MJ's little flock

[MaryJanet]

Little Janet in the late afternoon shade. Just looking around for snacks.

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

Did you find stuff grew better with the sunny Spanish newspaper?

Of course! Look!

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

It's impoverished. I don't mulch that patch. Other parts are mulched.

I'll just take a moment to explain that the house and garden are unfinished. I know about stuff like garage dimensions, mulching, managing water run off, raised beds etc etc, all that stuff because it's impossible to get to my age and not know it. But as the place was dilapidated when I moved in, there are recently finished projecrs, half finished projects, and future projects everywhere. It's not because I need hints or help. It's because it's expensive and time consuming but extraordinarily satisfying. Also, I don't rush it because I don't need to.

I'm trying to think of new information to add to the background I've already shared. Ummm well great grandfather was a captain of a ketch called Macintyre that he co-owned with Elders the insurance company. He spent his life taking goods from the port to the country towns and crops back again. He became sick in his late 60s and went into hospital in Wallaroo and someone else took over as captain. He wrecked her off Wardang Island and as she was full of wheat, she wasn't salvageable. Today she's a divesite. Anyway, the insurance payout was sufficient to build the house. His brother in law was the builder (he later built the Queen Elizabeth hospital). So this house, these bricks and mortar are what's left of his life's work. He died two years later, followed by great grandmother. The house was Nana's for a long time and I lived here as a toddler. Then it was Dad's. He commenced but never completed a renovation. He died in 2016 leaving the place in a big mess. His ex tried to take the house so we entered a dispute with her that was settled after two and a half years. It took all my savings but in the end she paid our costs which I recived in bricks and mortar, not cash. In the meantime she was horrid and left shit in the tiolets and rubbish in the corners. Could've been worse I suppose. Anyway, having paid everyone for their shares, it's now my home. I work fulltime in a job I love but it's taxing, eg, last Thursday I was asked to give a 30 minute talk to 50+ senior people on Tuesday in addition to my usual work. That's not easy to do. It's exhausting but wonderful. So the house proceeds slowly and with dignity. And I close my ears and eyes to others' opinions on what I should do with it and its garden. Having fought so hard and suffered such a lot of worry and fear, while greiving and while doing genuinely hard work, so much that my health suffered, I have ended up with a lot of my identity invested in the house. That may change but for now, advice feels invasive and its unwelcome.

I'm sorry for treading on any boundaries MJ. I did not mean to criticize.
Gardening is one of my passions and I love sharing. Sometimes I overshare.

They say you appreciate things more if you have to fight for them and it's easy to see that you love your house. It looks great from the pics you've shared. Those floorboards are stunning. Do you know about when your Great grandfather built the house?

Your Dad's ex sounds very grasping and spiteful. I'm glad you are well shot of her.

 

[rjohns39]

Good evening folks

 

[RoyalChick]

Banksia fruits are cones so only the parrots can tear them apart. They are the type that releases seed after a fire.

Here is a pic of the cone on my Hairpin Banksia I took just now.
View attachment 2544253
Those hairy things below it are the spent flowers from last season that haven't developed into a cone.


If you look towards the back on the left below you can see a flower just starting.
View attachment 2544254

While I was out examining my plants I noticed that my Mountain Devil (Lambertia formosa) is flowering so here is a bonus red flower for you.
View attachment 2544255

I love seeing your plants. They are all so exotic to my eyes!

 

[RoyalChick]

I'm sorry for treading on any boundaries MJ. I did not mean to criticize.
Gardening is one of my passions and I love sharing. Sometimes I overshare.

They say you appreciate things more if you have to fight for them and it's easy to see that you love your house. It looks great from the pics you've shared. Those floorboards are stunning. Do you know about when your Great grandfather built the house?

Your Dad's ex sounds very grasping and spiteful. I'm glad you are well shot of her.

I too am a gardener. I think gardeners tend to want to share advice. I think it is because we all tinker with our methods and do a lot of trial and error and suffer failures. It takes a full year before you can put your hard-earned learning into action again. Sharing is a way of trying to help others not make the mistakes we made.

 

[BY Bob]

Banksia fruits are cones so only the parrots can tear them apart. They are the type that releases seed after a fire.

Here is a pic of the cone on my Hairpin Banksia I took just now.
View attachment 2544253
Those hairy things below it are the spent flowers from last season that haven't developed into a cone.


If you look towards the back on the left below you can see a flower just starting.
View attachment 2544254

While I was out examining my plants I noticed that my Mountain Devil (Lambertia formosa) is flowering so here is a bonus red flower for you.
View attachment 2544255

Fabulous. I love coming to a chicken website and learning botany!

 

[BY Bob]

Little Janet in the late afternoon shade. Just looking around for snacks.

View attachment 2544354

Her feathers are beautiful. I love pictures of her.

 

[Grammy60]

Good evening MJ and everyone

I'm trying to think of new information to add to the background I've already shared. Ummm well great grandfather was a captain of a ketch called Macintyre that he co-owned with Elders the insurance company. He spent his life taking goods from the port to the country towns and crops back again. He became sick in his late 60s and went into hospital in Wallaroo and someone else took over as captain. He wrecked her off Wardang Island and as she was full of wheat, she wasn't salvageable. Today she's a divesite. Anyway, the insurance payout was sufficient to build the house. His brother in law was the builder (he later built the Queen Elizabeth hospital). So this house, these bricks and mortar are what's left of his life's work. He died two years later, followed by great grandmother. The house was Nana's for a long time and I lived here as a toddler. Then it was Dad's. He commenced but never completed a renovation. He died in 2016 leaving the place in a big mess. His ex tried to take the house so we entered a dispute with her that was settled after two and a half years. It took all my savings but in the end she paid our costs which I recived in bricks and mortar, not cash. In the meantime she was horrid and left shit in the tiolets and rubbish in the corners. Could've been worse I suppose. Anyway, having paid everyone for their shares, it's now my home. I work fulltime in a job I love but it's taxing, eg, last Thursday I was asked to give a 30 minute talk to 50+ senior people on Tuesday in addition to my usual work. That's not easy to do. It's exhausting but wonderful. So the house proceeds slowly and with dignity. And I close my ears and eyes to others' opinions on what I should do with it and its garden. Having fought so hard and suffered such a lot of worry and fear, while greiving and while doing genuinely hard work, so much that my health suffered, I have ended up with a lot of my identity invested in the house. That may change but for now, advice feels invasive and its unwelcome.

Thank you for sharing the history of your house, I love looking and learning about old places. Your has tons of history and I truly appreciate you sharing.

Banksia fruits are cones so only the parrots can tear them apart. They are the type that releases seed after a fire.

Here is a pic of the cone on my Hairpin Banksia I took just now.
View attachment 2544253
Those hairy things below it are the spent flowers from last season that haven't developed into a cone.


If you look towards the back on the left below you can see a flower just starting.
View attachment 2544254

While I was out examining my plants I noticed that my Mountain Devil (Lambertia formosa) is flowering so here is a bonus red flower for you.
View attachment 2544255

Wow, I didn't see any pictures like this, I'll have to go look again yes I do see the flower starting. I'm a terrible gardener and only make plants die most of the time.

That's a very pretty flower ❤ thank you for sharing it.

 

[MaryJanet]

I'm sorry for treading on any boundaries MJ. I did not mean to criticize.
Gardening is one of my passions and I love sharing. Sometimes I overshare.

They say you appreciate things more if you have to fight for them and it's easy to see that you love your house. It looks great from the pics you've shared. Those floorboards are stunning. Do you know about when your Great grandfather built the house?

Your Dad's ex sounds very grasping and spiteful. I'm glad you are well shot of her.

Some documents say 1920 others 1925. So it's around 100 years old.

If ever I have a gardening question I'll know who to ask!

It was a hard time. It was made worse by a gp who, when I told her I was going through the most stressful time of my life and unpacked the overlapping stressors, said "let's look at your diet." Wow, great listener. My cousin is a gp and was appalled when I told her and then gave me the names of other gps.

Wrt accepting advice I shouldn't be as sensitive but clearly I am still. It's just something I'm touchy about.