Make the most of what you've got in front of you

I believed we should all make the most of what we've got. If you haven't got what your family or friends have and you envy them, it's wasted time and emotion; you can't change it, you can only change yourself. Look at what you DO have and then make plans to make a beautiful life built around what you've already got right in front of you.

You probably know that Hanno and I have been gardeners for a long time, probably about 40 years. We started off small and taught ourselves by reading books and observing what happened in our various gardens. I also asked neighbour-gardeners what they were planting and how to do things that pushed the envelope a bit, like growing fruit, nuts, potatoes and garlic. It's all pretty easy after the first harvests have been gathered but it always take time, effort and persistence. I've loved all my gardens. It was a way of being outside in the fresh air surrounded by nature, birds and wildlife. The vegetables and flowers were a wonderful bonus!

This is where I sit every day. I have a radio, mosquito coils, books, Kindle and Gracie to keep me company.

My work bench with the Black Cherry tomato and chives. They'll be potted in the next day or two.

Here is the new fountain - I bought this new pot because Gracie kept drinking from the smaller pot, even though she had a bowl of water there,  and I had to keep filling it up.

This capsicum/pepper is called Sweet Mama. I usually buy two capsicums a week. I like them in coleslaw, salads and pickled vegetables, so growing my own gives me the freshest and the cheapest.

You can see the Roma tomatoes peeking through here.  They've been growing for about 3 weeks, they were on the verge of flowering when I potted them.

Angelonias and lavender.

This is a Digiplexis called Berry Canary. It's a foxglove.

When Hanno got sick at the end of last year, I walked away from my garden and didn't return until after he died. It was so overgrown that it made me realise then and there that I couldn't continue it. Back then I felt weak and defeated but gardens have a way of getting under your skin. After sitting on the front verandah and thinking about my future life, I just couldn't imagine it without a garden being there somewhere. 

What I did have to take into account was my brain tumour and my age. I have a non-malignant meningioma and I'll be 75 next birthday, so starting a new garden wasn't as easy as it once was. I already had a few things growing in containers and they were easier for me because bending down and standing up again makes me lose my balance. So I decided I'd make a container garden of flowers and a bit of food and I'd put it right beside where I sit so I could see it, tend it and love it every single day. And it would be next to my three bins - rubbish, recycling and garden waste. How convenient and the real gift was that it brought beauty to that area that had always been the bin corner.

This is along the neighbour's fence. It's next to the bins at the garage entrance. Here I have the Montville Rose, gaura, parsley, another Digiplexis and The Fairy rose in the big pot surrounded by recently planted alyssum.

Yes, there they are ... the bins. I'm sure it's not everyone's idea of a good spot for planting but my down to earth heart loves it.

In the food selection I have, one determinate Roma miniature tomato called Little Napoli as well as an indeterminate heirloom tomato called Black Cherry. I haven't planted that out yet because I'll have to rig up a support on the trellis. Already planted are onion chives, Italian parsley, capsicum/pepper Sweet Mama, rainbow chard (in shade of the bush house), a foxglove that regrew from last year, a digiplexis which also regrew, a new digiplexis called Berry Canary, a gaura called Sparkle Pink which is mostly white 🙄, yarrow, Japanese anemone, penstemons grown from cuttings, and lavender. There are also four potted roses - The Fairy which is a miniature shrub rose with masses of small pink double flowers and repeat flowering, the Montville Rose/Duchesse de Brabant - an old French heirloom, and two standards - Mary Rose and Munstead Wood - both heirlooms and brought from the back garden and now potted. Mary Rose and Munstead Wood are standing at the middle entrance to the verandah, you've seen them before in the last post.

And here is my shadow. She knows when I want to take a a photo of her and she turns her head. I waited but she kept looking away. LOL

I won't go on too much about it, I have the photos here so you can see for yourself. It won't be everyone's cup of tea but it's not everyone garden, it's a garden for my wellbeing and I feel grateful to have it. It will give me something to work on, it gives me flowers to look at and it's relaxing. I like how it connects to the fernery garden we already had on the verandah and the whole thing makes a lovely entrance to my home.

This is a Federation Daisy that I'll pot soon.

Thank you for the delightful comments you leave. I don't spend a lot of time on the computer now so I don't reply to all comments but I read every one of them and I feel grateful that you take the time. I'm continuing my busy schedule here with decluttering, helping my family, reading, cleaning, cooking, gardening and being Gracie's best friend. In the next couple of days I'll start my next post in which I'll write about how I clean my house now. It's changed a lot to what I used to do, it's faster, takes less energy and is all done with steam or homemade cleaners. So until then, enjoy what you do - stay cool or warm, depending on where you are and be kind to each other. xx