Got to Inglewood around 1.30pm - Declan, Shane's offsider was there moving some dirt around etc. I put my coveralls on and tidied up the garden a bit
I also saw that they had put some new edging in
Shane came a bit later, and advised that the new watering system hadn't been hooked up to electricity yet. He hadn't been able to get onto Josh. I gave him another number to call, and he got through, Josh advised that he's be able to get there on Monday to hook it up.
So, then I had to decide if I was going to buy and plant the new plants or not.....I didn't want to plant them, and they die through lack of water. But I didn't want to wait too long as it was already starting to warm up....
It was about 22 degrees today, and the forecast for tomorrow was 25 degrees, and then cool til Monday....
Shane thought it would be okay, I double checked with Bianca from the nursery, and she thought it would be fine too, so yep, I decided to go and get the plants tomorrow. Shane also said he would water them on both Thursday when they came back, and then again on Sunday.
Stayed out in the garden til after 6.30...so then inside for a shower and dinner. wanted to watch Netflix, but couldn't - it said our account couldn't work here - not happy, so I watched Critical Incident on Stan instead - pretty good
Tuesday, and went and chose/picked up the plants from Bridgewater nursery. Walked around with Bianca - and filled up the ute. I was so thrilled, been waiting such a long time for this
Carefully drove them home and parked at the back
First thing was to unload, and then place the plants (had a bit of help with this)
Bed one which gets afternoon shade is going to be the fragrant bed - ie 2 x central daphnes and surrounding gardenias. We'll also have hellebores in here - but they had sold out of the dark ones which we wanted (will get them when available)
Bed two - some lavenders - and I forget what the other ones are.
bed three - salvias etc
bed four
bed five
So, as this is what I bought :-
5 x English 8 inch lavenders
3 x French 8 inch lavenders
1 x white salvia
8 x Brachyscome pink
7 x Brachyscome purple
5 x penstemon
2 x carnations
8 x gaura pink
8 x gaura white
6 x pink daisies
1 x polygala
1 x hydrangea candelight
1 x crepe myrtle
12 x gardenia
2 x daphne
6 x roses
1 x lilac
1 x smoke bush
Wow, 78 plants all up. Bianca said I should be able to see a change (ie growth) within about a month - I can also fill in gaps with other plants ie my succulents etc - we'll see. I've never really started any garden beds from scratch before - so very exciting for me. The plan is to have a beautiful, fragrant, colourful garden with interest throughout the year. Each bed has a central larger plant ie lilac, smoke bush, crepe myrtle, hydrangea and the 2 x daphnes - and then there is some repetition in the beds - so that they tie in together
Anyway, Bianca strongly recommended that I go to the IGA and buy a 30m hose and a small sprinkler so that I could give all of the pots a good soaking and all of the beds also
Took me a little while to work out how to get the hose working (easier said than done) - the attachments that came with it didn't seem to allow the water through the hose (it was through the watering computer which complicated things, and i couldn't easily take it off because of all the tape. Anyway went and found some old fittings and they worked - luckily as I was getting a bit cross, frustrated and wet....
So watered each of the pots, and then attached the hose to the sprinkler and put a timer on for 1/2 hour for each bed
And it was only after this that I could start planting - ie watered bed 1 first, so planted these plants while the sprinkler was on bed 2 etc
It really did a thorough job watering
Little did I know but I really should have been wearing gum boots while planting in the middle - I sank right down
And because I have boots which are too big for me - at one stage I needed to move my foot, my socked foot came out of my boot, and into the mud, while my boot remained stuck fast in the mud - oh well. Bianca did say it was good - those holes showed that the water really soaked it
Also admired all of the flowers on the quince - maybe we'll get some actual fruit this year
So, inside for a shower, dinner and more Critical Incident
I also did some preparatory homework for my interview tomorrow morning on ABC Central Victoria radio - for the Loddon Arts Trail. I wanted to be able to say which towns were involved, which events appealed, how far each town was from Inglewood etc
Anyway, set the alarm for 6.30am so that I could have breakfast, and do my quizzes etc before the interview
I was listening to the program - Fiona Parker from around 7am, and she was referring to our upcoming interview which was cool
They called up after the 7.30am news
As it was, they didn't really ask anything about the trail, more about the house and the renovations. It was fun enough to do - and some people told me afterwards that they had heard me
Below is the link
https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/centralvic-breakfast/breakfast/104374086
Terry dropped in around 10 or so, and we had a coffee in the kitchen (he said he'd heard me on the radio), and during this I received a phone call. It was from Phillipe from the news desk at ABC Central Victoria radio, asking if I would be interested in follow-up interview with photos etc. Why not?I thought - would be fun, so we arranged for him to drop by at 3pm
Terry left, and I continued in the garden - giving the new beds another good watering
During this time - two sets of people were at the front gate - both sets having heard me on the radio also. One of the guys told me how he'd worked on the town hall in 1988, rebuilt the tower, and had put his business card and a special $1 coin in the flagpole, and then capped it. Very interesting.
NBN were also supposed to come today (after having had to postpone them a couple of weeks ago). Anyway they couldn't make it, so we had to change the date yet again
I met up with Pauline at Cafe 3517 for a coffee and a chat next, and had to leave before 2pm, as the Audio Visual guy was coming to look at the Town hall then
I saw his van drive past me in Verdon Street (it was about 1.50pm) and turn down Market street, so I met him outside the Hub. He'd heard me on the radio also!
Anyway, we went in and I showed him around, his company had set it up originally, so he was familiar with the set up.
He'll give us ((Town Hall Committee) a quote to get the on line meeting facility sorted in the board room upstairs, plus a cinema/projector/audio etc in the Town hall itself - should be good, hope it comes off
Finished up around 2.45, so back home and in the garden weeding near the front waiting for Phillipe the journalist - still in my trusty blue coveralls - take me as I come in my gardening gear
There were some friendly magpies under the veranda
Phillipe arrived on time, and we went and sat out in the rotunda where he asked me a few questions, and recorded me on his mobile phone. We then went inside and he took a few photos of me.
Finished up around 3.45, so I showered and quickly changed as Terry was coming over to take the two of us up to Wedderburn for a pre official Arts Trail photography exhibition Opening at 4.30pm
I guess we only stayed 1/2 hour or so, as I had to drive back to Melbourne tonight, as I was volunteering at the royal Melbourne Show for CWA tomorrow
Also picked up the Loddon Arts Trail program guide - with our house featured in it
Got back to Melbourne around 8pm
Phillipe called me back the next day to double check some details
And then on Saturday morning I got a phone call from Helen around 8.30 am advising me that her news feed had me in it
Was amazing how many people saw it and commented on it - including 2 x old friends who I'd lost contact with ie Jo C and Madeleine F - amazing! I plan to catch up with both of them
At the end it also referred to the Arts trail, and also the upcoming episode of Restoration Australia - so some nice cross promotion happening
And here's the link
