be closer to nature

Aware of nature now and I take more notice of it around me, my eyes have been opened and I’m also looking at it from a new perspective asking “How can I use nature in my art?”

along the beach and in the rck pools.

The Boys had us up at 6.15 am and then by 7.00 am all pressies were opened and the house restored to order, they all went off to do their own thing, Ms 17 went back to bed, so after cooking the obligatory “Pancakes for Chrissie Morning” I went out and got a head start on the laying of the new pine mulch we brought, it was like a semi present to myself, if the front of the house looks good I feel better staying home.

The bloke came out and helped we got the front of the house done, which boarders the street and the side opposite the driveway. Had the cats out there trying to help, had a HUGE Black raven in the tree above me squawking away, so I’ve had my share of Nature for this Christmas morning, was out hanging washing on the line at 8.00am- chickens pecking at my colourful toes, while having a “coffee” break from the garden.

So now it’s 11.27 am, the Bloke has taken the boys to his Mother’s for Christmas and I’m home in my peaceful happy home, dogs asleep at my feet chickens laying out the back, The new Eagles CD I brought myself yesterday playing, and all is well with the world this Christmas day!

Merry Christmas everyone!

It’s bad, but in a good way, the trams got struck by lightening but no one was hurt, and there’s been “Substancial rainfall” in all of Victoria, so that’s excellent news for the poor struggling farmers and their crops, I just hope that some or most of the rain is going into the Catchment areas. They are also warning of more rain to come… yippee!!! Bloody chooks ate my baby tomato plants though.

Young star son now 5 and 3/4’s and I sat on the back deck and enjoyed a Summer thunderstorm, complete with thunder and lightening. It’s been a really weird day all day today and in parts of Melbourne sever thunderstorms, including two trams being struck by lightening… remember it’s summer! When I was little maybe 5 or 6, I was terrified of storms, and so my Dad took me to the back yard and we sat there and watched the storm and he told me that the thunder was God and the Angel’s Ten Pin Bowling and when the Angel’s got a strike it thundered and when God got a strike it was lightening.. such a happy memory of my Dad!

Lilac care

There are four basic rules to follow in taking care of your lilac(s): plenty of sunlight, good drainage, provide good soil, pruning

Choosing the planting site

Avoid planting lilacs along walls or among large trees (or trees that will grow tall). Use complementary shrubs, plants, or other garden outcroppings to enhance the appearance before and after bloom. Space lilacs no less than 6 to 10 feet apart. Crowding requires more frequent and drastic pruning.

Sunlight

Make good use of available sunlight; try a south or southwest spot out of the way of doors or windows. Lilacs require a minimum of six hours of direct unlight daily. The amount of sunlight dictates the appearance, color, and quantity of bloom. Too much sunlight is better than not enough.

Drainage

Good drainage is characterized by the soil’s ability to retain sufficient moisture to nourish the root system while still being able to drain off excess moisture. Lilacs do not thrive in soggy soil.

Before planting, try digging a hole about 8 inches in diameter by 12 inches deep. Fill the hole with water. If the water has not drained after one hour,improve the drainage or move the plant to another site

To improve drainage

1.Remove the topsoil from the actual planting site (an area equal to 2 to 3 times the lilac’s root system) and reserve.

2.Mix sand and/or fine gravel 6 to 10 inches deep into the subsoil (not the topsoil)

3.Mix the reserved topsoil with peat, vermiculite or other porous amendment to cover the root system when the lilac is planted.

Remember to water your lilacs regularly throughout the summer. During the dry season, water more frequently to keep the leaves robust, not limp.

Fertilizing

Fertilizer should be applied at the base of the plant early each spring to help provide the plant with nutrients for the coming year. Buds are set the
previous year so the fertilizer will feed this year’s leaves and next year’s bloom. We recommend our Organic Flower Fertilizer. Lilacs love a sweet soil. If your soil is acidic, adding horticultural lime in the fall will help the soil stay alkaline.

Mulching

Using mulch will help hold water in the soil and reduce heat stress. If you see the leaves getting limp during summer it is a sign that the plant needs to be watered.

Deadheading

To encourage repeating blooms, the Josee Lilac must have its dead flowers removed after each bloom. When blooms have faded, remove the flower heads by cutting just below the individual flower heads. This will stimulate the production of new flower and leaf buds on the plant. All lilac varieties will benefit from regular deadheading.

Pruning

Lilacs do not require annual pruning, however cutting off blooms from main stems within a week after blooms have faded will help the plant concentrate on preparing more flower buds and not seeds. If your lilacs become too tall, and the number of blooms declines, you can rejuvenate the plant by cutting 1/3 of all main stems that have a diameter of at least 1-1/2 inches.

Cut these main stems down to 12 to 15 inches from the soil. This will stimulate the growth of new shoots. Pruning in this way over a three-year period will refresh the plant while it still continues to flower.

Over wintering
Lilacs are very hardy and don’t require any special precautions for winter.

A little boy and a little girl,
In an ecstacy of bliss,
Said the little boy to the little girl,
“Pray give me just one kiss.”
The girl drew back in great surprise
“You’re a stranger sir,” said she,
“And I will give you just one kiss
When the apples grow on a lilac tree!’

The boy felt very sad at heart,
She was the only one;
The girl felt quite remorseful
At the terrible wrong she had done.
So bright and early on the very next morn,
He was quite surprised to see
His little sweetheart standing in the garden
Tying apples on a lilac tree.

George H. Gartlan

I need to do some research on Lilac trees I’ve never had one, but my bloke took four cuttings of the two lilac trees(one pink and one white) he had in another house which he sold. Three survived and were planted into pots. Then when we moved here which will be 5 years ago on October 11th, we planted them into the ground in their current positions- which was April 2003.

Last year one tree had one cluster (a tiny one at that) of flowers, which seemed to bloom and be gone within days, well…... last night as I was fussing over the glorious Dutch Irises, I noticed that same tree had hundreds of flower clusters all waiting to open, WOO HOOOOO!!! My house is definately going to be well scented this summer.

This time Dutch iris mingle with the Lilac tree, although it’s yet to flower, maybe this will be the year!!!

This is one of a pair that adorn my back yard, and will soon have a beautiful stone bench underneath- a little bird tells me my m-i-l is getting me a stone bench (which I’ve been wanting for an age!) for my upcoming birthday!

So I’ll be able to sit and read in perfumed peace and quiet… bliss!