The garden is done

And we are so pleased with it!  As you can see it still looks a bit raw, but as the plants establish themselves it will become much more finished.  The rocks which were used as a garden edging (and which looked like broken teeth) are now scattered among the plants.  The bird bath is back - the birds have been a little slow to re-discover it, but they will come back in good time - the large plant against the fence in the pic below is rosemary which we planted a couple of years ago, it's used a lot in my kitchen.

 This is a garden which will provide entertainment for the cats, as it's right outside the floor-length window where they like to sit.  The path is gravel thumped into submission with a machine called a whacker packer, so it's well packed and not loose.

 A broken pot, now a decorative plant holder, beside an interesting native grass.

 To make up for the lack of colour so far here's a little native plant which lives in a tall pot on our back verandah.  Those pea-shaped flowers are only about the size of a fingernail, and yes, they are purple and orange together.  You and I possibly wouldn't wear that colour combination, but that doesn't worry Mother Nature!  It's a plant from Western Australia which amazed our garden designer - she hadn't seen it growing here.  Considering I can kill off plants without even trying, it's doing very well.

Once the new plants flower more our garden will be very pretty.  Many Australian native flowers are quite small, some are really tiny.......their size is their defence against hot weather, as smaller leaves and flowers are better able to withstand heat than large showy flowers.

Speaking of Australian flowers, yesterday was Wattle Day.  The Golden Wattle is Australia's official floral emblem and there are many species of wattle in bloom now all over town, it's such a glorious sight!  When I was at school a thousand years ago Wattle Day was celebrated on 1st August; since then it has moved back a month, but I still think of August extending into September as a celebration of wattle.

Second week of ukulele group has come and gone, and the same folks made the trek up that steep staircase for another hour of fun and music.  The woman with the dinky pink el cheapo uke, wearing a pink shirt, and declaiming loudly that she was only there to learn to play an instrument to ward off dementia, was giving me a dose of the irrits.....perhaps when I get a little more proficient I shall upgrade my uke (not very expensive, but at least it's not pink) to something better.

The challenge quilt is coming along nicely, all the pieced blocks are quilted and the setting squares have been started.  It's beginning to look as though it may be finished soon, yay!  Much will be the relief when it's done.

The shoulder exercises are being dutifully done, even though they won't help heal the internal tear - only surgery will do that, it seems.  But exercises will strengthen the shoulder muscles, which will help it cope with the weakness of the torn tendon.  We'll see how it goes next year; perhaps opting for surgery might have to be the way to go.

"Size in relation to dress and colors.
A small person may dress in light colours which would be simply ridiculous on a person of larger proportions.  So a lady of majestic appearance should never wear white, but will be seen to the best advantage in black or dark tints.  A lady of diminutive stature is dressed in bad taste when she appears in a garment with large figures, plaids or stripes.  Neither should a lady of large proportions be seen in similar garments, because, united with her size, they give her a "loud" appearance.  Indeed, pronounced figures and broad stripes and plaids are never in perfect taste."

That makes me wonder what the good folk of 1885 would have thought of wearing a garment in the colours of my flowers - bright orange, purple and green?  Perhaps it would be considered a trifle loud.

Enjoy your days!