It has been a week of drinking lattes as I have been meeting up with friends to celebrate a recent birthday. I met a friend at the Food for Life cafe and there were vases of beautiful flowers on each of the tables. This is where our Fermentation Workshop was held recently. I took the opportunity to find out more information about the Kefir and Yoghurt starters from Kultured Wellness which sell in the store for $45. These last quite a while as they can be kept in the freezer. The fermented veggies I made at the workshop taste delicious and don't have that real salty taste like my sauerkraut has.
I told my daughter not to send a present unless she just sent a drawing done by my granddaughters but, of course, she didn't listen to her mother. Does anybody? ;-)
She made me a beautiful card in pink and green...of course, and a friend of hers made this lovely gift....
...which featured the meaning of my name. Special eh?
There was a drawing from one of my granddaughters....
...and what I think is a wall hanging and which I just love.
So after all that celebrating I decided I had better make some plans for spring and decide what I was going to plant seeing as I had received my seeds from Green Harvest last week. I took a stroll around the garden which is looking a bit ordinary at the moment and thought I had better check under the Jaboticaba tree and see if there is anything happening there and sure enough there are buds forming. It will just be a month until the fruit will be ready to pick and if you haven't heard of a Jaboticaba just click on this link and you will be amazed at how this fruit grows along the branch of the tree.
The pink flowering strawberry is coming to life once again and I hope it produces more strawberries than it did last year. This is a new plant to us and I bought it after I saw the pink flowers in Laurel Bank Park during last year's Carnival of Flowers. I didn't even know such a plant existed before that. By the way the Carnival of Flowers starts on the 16th September which is in five weeks.
There are many snowflakes blooming...
...and they look so delicate and pretty.
Some succulents are bringing a little colour...
...to the winter garden. As I said, the garden is looking a bit ordinary at the moment but wait till spring as there are hundreds of bulbs just ready to put on a show in a couple of weeks.
I have been working on this bag after pinching it from the CEO as I wanted to see if I could make a market bag out of an old seed bag. This will feature in my next post as I took some photos as I was making it if anyone is interested in doing some repurposing.
Keep well and happy!
You're very handy when it comes to crafting, and it seems to have passed on to your descendants too. Excellent idea about recycling a feed bag. I will be interested in your tutorial.
ReplyDeleteYou garden always looks so good! But then you've been working on it a long time, with the CEO. So it ought to look good. I tried growing the Jaboticaba tree here, but it died. Wrong location, not enough moisture, but I may try it again, one day. :)
Chris, the garden isn't that all wonderful as there is lots of weeding and planting to be done but I can only do so much myself until the CEO gets his gardening mojo back.
DeleteAll who pass by need to be very wary they wont be crafted into something.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you are eating lots of fermented food, you'll be well preserved so that we may all continue to marvel at your craft achievements long into the future.
Ha ha Lynda, I don't do all that much craftwork.
DeleteChel, what pretty gifts you received; your girl knows you so well. Those Jaboticaba trees are very unusual with the fruit growing right on the branches. I am looking at Grumichama shrubs for a windbreak/hedge around my fruit area; love all the unusual plants available now. I like your market tote, will be very durable and waterproof even. A busy week for you it seems.
ReplyDeleteBarb, the Jaboticaba is probably the most unusual tree I have ever seen. It is a race against time to pick the fruit when it is ripe before the wildlife gets to it.
DeleteYour market bag looks great, very quirky, I look forward to the tutorial.
ReplyDeleteThey are nice, Karen and not too difficult to sew. Of course you could line them as well.
DeleteHmmm, my stawb's are flowering too but the flower is just rotting. I might have them too wet. The chook feed bag is a classic - great idea (again!)
ReplyDeleteMr.HM I hope you find what the problem is with your strawberries. Last year they didn't do too well here so I need to do some research on what conditions they like best.
DeleteBelated birthday wishes to you dear Chel. Your re-purposed grain bag reminds me of the ones I see in Nepal, made from rice bags, creating a small income for women and their families living in poverty. Looking forward to reading your next post.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sally. I have another celebration again today with my old work colleagues.
DeleteNanna Chel,
ReplyDeleteHappy belated birthday. I love the chook bag too. I also, now have a strawberry plant as well, I'll be interested in seeing how it goes.
-Shiralee.
Thanks Shiralee. I just have one more celebration and it is all over until next year :-)
DeleteRushing to add my belated birthday greetings! Ah! - the snowflakes - I wonder if they would grow here? I have never heard of a pink flowering strawberry! Another fascinating visit with you!
ReplyDeleteI would imagine the snowflakes would grow there, Kathy. I think snowdrops would grow in your area as they seem to like the cold from what I have read.
DeleteDear Nanna Chel, What a beautiful present! That was very special. Truly lovely.
ReplyDeleteAlso happy belated Birthday from me!
I LOVE the bag you made from the chook food bag! Really I think its fantastic and I love the picture on it! I will change brands of chook food just to get bags like that!
Im going to look at the stock feed bags in a whole new light!
With love Annabel.xxx
Thanks Annabel. My girl is very creative as you can tell. I look at feed bags in a new light as well. LOL!
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