End of Semester

Wow how blessed am I!  This month started off busy as usual with morning jogs and beach swims where I catch up with the early dog walkers and swimmers in my area.  Now that dawn comes much earlier, around 4:30am, I get to meet more of the 6am swimmers who I miss during the winter’s shorter days as I’m usually jogging when they are swimming. 

One morning while jogging past the new homes beside the church (on the east end of our street) I saw four beautiful, large blue pots.  Later that day Mum’s old neighbour Fran, who had recently moved into one of these new homes, was out the front of her house talking to her neighbours with the blue pots.  After I was introduced to Chris and Bel, I mentioned that the pots might not be safe where they were (church had had some large pots stolen). They told me they were selling the pots.  “Please keep them for me, I’ll buy them all” I said with delight.  That afternoon coming home from Kelmscott after catching up with my good friend Yvonne, I saw the neighbours once again chatting with each other out the front, so I pulled in. I didn’t have much in my purse so made an offer for them to have any cuttings they liked from my garden.  My offer was accepted and what’s more Chris loaded the pots into his trailer then carried them around to the back of my place.  How blessed am I! While he was at the house he spotted my blue chalk stick succulents, I offered him some to take back with him.  Then cleaned up the area a few days later, taking more down for him.  They fit nicely into his desert theme of succulents, large agaves and even a dragon tree which he brought from his previous place.

It took me a few days to decide where to put these lovely new pots; the two round ones now stand as sentinels at the entrance of the path into my garden, a tall square topped one at the start of my courtyard and the small square topped one opposite another circular one of the same colour which I had procured a few years back, also from the side of the road.  Then came the repotting and re-arranging so that they were not obscured by other pots or plants.  They really do look amazing!

This led on to more trimming, digging out the blue chalk sticks, some ground cover ivy geraniums, Rhoeos and geraniums which must have inspired my neighbour who started cleaning up the dichondra at her unit. She also saw cuttings of another succulent Crassula cotyledonis or Crassula Dubia left in an empty block. I was able to collect them and give them away to several neighbours including Chris and Bel, along with other cuttings for Fran

The Snake plant (mother-in-laws tongue), which seems to be the only plant that grows under the eaves and survives the howling winds at the front door, I separated and planted into the two blue sentinel pots.  The rest of the plant I planted in a row along a retaining wall in my neighbour Ann’s place. Ann has gone off on a cruise and her daughter, Naomi and partner Greg, are staying at her home while Greg is needing therapy after a stroke.  Ann is definitely not a gardener but we have plans to help beautify her back and front garden area.  The back is barren except for the weeds, nasturtiums, which have self-seeded after escaping from my place and a tomato plant which has just popped up. As the unit’s water is shared, I thought I’d run my reticulation under the shared side fence so that she doesn’t need to think about watering them, this way they have a better chance of surviving.  I didn’t realise the challenges I faced.  I thought I could use an old drip-line I had collected from Mum’s retic.  Unfortunately the hose was kinked and instead of a trickle it squirted. I then had to put my thinking cap on to come up with an alternative plan. I discussed the issue with Naomi who was paying for the parts and suggested I buy a new drip system. I then needed to buy a few more parts to put it all together.  Praise the Lord I had lots of left over 9mm retic pipe and clips.  To my existing pipe I added a small tap to regulate the flow, then added a few corners and piping so it would bend around the fence leaving enough pipe sticking out in Ann’s garden to attach the drip-line.

Ann was surprised on her return.  I’m not sure if she totally approves as she told me the reason she bought the house was because it had a self-caring garden!  I’m sure once she gets used to it and doesn’t need to water and that I will come and help care for it when needed, she will be able to relax and enjoy it.

Naomi also spoke to me about extending Ann’s carport area before her return.  At present it has loose chunky woodchip over sand.  This area is under the eves and in the shade so is not conducive to a garden and the woodchip has become sparse and untidy so Naomi wants to pave it.  I suggested they take a look at the spare pavers at Liam’s place down the road.  I let him know they are willing to pay him for the job.  With the pavers chosen, Liam came around to measure the spot and give a quote. He mentioned he was really busy till the end of February 2023 but would try to fit us in after work one day.  It’s lovely when neighbours can work together using the skills and trades to help each other out.

I’ve had contact with my new ‘bestie’, as my neighbour Kath calls the chap we’ve had a falling out with. I’ve given him some of the lemongrass I cut back, to use in cooking and to grow. I’ve also offered him and his daughter some bread and sweet-meats when I picked up the end-of-day bread while my friends were away.  Once while I was planting some bulbs in his garden when I thought he wasn’t home, he heard me saying to Naomi, as she came down the driveway, “Check out what I’ve been doing”.  He thought I meant in his garden so he called out “You don’t have to advertise it!”  I ignored him but clarified “I’ve planted some more things in Ann’s garden” and walked over to show her as she drove into the carport.  It seems I shall need to be very careful not to push things too far with my new ‘bestie’.

One day when I saw him pack his car and leave, I took the opportunity to work on his garden.  I pulled weeds, dug up the wild gladies at my place and planted them in his. Then using the gravel another friend had given me I made swathes beside the driveway to help direct the runoff water, after heavy rains into the garden. I then filled my wheelbarrow with sand from Ann’s place where the pavers will go and dumped it in front of the swathes building up what had previously been washed away. Then with a bit of soil improver and compost I dug furrows and planted a groundcover succulent which is plentiful on my side of the driveway.  This little beauty is very drought tolerant once established and is ideal for this spot.  I did all this in our hottest Spring day 26⁰ but it needed to be done then, as the following day it rained and watered it all in.

From ardently being against hanging pots, I have now come around full circle after buying a marked-down fern from Bunnings. I found I had another self-watering hanging pot with a rusty old chain and decided I’d teach myself Macramé and make my own hanging.  Another great brain stimulating exercise and something new to learn.  And of course I couldn’t stick to the pattern, having to improvise as it needed to fit the pot I already had.  This took a bit of extra brain power and now I have a decorative hanging basket!  It has also led me to rethink the area under the grapevine where they are hanging.  Its east facing, so will get the morning sun and be protected during the day by the grapevine in the summer months and is in total shade during the winter. I’ll let you know what I’ve planned in the next update.

Putting my new horticultural knowledge to good use, two of my neighbours were unsure of some growth on the limbs of their citrus.  Gall wasp. A tiny larvae of the Citrus Gall wasp that lays its eggs under the bark.  The larvae hatch, forming a grotesque woody gall.  If you catch them before they break out (leaving little holes in the gall) you can either remove the branch just below the gall or shave off one side of the gall with a sharp blade or kitchen peeler to expose the larvae.  Take care not to shave all the way around, otherwise you will ring bark the branch.  Always bag the galls and dispose of in the rubbish bin not the garden rubbish bins as that might cause them to spread. Monitor and remove any new growths as they appear.

The Women’s Shed had two motivating workshops on this month. The first was a Seniors Morning Tea where we discussed events that Stirling Council has on for seniors. It was an interesting morning where I also gave out the Coastal Community Garden’s new brochures. One lady was very interested in our gardens.  The second workshop I attended was on Personal Protection.  I was delighted to see there was a Krav Maga instructor who taught us some defence moves. It took me back to when I attended classes in Sydney and then a month in Perth before going overseas in 2015. I’d love to take up lessons again, anyone interested to join me?  I hear they are starting up lessons during the day next year.

The Coastal Community Garden funding has finally been approved so things are all go, with an official opening planned for next March.  I’m looking forward to getting more involved as we start to establish the gardens.  There are quite a few plants I am able to donate including a loquat, fig, pecan and a white table grapevine.

I’ve had a few friends come around and take cuttings from my garden too.  Claire, a friend from TAFE, came around one Tuesday to pick up a grape and fig cutting I had propagated and promised her.  She loved my garden, saying it was her style, a bit of everything.  We planned a visit to her garden in the near future. I can’t wait to see what cuttings I can acquire.

I haven’t really enjoyed my class this last term at TAFE.  We started with one teacher who became unwell then Steve stepped in and finally Robyn (who I do enjoy) took over.  I’m so glad she did as she goes through our written assignments in class, making sure we all understand and have the correct answers.  That’s my way of doing things.  The practical application assignment was very distorted due to the three teachers having differing methods of application.  Then when Robyn took over, the bulldozers entered TAFE, sectioning off huge portions of the grounds.  Overnight our weed plotting mapped area was annihilated along with the patch of native orchids, century old Tuart trees, natural bush and several old buildings.  Can you see it?  All the horticultural students and lectures standing agasp as the wonderful natural ecology we had studied to preserve came to a pile of rubble!  It was no joke! Perfectly good buildings which could have been adapted were flattened! If only we had known ahead of time, we may have been able to salvage the orchids.

This disruption of course threw a spanner in our well planned weed mapping practical assignment!  But it did bring an instant resolution to the impact of the weed infestation in the area – they were totally irradiated with the rest of the vegetation!  We were still able to identify our target weeds although I had fun with some of the questions, including “Investigate approaches to control weeds” – answer, use bulldozers, and regarding which chemicals I’d use,  I should have put diesel!  My lecturer, Robyn was very considerate, as I was not willing to use chemicals. For all the chemical questions I put things like – Chemicals shouldn’t be used as it will harm beneficial insects that populate this area.  Q: Method of application.  A.  With your hands and a bit of elbow grease.   Q. Active ingredient.  A. Blood sweat and grit.  Q: Additives required.  A. Effort and perseverance.  Q: Rate of use.  A: Don’t overdo it, pace yourself.  There was also Control method 2:  which was cultural, chemical or mechanical ways to manage the 6 weed types we had in our mapped area.  For all six I put hand weeding.  Well if you’re in there pulling one weed you might as well do the lot!

I informed Robyn after submitting the assignment of my antics and reminded her I didn’t need a pass so she could enjoy my answers to have a bit of a laugh and a break from marking all the serious papers. I was very surprised when she gave me a pass and had a laugh at her comments.  “Elbow grease has been working in weed control for many years. While you have not suggested any chemicals, your other methods are valid and you have researched the weed thoroughly, I understand your objection to the use of these poisons.”  And although I don’t receive a certificate in Horticulture Circ III, I’m competent in all the areas I did complete. How blessed am I!

That brings me to the end of Semester 2022 and what a time I’ve had.  Made new likeminded friends, both students and lecturers, from both Semesters and gained so much more knowledge which I can share with others.

Photos:  1. Hollyhocks in my garden    2.  Horse made from scrap steel at Kathy’s sons place where I got the coffee stones last month    3. Currant grapes in abundance    4. My second bunch of bananas.  5. Catch up with Dorathia who gave me some more succulents    6. Yvonne and me    7. Old friends from Armadale AOG    8. Frog in TAFE greenhouse    9. Our weed mapping assignment TAFE    10. Short back and sides  

 

Prayer & Praise Points:

Praise God for our beautiful weather, my last term at TAFE and the breaking down of barriers and friction with my neighbour.

Praise the Lord for new garden projects.

Please continue to pray with me for world peace in our Australasia region and Europe.  Pray for the refugees and all those caught up in the suffering this war has caused, both in Ukraine and Russia.

Please continue to pray for my sisters, Tricia, Jen and Kat to come to know Christ’s love for them. Pray especially for Jen as she visits her daughter Kate and partner Richard in the UK and holidays in Malta.