Hooray, hooray! I have a new newsletter, called Creative Dabbling, and you can signup to receive it now – straight into your inbox. I’m excited about this because it will give us more opportunities to chat about books, gardens and quilts – and anything else that diverts me during my wanderings. You can signup in […]
In my garden column: December 2021
We’ve had so much rain that my garden is sodden, with pools of water along the edges of beds in the back garden. It seems like every day there is some in our rain gauge. If only it would fall evenly throughout the year! The next few days should bring some sunshine. Oh happy days. […]
In my garden column: November 2021
Look, it’s raining – no, it’s not – yes, it is. Such is the nature of the weather today. Showers come and go and I swear I can see plants growing. I was able to weed part of my flower bed this morning in between showers. My lifetime scourge – kikuyu grass runners – have […]
In my garden column: October 2021
It’s such a beautiful day here. The temperature is a mild 18 degrees and it is sunny with a gentle breeze. I appreciate this even more than normal after the showers, storms and even hail we had this past week. I’ve spent the morning in the garden, observing what’s happened, weeding and flinging some seeds […]
In my garden column: September 2021
As is normal in September here, some days and nights are cold while others are warm. It’s noticeable that the season is changing, with blossoming trees in all the streets and gardens. The crab apple in my back yard is in all its blossoming glory (look at those colours!) yet the one in the front […]
In my garden column: August 2021
It’s a beautiful winter’s day here – sunny but with a cold breeze. Perfect for inspecting the garden and noting how much work needs to be done! Tackling one section at a time seems to be the only way to not be totally overwhelmed. Focus Erica, focus. 😀 This is one of my rhododendrons with […]
In my garden column: July 2021
We’ve had such horrible, cold winds this month and that’s limited the time I’ve spent outdoors in my garden. I’m gazing out the window now and see blue sky and sunshine yet, at midday, the temperature outside ‘feels like’ 0.9 degrees. I find these ‘feels like’ measurements handy. As I scurry inside, they allow me […]
Do my plants talk about me?
I read an article recently that outlined how trees communicate with each other to warn of danger. It focused on the work of Suzanne Simard. To quote from the article:“Chemical alarm signals generated by one tree prepare nearby trees for danger. Seedlings severed from the forest’s underground lifelines are much more likely to die than […]
In my garden column: June 2021
Aah, June – that month when winter finally arrives. We’ve had a blast of cold air this past week and some long-term locals even started talking up the possibility of snow. That didn’t happen, thankfully, but I wouldn’t rule it out as the season progresses. There’s lots for me to do in my garden this […]
In my garden column: May 2021
Hello to everyone who loves camellias. May is the month when they feature in our gardens here – fat buds are on all my shrubs and many are starting to open their blooms. A lovely time to choose new ones to plant! My May column for our local newspaper, Southern Highlands Express. features these gorgeous […]