creating a garden

 This is the first time I have ever created a garden from scratch. Exciting and terrifying.  There have been moments of absolute surety and absolute indecision. And now a year in, I can't believe how much it has grown. There are lots of positives but also many plants that 'aren't quite in the right spot.' So now it's time to move things around, pull a few out that have gone out of favour plus add a few more, specificaly trees for shade. 

Locals warned me that "it's not called the Bay of Plenty for nothing" (i.e.everything grows bigger and faster than the label says) and they sure were right! So parts of my garden are overplanted and need thinning.

Oh well, I suppose that is what gardening is all about - ongoing change and growth. It's never a static endeavour. Here are some photos from the beginning to now:

my much neglected blog

 Wow, it is almost a year since I posted on here. Realistically, probably one of the most 'different' years of my life. Not necessarily in a bad way but in the adjustment to a completely new retired lifestyle in a new and totally different location. 

Anyhoo - I'll resurrect this blog and see if it still works for me. 

I'll begin with a few snaps from the year neglected:

day 27

More macro.

day 25

Level 3 begins next Tuesday for two weeks then reassessed. TOD on Tuesday then schools to open for those who need it. Government information very clear and specific, all questions answered. Lots to organise.

Photos from the garden...

day 22

Macro. Gazanias. Another of quite a long list of flowers I once used to not like. Tastes change. I have a new respect for them. They grow in hot dry places.

day 12

Fushias. Macro photography. It's nice to have the time.

Today I got groceries today via click and collect - you have to order a week ahead but...I got high-grade flour (there is no flour in the supermarkets) so I can bake hot cross buns for Easter! This lockdown certainly highlights how our society is so used to having access to absolutely everything and anything we want 24/7. 

2018

2018 is a year that I am pleased to see the end of. As Lizzie would say, “annus horribilis.”
Not that there weren’t any good times. Let’s remember them.

flowers & crownlynn

japanese anemones

My kind of flowers, Japanese anemones. They grown like weeds and look wonderful when just plonked into a Crown Lynn vase. 

I have acquired a new high end lens for my camera also and attribute some great shots to this 24-70 2.8L Canon lens. Enjoying getting to know it. 

bud vase with statice

Crown Lynn bud vase with blue statice.

crown lynn with cosmos

I love this vase, and the texture of the cosmos in it.

crownlynn love 2

This is called a float vase. Just the right size for one good sized hydrangea or a selection of smaller flowers. Such a pleasing form.

crown lynn love

I have developed an interest in Crown Lynn china - particularly the plain white vases. There is just so much range/styles and colours I'm going to (honest) stick to just this one category. For now:-)

This is a small shell shaped (if somewhat elongated) trough vase. I always wondered the sense in trough vases but they are great for displaying just a flower or three. 

hydrangeas

My garden is full of hydrangeas and I have take a zillion photos of them over the summer. I love hydrangeas. Once upon a time I hated them. My grandmother had them in her garden when I was a child and I thought they were flowers 'just for old ladies,' like lavender. Now I love both.

blue flowers

It's been a great summer for blue flowers in my garden. Some continue to bloom. I have to remember to take the time each day to enjoy them.

busy as a bee...

...with a bum full of honey! It's one of my favourite expressions - always brings a smile to my face. As a lover of blue flowers, my garden is full of these busy bees doing their thing. Thank you bees.

spring in my garden

Blue daisy, pansy, magnolia. 

kowhai

It must be spring, the Kowhai is flowering in my garden.

tulips

This time last year I was packing my bag for a trip to Amsterdam. 

This year I have red tulips flowering in my garden.

a bunch of flowers...

A bunch of flowers cheers up a winters day. And I adjusted and cropped it in Lightroom. There's still so much to learn but it's gotta be good...bring it on!