Gangs of Four

I didn't mention that during my Canberra weeding idyll, I spent quite some time reading this lovely edition of The Wind in the Willows.  It is the perfect companion to days spent in the garden.  Lady Jayne also pulled out some historic photos.

Corinne and I looking gorgeous in the 70s,

plus some chaps

Bron, Corinne and her Steve

looking so gorgeous and 70s

Marmy and I still living in the 70s

in my unit in the 80s

in the early days of meeting Steve

Meanwhile Pearl was checking out pearly whites in Cummins. 

a phew more

Steve cut the lawn after I blogged yesterday so here's a cuppla more garden shots.

These pinks make the garden smell divine

I spent the rest of yesterday and today tying up loose ends - like preserving more cumquats courtesy of the Green Bean.

phhhewwww

Made it.  All the excitement is over.

Georgia, Matt, Oscar, Remi, Kit, Lola and Lola's dog Egg came for lunch on Thursday.  I was at a big clean-up for Friends of Triabunna Reserves so the poor things more or less had to cater for themselves.  I did buy them icecreams on our stroll to Pelican Walk where we threw sticks for the dogs, and Jill PD tried to teach Egg to fetch.  They are obviously both out on a mission in the photo above.

An impromptu and, for some, surprising photo of my paper-making pals.  We did a workshop on Saturday.  That night was the Dan Kelly extravaganza.  I took no photos but it was a great night and I suspect Triabunna will indulge in Parlour Gigs again.  Sunday was pack up after DK show and help the PUBS people box up books ready for the next book stall.  Then collapse for a while.

So now I can show you the garden a bit.

some intriguing black irises emerging

the self sown bed with a hint of hollyhocks this year

raspberry patch

rhubarb patch

pink eye potatoes emerging in an otherwise self-sown bed

the vegies

Gold Bunny rose finally looking happy

the lemon tree I'm trying to bring back from the brink

one of these is Miner's Lettuce and one is Corn Salad

last of the radishes, waiting to be taken over by tomatoes

broadbeans, peas, broccoli and sundries 

It's a good year for poppies and artichokes.

a trickle of chives, as Edna W would say

Angel Face rose

Jill PD having a rest

looking up the garden path from the backdoor

October in Tribes

The time has gone very quickly since my visit to Lady Jayne's estate.  The first day back was the boys' choir.

On one of my jaunts, I noticed these Triabunna District School students hard at work.

My friend Jools had a birthday party at her home in South Hobart.  I stayed overnight and caught the Farmers Market the next day before driving home.

I have been spruiking the Dan Kelly concert everywhere I go.

I saw these nets drying as I walked to Anne's Soiree one evening.

Then there was the Saturday when 2 trucks pulled up and started to unload stuff at the Paris end of the street.

It's the infrastructure for Triabunna's own hanging garden.

We had more culture another Saturday with a play at the Community Hall.

Last Sunday was the British Car Rally at the local market.  This spiffing MG was driven by my friend Cheryl for a friend of hers who owns 3 and thus could not drive them all.

My first sit in an MG

It was also the day of the Seafarers' Memorial and Blessing of the Fleet.  Some of us go just to listen to Rod Stewart sing 'Sailing'.
There have been other delights for which there are no photos.  The usual gym, tai chi, etc but also 'A Dog's Purpose' at the Orford Odeon, lunch at the new Colonial restaurant, coffee and cake for Judy's birthday.  Also the Great Eastern Clean Up and the Marina DeBris exhibition - about which more later.  Then there's the garden, which I'll also try to capture before I go to Adelaide next week.

A gardener's lot

Lady Jayne invited me to Canberra to spend a week gardening.

Before

Fortunately there was time for Professional Development.  I realised a long held dream of walking the labyrinth at the Arboretum.  It is a concrete path so perhaps doesn't qualify as a garden but its wending ways certainly induce contemplation.

On another day we went to the National Art Gallery, mainly to look in its shop, but we also inspected Sky Space which is another contemplative space.  Sadly the dome was filled with a class of students and teachers whose ernest spiel we didn't dare interrupt so we moved on, contemplating murder.

There was also Floriade, a new experience for me.  It is all a bit overwhelming with so much floral colour and many designs needing to be appreciated from above.  I did get the Abbey Road one, though I felt Paul McCartney should have been barefooted.  Apparently Floriade gets smaller by the year which is a bit frightening because it will become virtually impossible to escape the school bands struggling mournfully.

But back to Lady Jayne's estate where the big heirloom vinyl cockatoo did little to deter the real thing

and crimson rosellas come for a hard earned drink.

More PD at Tulip Top just outside of Canberra.

Vast arrays of tulips, helpfully labelled for those intending to purchase.  To me red tulips are the real thing.

I was fascinated by a meadow of rosemary, looking one way

and the highway looking the other.

Sensorily sated and filled with Dutch Pancakes we trudged to the exit

and gaily festooned carpark.

A day's respite at Questacon with Miss Elle (she's the little one) - the tall one is not Elle McPherson.

More school students to contend with, even as we ate.

Some naughty ones were given Guantanamo Bay suits and marched away,

then pushed into Free Fall, which looked like wonderful fun - though difficult to catch on camera.

Imagine my excitement at Yarralumla nursery where they sell potted Bulbine bulbosas for $16.99.

And just to prove we were in Canberra, we drove to Black Mountain.  I have not seen the tower for quite a few years and was amused to see the new dishes hanging from it to enable our new communications technology, and looking like a tinker's caravan.

An evening's weeding after Black Mountain

After

Admittedly to the untrained eye a week's weeding may not seem to have made much difference.  But WE KNOW.  As do the self-seeded treasures that now have a chance to flourish.