Family, Garden, Travel

JUMP START THE SPRITE

No Comments

Dylan taking off the driveway gate in preparation for the Permablitz, Flemington

Pushing the Sprite car down the driveway in preparation for the Permablitz, Flemington

A large man in a small car is always entertaining

Push starting the Sprite car


Popping the Sprite hood

Water bottle in engine of the Sprite

Connecting jump leads to the Hilux

Connecting the jump leads to the cars

Austin Healey Sprite Logo

Jump leads

Austin Healey Sprite Dashboard

View out window of Austin Healey Sprite

An Austin-Healey Sprite has been holidaying at our house, but with deliveries of sand and stone on their way it had to roll on out. Purely for our own amusement we convinced our tallest housemate to take the wheel of this stylish sardine can.

Much to the glee of the RACV man visiting our neighbour initial attempts to roll start this “death trap” ended in a cough and splutter at the bottom of the hill. On closer inspection we discovered its owner had disconnected the engine, the boys made sure to thank him for remembering after we had run out of slope.

After an hour of jumper leads and noncommittal rumbles the engine jumped to life purring like a 500kg tiger with a bee in its bonnet. Taking a turn around the block, I had the unnerving feeling my bottom was just about to skim the asphalt, but anything as cute as this can be forgiven for being a tiny bit impractical.

Continue Reading

Family, Garden, Guides

APPLES & JAM

2 Comments
Soft toy birds at the Apples & Jam Playhouse, South Melbourne Commons

Tree with birds hanging from its branches at the Apples & Jam Playhouse, South Melbourne Commons

Soft toy birds at the Apples & Jam Playhouse, South Melbourne Commons

Permablitz team taking a guided tour of the Apples & Jam Playhouse, South Melbourne Commons

Timber crate shelves at the Apples & Jam Playhouse, South Melbourne Commons

Close up of timber crate shelves at the Apples & Jam Playhouse, South Melbourne Commons

Shelves and tree branches at the Apples & Jam Playhouse, South Melbourne Commons

Birdcage hung from the ceiling at the Apples & Jam Playhouse, South Melbourne Commons

Swan and paper decorations at the Apples & Jam Playhouse, South Melbourne Commons

Succulent indoor plants in painted tin cans at the Apples & Jam Playhouse, South Melbourne Commons

Felt party hats at the Apples & Jam Playhouse, South Melbourne Commons

Blackboard messages at the Apples & Jam Playhouse, South Melbourne Commons

Theatre stage at the South Melbourne Commons

Shadows on the floor at the South Melbourne Commons

The Little Vegie Path Crate Veggie gardens at the South Melbourne Commons

 

When we got home we collapsed in a weary heap, that is I collapsed, Dylan decided he had to finish making a plywood box for our straw bales to live in. He is mad you know. Today I ticked off my second Permablitz and Dylan his third. It was at the South Melbourne Commons, a complete overhaul of the gardens there that has been chugging along for a couple of years. More about the Blitz later, after lunch we went for a tour of the Commons building. Inside the lovely old red brick building was hiding a treasure. The Apples & Jam Playhouse, where children’s parties and playgroups are held. Little patchwork birds hung from the lichen covered branches of a tree, swans dived between paper baubles hanging from the ceiling and toadstools sprouted from the floor towering over our heads. It was all very gorgeous and magical so I couldn’t resist putting some photos up. Creating a little world for children to play in must just be such a lovely job, you can just be so free and creative.

Continue Reading

Family, Travel

MATCHING A FLOWER

No Comments

Nadinoo Fleur's Penna Dress amongst the wildflowers, Taradale, Victoria, Australia

Wattle flowers, Taradale, Victoria, Australia

 

Mum takiing photos in the bush, Taradale, Victoria, Australia

White riceflowers with orange spots of pollen, Taradale, Victoria, Australia

Wearing nadinoo's fleur penna dress amongst the wildflowers, Taradale, Victoria, Australia

Mossy bricks in the bush, Taradale, Victoria, Australia

Spider camoflaging on a grey everlasting flower head

Nadinoo Fleur's Penna Dress in the bush, Taradale, Victoria, Australia

Still sick and haven’t been up to much so here are just a couple more photos from our trip to the country.

I wonder if the Grey Everlasting is that little spider’s flower of choice or if it was just happenstance that his outfit matched its buds?

Continue Reading

Family, Garden, Guides, Recipes

BRIGHT SPOTS IN A GREY DAY

1 Comment

 

Newspaper pot seedlings in a row with an ornamental duck

Seedlings in newspaper pots

Giant mustard seedling in a newspaper pot

Flowers on an ornamental duck and newspaper pots

Close up of circles on community garden plot planting plan

Mustard, asparagus and cabbage seedlings in front of books

Cabbage seedlings in newspaper pots

Carrots and beetroot in planting plan for community garden plot, Flemington, Australia

Cauliflower in the nature strip guerrilla garden

Cauliflower in the nature strip at night

Seeds and planting design for community garden plot, Flemington, Australia

5 colour silverbeet seedling

Flowers picked from the garden and the watercolour planting plan for a community garden plot, Flemington, Australia

 

I woke up Saturday morning at 6am sneezing. Dylan had been sick as a dog all week and had passed on the batton just in time for the weekend. But it didn’t hit me too badly, at first I was a bit sad to miss the Elwood Permablitz, but when I heard there would be an RMIT film crew there I was secretly relieved. I find being interviewed quite traumatic.

I spent my weekend just generally lazing around in the sun when he crept out from the clouds and doing a planting plan for my mum’s community garden plot at the Farnham Street Park. I’m excited to have a place to experiment with chickpeas, soya beans and peanuts! I spent Sunday afternoon in our sharehouse “loft” that I took over this winter as my greenhouse. Can you tell I was bored? I planted out a whole stack of dried beans into newspaper pots for my mum’s garden and some super hot chilli seeds. I have experimented with putting seedlings in milk cartons and toilet rolls in the past, but the newspaper pots are by far the best thing I’ve used to minimise transplant stress. They break down really well and are just so cute.

Now I’m off to make dinner, our nature strip cauliflower has gotten enormous and Dylan thinks someone will take it if we leave it too long. Chickpea and cauliflower curry I think, with coconut rice! Mmmm…

Continue Reading