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.