Sweet Mary

I am out of action for a wee while - I had varicose veins stripped from both legs last Friday. Still feel a bit woozy from the general anaesthetic but I am up and about and by next week should be back in my workroom. Looking forward to "lumpless legs" this summer !

I loaded these photos up on Friday with the thought that I would get back to finish my blog by the end of the day but its now Monday and I am not sure where the last two days disappeared to. Anyway the above pic was taken early Friday morning from our lounge window looking out over the orchard. We woke up to a frosty morning. The house was very cold and I admit to dreaming quite alot about centrally heated houses. The dreams consist of pushing a button and by magic - instant heat! The sun soon came out though and our pretty baby, Annie, found a warm spot in the sun curling up on layers of vegetation at the edge of the bamboo patch. I spent a happy few hours in my workroom (heater on) finishing an order for Redcurrent in Wellington. My lavender wheat bags sell there and at the Redcurrent in Havelock North.

Over the last few days we have started the final autumn clean-up. Its officially winter here now in New Zealand but there is still alot of autumn colour around. I love pansies so like to fill any spare pots with them - these ones will be red and in the white washed pots should look very striking when they flower. I think these pansies are mixed colours with an underplanting of anenomes and ranunculus. The bamboo canes are there to support the sweetpeas planted as seeds which hopefully will be climbing up them come the spring. I wanted to leave this mountain of leaves as a haven for hedgehogs but the landlord doesn't agree so I will pack them into bags tomorrow to mulch down over the winter. My favourite tree on this property is this glorious copper beech - it is huge and the most perfect shape. Photo taken from the rose garden where I am still picking the odd bunch - see blog below. Today was a cold but sunny, cloudless, blue sky day.

I have had a blogging break. I didn't plan it - it just happened. But now I am back and I have lots of pretty pictures to post over the next few days. Last weekend was a 3 day one celebrating the Queen's birthday but unfortunately we spent a lot of it huddled around the fire as it was so cold. By Monday I had had enough of that and decided that if we had to stay indoors at least we could enjoy ourselves by eating something delicious. An afternoon tea with friends cheered us all up. I baked the Victoria sponge, something I haven't done since leaving the UK over 6 years ago and it was very, very good if I may say so myself. Peter made the very delicious cumin and cheese scones (my favourites). I know he would happily give me the recipe or I could maybe work it out for myself but its just not the same if I can't harass him into making them. Off now to start on a new order for Redcurrent in Wellington but will blog again tomorrow.