Melbourne International Garden Show - Part 2 - Flowers.

More pictures, some from the from the garden displays, some from the stalls and others from the indoor display in the actual Exhibition buildings, we didn't spend too long indoors, as beautiful as flower arranging is it isn't something I can acheive easily so doesn't interest me quiet as much.  But I did appreciate the beauty of the flowers.

Outside Tesselaars. Yes I did buy some bulbs....

I love this colour.

Not so sure if these were scented didn't think I should check!

Pretty Gerbera's.

I think I like Tulips even better when they are slightly open showing their little black insides.

Dahlia's at the base.

These Orchids took me back 32 years old when I was a child flying on Thai Airlines.

I swear this one has a face and is smiling at me! Can you see it?

So much vibrancy!

Melbourne International Garden show - part one displays.

Yesterday I went to the Melbourne garden show with my eldest son and a friend, we caught the train and were all (bar the teen) first time novices at using the MYKI train system.  Now I know I can do it I think I will be off to Melbourne more often!  I dislike driving so the train is bliss! Although not so much the metro train, but the trip from Ballarat is awesome. Nice scenery and not too long.  I will do this in 2 parts so firstly we have the garden displays.

Bit of a native feel here, this wasn't my favorite although I guess it's do-able at home.

Same garden, I do like the pond though.

This I liked, the sound of the water early on in the show was relaxing, later on too many people to hear it!

I would like one of these, very pricey though the rustic bowls...we also saw one of these bowls mass planted with succulents, very nice.

Interesting but not practical for me.

Love this swing, then I noticed the bath!

I think it's more a water feature than useable but not positive on that.  Very nice though.

I believe this won a prize, it was very crowded by the time we got here and I really just had to hand the iPad mini to the teen to get above everyone's heads for a picture.

This was one of my favorites, the hand made wooden bench went well with all the colours.

Very simple, my style.

Look who I found from Better Homes....I was VERY excited.

The teen was keen for a pic too, bit no embracing for him, Jason suggested the manly arm fold.  I went in for the hug again though, no inhibitions from me.

Lovely lights.

Really wishing I had moved those brochures....

It smelt delightful in this section.

The Basin Primary Schools winning entry, although it came second it was better than the first for ingenuity.  

I do wish I was arty and could achieve something this good!

Stay tuned for part 2 - the flowers.

The Harvest Festival.

On the weekend the eldest and youngest child and myself visited the harvest festival at the local community gardens, there was a fair across the road selling excellent second hand books, I got a great slices book for school lunches and also 6 novels for the kids, a bargain at $2 per book.

Then over to the market where after a 5 minutes of looking around a professional photographer came up and asked if we minded being used in a photo shoot for the sustainability departments photo library. Of course we didn't! Eldest quickly warmed to the idea of being a model and youngest strutted his stuff with no problem at all, I cannot wait to see the final pictures!  I was used for a few pictures but quickly disgarded my modelling looks are long gone, the kids made fantastic models and as the photographer set them up I quickly took some shots too on the iPad.

How loving, particularly as these two cannot stand each other!

Assume the farmer pose eldest.

Cute little scarecrow.

I might try growing some of this next season - Eggplant.

This would have been lovely without the hayband. Great idea though, I love rusty things.

Later that evening, someone not used as a model had his favorite pet snuggling up for a book.

Even later as all the kids slept that same pet crept out to sit by me legs up, paws out sound asleep and relaxed!

Cooking with class - Zucchini Meatloaf/Choc Drop Oat Cookies and Thai Sausage Rolls

I have been a bit slack of late with my cooking with class cooking!  So I have made these over the past few weeks, all very nice although I didn't have a "terrine" for the Zucchini Meatloaf or in fact even know what one was so I used a square ceramic dish and then it all fell apart when I dishes up because I was a little over zealous with the Zucchini I added - kids loved it though!

Thai sausage rolls

Very tasty, these went fast and I forgot to photo on the night so had to use next days left over rolls to picture.

Choc drop oat cookies - second attempt the first lot I put too close together and it was all one big mess, best cookies ever - kids loved these.

Yes it looks a bit like a dogs dinner - I didn't enjoy the taste so much, but I was too happy with the Zucchini I think.  

I am possibly close to worlds worst cook though! 

The end of my beautiful gum.

Over the weekend hubby took on the challenge of chopping down a 30 metre tree.  It was hard work and he hired a cherry picker to cut the branches, it broke my heart to cut it but the base was 80% rotten and the larger branches were occasionally falling.

The house is two story so you can imagine the height and it's the tree at the rear.

He has started the pruning but this was the view from my bedroom window.  I had Magpie neighbours, their lovely chortle would wake me each day.

The cherry picker and hubby swaying about.

About half down.

My backyard.

Now we have to mulch the lot! Still more tree to come down, we ran out of time and the rest shall be done this weekend, I have plans for a dry creek garden bed plan for the mulch, very excited!

Amazingly it all missed crushing eldest child's Fucshias, sadly int he first 10 minutes of lopping my solar light was crushed beyond recognition.   I will miss this tree.   On the upside my clothesline that has been in the shade from 2pm everyday is in sunlight ALL day now!  The neighbours are a bit sad as their shade is gone too. It really will change the whole dynamics of my rear garden. The gutters will no longer get as clogged and I shall not have to rake 20 barrows of leaves each Summer as the tree gets more stressed. I am hoping the Maggie's move over to the next tree.