picture rail and dirty white above, poor old 70s curtains all but falling apart under their own weight and ghastly cream carpet: sad, sad, sad.

Before

Tried the buttercup yellow from the hallway but didn't like it.

Dull, dull, dull.

 
Yuk
A new colour: what was thought to be a deep dull gold/yellow from the sample pot turned out to be a khaki that is gold in the morning and goes greener as the day progresses and the light falls on it in different ways.  It isn't exactly what I would have matched to the apple green kitchen and the buttercup yellow hallway but then again the green grey bathroom doesn't go with any of them either.



More dirty cream.

Dull and messy.

And cream curtains at the other end.

 I am happy with the colour and find that it illuminates my wall hangings and paintings very nicely. It is certainly and improvement on the dirty cream colour that was there originally. 

Khaki (Sandblast) Paint

Angel Supervising

Moved the wallhanging

Makes the French scene light up.

Almost the same gold in the painting.

Big Improvement

Khaki below the picutre rail and white above.

Clean and cheery.

Two colours for one depending on the time of the day: sometimes more.