Brekky with Bella and Onslow

One of my favourite times of the working week is a relatively leisurely breakfast watching a bit of morning television (for the news, of course), before the mad rush of showering, getting dressed and running for the bus. Bella and Onslow seem to enjoy it too. They have a bit of a snooze, but there is usually one eye on me as they wait for me to finish my bowl of muesli and then get to finish off any leftover milk as their morning treat.


I think I'm getting a bit soppy because I will soon be heading off for a while, and I do miss them when I'm away.

 

Home Sweet Home

I have been home four days now since my Indonesian sojourn. In the last week or so, I had been planning what to do in the four days I had at home before I start work again (tomorrow). Should I try to get the recovered couch delivered and play at interior decorating with my new purchases? Of course, there would be a major gardening onslaught, not to mention writing up a report of my last 7 weeks' work, unpacking, laundry, a dozen other chores, but most importantly, cuddling the pups.

Gentle reader, I must confess that I have accomplished nothing - except the cuddling. The bug that I thought I had shaken in Jogyakarta returned, and I have spent much of my time in bed. Onslow doesn't mind at all. It's cold, windy and wet outside. He thinks that if he sinks really low into the doona beside me I won't notice him.

Miss Bella comes up to the bedroom door to check on us from time to time.

But she prefers downstairs on the couch, especially if she has a extra rug or old towel tucked around her to keep her cosy.

And, of course, I had to sneak out for a quick look at the garden.  The weeds are thriving; there have been a couple of losses in the potted plant collection (mainly those that were undercover); and it is mid-winter, but there was still some colour to be found.

Some bromeliads were in bloom...

Guzmania wittmackii

 Aechmea fulgens 'Burning Bush' 

so  too, the little Rondeletia.

Rondeletia splendens 

The aloes and succulents are always stars during the winter months. Mine are just coming into bud.

'Diana'

Aloes 'Gemini' and 'Southern Cross'

One big surprise was waiting for me in the backyard. How often have I complained that my heliconias never flower?

Finally, one of my favorites... The foliage had been given a good chew, but there was still a perfect bloom to welcome me home.

Hibiscus 'Wilder's White'

South of the border

How is that weekends fly past so quickly! I only had time for the briefest of visits to the garden this morning, and yesterday, just enough time to feed the fish before I was out and about. This morning I finally cleaned out the water feature. The fish will be a lot happier now that their home has been freshened up.

After a slowish start, my 'Mexican' garden is finally coming along, although I seem to have relaxed the theme as time has passed.  The Salvia 'Velour White' is flowering happily, as is the Osteospermum 'Double Sensation'. Cineraria 'Silver Dust', between the rosemary and the Aloe 'Diana'  is making slower progress. This part of the garden looks a little bare in places, but I have planted it with a variety of seeds and some gorgeous orange ranunculi bulbs, which should add a bit of a punch to the grey foliaged plants, plus I hope to eventually mosaic the step in the top left corner.

Just beneath the step is a canna, 'Coco' I think, which hasn't exactly thrived, and most of my herbs - oregano, a small leafed basil, thyme and chives - and I have variegated applemint and summer savory nearby. I have also had great success in the same spot with Mexican tarragon and Italian parsley, which I need to replant.

Here is a view from the other end of the garden. The height in the garden near the steps is provided by the hammerhead frangipani Plumeria pudica and the rosemary, and, at the other end, by a yucca and a Hawaiian Fan Palm.

The end of the garden will eventually be a hedge of gardenia 'Professor Pucci' and a lower hedge of box, but in the meantime I have let a pineapple sage have free reign.

Here's how the Mexican garden looks from left to right. The small spiky plant to the right of the aloe is Yucca 'Purple Royale'. In front of that is Agave attenuata, with a little succulent graptopetalum tucked under its left side, and, under the palm I have a couple of bromeliads, Tradescantia 'Purple Heart' and the cycad-like Zamia paucijuga. I have just started to move some of the daylilies from the opposite side, which is getting a bit shady in places, to form a border on this side of the garden too. My ugly garden edging is, hopefully, just a very temporary one.

Elsewhere in the garden, there was a new bromeliad in flower. This is Guzmania wittmackii.

I get a little disheartened when I look over the fence at the back of the garage. I have been just letting the garden settle since I had a big palm removed, but I decided to have a tug at some roots that had got under the pavers. Not surprisingly, I have managed to flip quite a few pavers out of their places. Fixing that will be a task for next weekend.

With a final look at the front, there was no delaying any longer. It was time to head inside to the paperwork. Onslow looked suitably mournful, as he always does.

While Miss Bella seemed absolutely delighted that I was coming back inside her side of the fence.

Onslow and the grasshopper

It was a confrontation of David and Goliath proportions.

The grasshoppers have been very busily chewing their way though much of my garden. As the combatants eyed each other off, it seemed Onslow might finally have a chance to earn his keep and make amends for all the plants he has dug up.

The quarry was examined from every angle.

Even taste tested on more than one occasion.

So, when the little green guy made his final break, I decided he had earned his freedom.

After all, there was one unchewed cosmos left, and, with the addition of some miniature dahlias, pentas, and salvia, that was all I needed for a posy.

Appointment at Flat Rock

Day 2 of my visit to Ballina in northern New South Wales and about two hours drive from Brisbane, and I felt I really owed Bella and Onslow a visit to the beach. It had been so wet over Christmas that I hadn't been able to include it. On Sunday the weather did us proud, and we caught up with our long-overdue appointment at Flat Rock.

I had a paddle with Miss B and the Big O

Tony brought his dog, Goody.

Norfolk Island pines behind the banksias.

Coastal Banksia

Surf photographers

Back at Tony's, a last sit in a favourite spot.

A last look back at the sea from his veranda.

Then it was time to pack up the car with pups and plants and head homeward. At least I had the consolation of the beautiful countryside on the way back to Brisbane.

Mandevilla 'White Fantasy' on one of his neighbours' fences.

Finally, home again and what do I have to show for my weekend away - that mellow feeling, some sunburn, great memories, photos, and the Aphelandra cuttings!