Queen Anne's Lace.......

My Queen Anne's Lace is finally flowering.



The plants are huge and covered in flowers.



A big bunch for my kitchen table this morning.....

Barbara..............

My dear friend Barbara invited a group of her friends to share in a lovely Spring Morning Tea at her home this morning.

We enjoyed such a lovely morning in her home and then enjoyed her lovely garden full of special plants which she enjoys.

The Wisteria was such a lovely sight as you drive towards her home.

Barbara always has such lovely and different plants and flowers to enjoy every time I visit her.

The view across the beautiful vegetable and herb garden back towards the house.

Thank you Barbara for such a lovely morning.........



Spring......

Toowoomba's Carnival of Flowers is here again.  We have once again entered our garden into the Competition.  We are thrilled to have been placed second in the Cottage Garden Section this year. 

The recent rain has come at just the perfect time.  Although, the weeds are also enjoying the lovely Spring rain.  This view is our back garden.



The front garden is starting to fill in quite nicely.  Most people who come through the garden find it hard to believe that it is only four years old.  We visited the garden which came first in our section.  It was a lovely jam packed garden full of lovely cottage plants - but 16 years old.  What a difference time makes.

This part of the garden is filling in with lots of lovlies which I hope will continue to self seed.  Larkspur, Forget - Me - Not, Valerian and see in the top left corner - Queen Anne's Lace.  I am very excited to have that this year and cannot wait until it flowers.

Some lovelies from the garden.

The Lavender continues to grow beautifully.

If you are in Toowoomba and out and about, please come and visit our garden, we would love to share it with you!  Second Prize in the Cottage Garden and also the Reg O'Shea Encouragement Award.  We are quite excited once again to have received these lovely awards.

I Love Stocks.....

Early morning today to get Mitchell off to work.  The markets were just opening at 6 a.m. as I headed home.

I found a dear old man selling his Stocks this morning.  He told me of his garden that was once a Carnival Garden and of his new garden where he cultivates these beautiful double stocks.

He asked me if I had time to stop and talk, when I said yes, he went into his vehicle and brought out pictures of how his garden had been.  I'm glad I took the time to talk with this lovely old man.

They smell divine...........................

A garden tour......almost Spring

Yesterday the Cancer Council of Australia held its annual Daffodil Day.  This bunch is brightening my home today in support of the Cancer Council.  Let's hope a cure is found for this awful disease soon.

We have been in the garden all day today.  It was beautiful.  If anything, taking part in the Carnival of Flowers Garden Competition ensures at least one huge clean up each year!!  I am so pleased with how it is all coming along again.

Bees by the hundred, busy in the lavender.

Twenty pots, ready to spread around the garden and the paved area.

The peas and the sweet peas are growing madly.  I am so looking forward to picking a large bunch of beautiful sweet peas to bring inside.

I am so enjoying the view into the vege patch.  Everything is looking so healthy and lush. 

I just love the beautiful furry Poppy heads ready to burst open.

Spring was definately in the air today.  It was a beautiful day, just a little cool in the breeze, but a wonderful day to be in the garden.

 

Finished......

I have just put the final words to paper

and printed it off

and put it all into a presentation folder

to be posted tomorrow.......

My Diploma of Business Administration

is

finished

Marmalade and more..........

Last weekend I had the most wonderful time in the kitchen!!  As you can see above I picked from the vegetable garden spinach, spring onions and chinese cabbage.  These were turned into some very yummy spring rolls and also spinach and feta triangles. 

I was also able to pick the very large harvest of five oranges from our tree.  They are never very sweet so it was the exact measurement for a batch of marmalade.  I am so pleased with how it turned out.  It of course looks wonderful in some recycled Bon Maman jam jars.  I got seven jars altogether. 

Unfortunately, this weekend hasn't been as productive in the kitchen as I have had a large amount of laundry to wade through due to a damp and drizzly few days this week. 

Off to raid the freezer now for some Spring Rolls and Spinach & Feta Triangles for our dinner tonight.