Kiki and the Garden

Its the end of July, and while I need to touch wood while I say it, there have been some very cold days, but overall its been quite a mild winter.  The garden is positively bursting with signs of an approaching spring.

The wattle is about to burst forth, just looking at it sends my heyfever into overdrive!!

The violets are out in force, mostly white but some pale blue as well, all very pretty :)

The prunus is about to provide another spectacular display.

Only have one hellebore, all the way from Tathra, and this one looks like it could be about to say 'FEED ME, Seymour, FEED ME!!' LOL!!

The jonquils are putting on a fine show.

The grevillias are at 'P-O-P' (point of pop)!

The hardenbergia is making the gum tree look very flashy.

The humble Hebe struggled through the intense summer, but is coming back now.

Flowering Quince, looking forward to these gorgeous blooms.

The daphne, huge and loaded with flowers and scent, that even with a heavy cold I can smell and enjoy.

Cape Daisies, not a big fan, but they are survivors!!

Kiki keeps herself trim, taut, terrific - well at least the pug version of that - by chasing birds around and around and around the orchard!

Llamas for sale

Garrick Saladin is for sale, he is a beautiful reverse appaloosa stud male.  Quiet and gentle, and very easy to handle.  He has had a halter on a few times, but is not lead trained.  He can come with his paddock pal Socrates, who is a gelding.  I hope to have all the details up on www.maisonmauve.com.au later this evening, but meantime, if you need to know straight away, please feel free to email me.

This is Saladin:

And this is paddock pal, Socrates, I think... will have to check with Betty, it might be Achilles!!:

A Day at Nedrum

On Saturday we went for lunch with our friends Lorraine and Martin at their farm, Nedrum, near Rye Park.  They are establishing a trufflery to support themselves in their retirement!  This is where 1600 oak trees will be planted to produce the truffles.

Currently the property has a herd of approximately 40 Angus cattle.  Even in the rain, calves are cute!!  And I've always been fond of photographing cows!  (Kath can vouch for this!!)

The cattle have been having their feed supplemented with grain, but the birds seem to have been getting a goodly proportion.  I have never seen so many galahs in one spot before!!

We visited nearby Heathfield House, I dont have permission to show you pics of the inside, but it was built in 1918 and some of the stuff is 'original', with a lot from the '30's, it was amazing.  It boasts its own working tennis court, the club room is stacked with tennis memorabilia - a taste of the finer life in the middle of the sticks!!

There is a mob of 36 kangaroos, resident on the property, hard to see here, but you'll have to take my word for it!!  If you look hard you may see them, right in the middle of the pic!!

The garden at Nedrum is full of goodies, as is the Heathfield House garden.  Having been told the only lemon I could grow up here is Meyer, I gave up.... but here is a lemon that is plainly not a Meyer, thriving, took some fruit from the windfall and hope to strike a seedling or two for Mt Tanga's orchard.

The weather was bitterly cold, but the clouds were amazing, and we even had a triple rainbow, though it's hard to see here.

We enjoyed a delicious lunch of pork belly, roasted veggies and braised fennel, followed by meringue with strawberries and cream and all washed down with a goodly quantity of fine wine.  After our tour of the farm we warmed our cockles with irish coffees - all good :)  Will have to pull out all the stops for the return visit ;-D  These pics from the Nedrum garden:

Bert (at the back)  and Ernie (closer to the camera) - the alpacas - used to work as sheep guards and were very good at their job, but the sheep have gone and these guys are enjoying their retirement and new status of 'pets'.

Bubbas, now and in the future

Casper and Nanook are growing up nicely, as is Missy Moo.  She is the youngest, but is nearly the tallest, though not the heaviest, but she's got the meanest temper and will not tolerate the boys trying to push her around!!  Casper is sweet and gentle like his mother, Nanook is larger and very curious, very people friendly like his mother.

Casper:

Nanook:

 Missy Moo in the background, her mother Myriah in the foreground.  Myriah's mother is a suri, and although Myriah is a huacaya her hairstyle and neck fleece have definite suri 'influences'!!

Up at the road paddock I keep talking myself in and out of Tiana Rose being pregnant, her friend Vynka is due the same day and is looking very nicely rotund, but some days I can talk myself out of Tiana being pregnant at all... time will tell.

Tiana Rose:

Vynka Lee:

Took these pics of Collette today in order to show you how much like Alba she looks, but unhappily my camera battery went flat before I got to the boys paddock!!

Collette's signature look is very much deer in the headlights!!

Also up at the road paddock and in the pink is Jemma, still very keen on her brekky being delivered on time and with a side of more brekky!!

Dont be fooled by Misty's soft as marshmallow looks, she's very much in charge of herself and anybody else who'll stand still.  She and Noisette have been teasing the boys mercilessly, getting these girls through to breeding age without boys jumping fences will be a difficult job!  And they are definitely working against me!!

Old friends The Jester and Noisette, before Yuri and Misty arrived they were inseparable, but now they are not so often together, still get along well though :)  Both dominated by their more forward pals Yuri and Misty.

 Yuri, on the 'for sale' list - please see www.maisonmauve.com.au (shortly) for details.  Colour?  Technically white, but more accurately 'also comes in white'!!  LOL!!  Needs his toenails trimmed, down for a pedicure on Sunday!!  Doing well in lead and halter class, nice fleece for home spinner.