168/13

There are no pics for yesterday as I spent the day in bed sleeping, after a night up with a nasty stomach bug, yuck!!!!!! Anyway feeling much better today and as it is pouring with rain I can't work anyway. I gather it was like this all yesterday as well so no wonder we have a swimming pool instead of a backdoor.

167/11

Another good day, coffee out with a friend who also bought me lily bulbs for my birthday, tea out as well and a lovely bunch of flowers for my table.

166/10

Another year older today.... I have decided it is time to start going backwards on the numbers, it may slow down the body wearing out. Anyway I was very spoilt by my family, I was give a Pandora bracelet with an aeroplane from Perth, an owl from Auckland, a family tree from Mosgiel and a flower with my birth stone from hubby. Nibbles for Friday tea finished the day perfectly.

165/9

The yellow crocus's seem to clump up better or else they are not in the path of my trowel when weeding!

164/8

Catch up time. The crocus's in the rockery are also looking super. I love the markings on this one.

163/7

My clumps of snowdrops are in full flower and looking stunning. It is amazing how many different ones there are, but they are very subtle marking differences in most cases, so not easy to spot from a distance.

162/6

I have enjoyed watching the birds drinking their sugar syrup this year,. These guys are the bottom of the pecking order, with the bellbirds next and the tui's at the top.

161/5

I bought this Iris, Iris danfordiae,  last year at the farmers market, so I was pleased to see it appear and flower. 

160/4

Still practising my macro shots. Helleborous are not easy as they naturally hang their heads.

159/3

I am a little worried about how many "things" I have around my garden. This is from an old piece of farm machinery, with stones and shells collected  during the time I did a lot of  floral art. I guess I would be more worried if it was garden gnomes!! 

158/2

I have been out playing with my new camera, and found how different all the rhodo buds look.

157/1

This is a camellia from my garden. It is covered in flowers this year after a major prune of the surrounding shrubs.

156/31

I'm back!!! My trusty old camera died.... I tried taking pics on my phone, and there they stay as I can't work out how to get them on to the computer. So I cashed in my flybuy points for a new point and shoot camera, yea. It will most likely take me a while to come to grips with the new one though. Today's pic is my bowl of hyacinths in full flower, not a great shot but it was getting dark and I still have to get used to the new settings.

155/15

The other shrub in full flower at the moment is the witch hazel, Hamamelis virginiana. I have a few twigs in a vase on the kitchen window sill and the perfume in lovely.

154/14

Well the weekend has come and gone in the blink of an eye again, and I did very little in the garden. Never mind plants continue to grow and flower, mind you so do the weeds. Clematis Freckles is covered in flowers at the moment, and looking great.

153/13

 I finally have a flower (well 3) on my winter sweet,Chimonanthus praecox, this year. It has taken about 5 years!!!

152/12

Pittosporum crassifolium in a clients garden near the beach. They seem to flower all year round.

151/11

Early camellias in a clients garden.

150/10

I was cross for not taking a pic of the sunset last night, but this mornings sunrise was also rather pretty.

149/9

This is my next wait and see, I acquired this lovely big urn and was given some Xmas lily bulbs so.......

148/8

The hyacinth's are now on the table and are making rapid progress. 

147/7

A borrowed photo for Saturday, I was too busy playing to get my camera out. This is the BIRTHDAY CAKE!!!! I wonder if the maker will be able to top this next year for the second birthday.

146/6

I wish they came in my size! I bought these for the first birthday outfit for  tomorrow.

145/5

We have had four good frosts in a row and some of our place just doesn't thaw. This ice was on top of a drum of water behind the shed. I do wish I could  take closer shots as the crystal formation was amazing.

144/4

I have managed to prune some of my roses, mostly so I can watch the birds drinking sugar syrup from the bird bath!!!

143/3

One of my early snowdrops.

142/2

This time last year we were awaiting this little darlings arrival!!!

141/1

A month off is long enough. So I'm back for July. Phil's flag pole finally in action.

140/29

The first helleborus open in a clients garden. I do love the colour variations you get.

139/28

I thought Monday was going to start a wet week, but I did make it to work. There are some flowers that have hung on well this season. These scabiosa in a clients garden are a good example.

138/27

I'm back looking at bark for winter photo's, it's amazing how much you miss when the leaves are on the trees.

137/26

Well, I've given up on a complete catch up so.... I will leave a week out. This sunrise was during the week, but I'm not sure what day.

136/19

This little bulb was acquired on a garden outing last year, I think it is an Ornithogalum fimbriatum. The flowers are very close to the ground, but seem to be longer later in the season.

135/18

The autumn leaves are still pretty in the garden, although I may be sick of picking them up soon as it's what I'm spending most of my time at work doing!

134/17

I found this lovely rose in a clients garden, a pity they don't know the name as I would like one for myself.

133/16

A very wet morning hence the catch up on my blog. I also finished knitted skivvy number two. The first was navy and now the red. Hopefully the granddaughter get some wear from them.

132/15

I spotted my own fungi on the way to feed the hens yesterday. They are  growing out of a hole in a sleeper that is covered in light coloured moss.

131/14

Back on the fungi photo's. These were growing in a client's garden, I love the way the moss looks like a grass.

130/13

A great Mothers day, with calls from all the family, and the most perfect brulee's for dessert.

129/12

I am not normally  a fan of chrysanthemums, but I rather like this cream one. They last a long time in the vase too.

128/11

I was given a red cabbage, so it was on last nights tea menu. I find the patterns in nature amazing when you look at then.

127/10

A wet day, so no work for the morning. I was back at the knitting machine making another wool singlet for my granddaughter. She doesn't like staying under the covers in bed, so long sleeves were the order of the day.

126/9

A stunning sunrise out the bedroom window, yesterday morning I think.  

125/8

It's amazing what I see during a day's work. This wee guy headed straight up the trunk of this ash tree, then stopped to study what I was doing just long enough for me to get this pic and one of his back heading down again.

124/7

Schizostylis coccinea is a common sight in most older gardens, often the pink but sometimes the red. I remember my mother-in-law was disappointed that her corsage wilted at our wedding,  it included these pretty little flowers.

123/6

Also in the same garden is a buddleia I bought the year before. It hasn't done much, but it looks promising with it's silver foliage.