The Flowers that Bloom in the Spring, Tra La

The roses are looking very speccy, some bushes are just a mass of flowers and the smell is gorgeous :)

The waterlilies dont last very long, but they are so lovely while they are flowering, and when they come 2 at once, its even better!!

The iris have also been lovely :)

Birds and Flowers but no Cria

Enjoyed a busy, tiring but very successful weekend at the Shoalhaven Poultry Group's auction at Berry, sold 5 silkies for very reasonable prices.

Yesterday evening, Eddy was outside bbq-ing when he heard a thud, and found this bird on the ground behaving like it had been stunned - must have flown into the window.   Its a shiny bronze cuckoo - says in my book they hang out in dense forest or tall scrub, so surprised to find it in our backyard!!  Put it up on top of the budgie breeding boxes out of harm's way while it recovered, and half an hour later it flew away :)

Finally finished my entry for the Hanging of the Quilts next weekend at Yass - phew!!  Even with the clothes line at full height it was still too big to suspend, but you get the gist!!

Another iris - this is one I brought from Nowra Hill in a pot - its still in a pot, but should make it to the garden after its finished flowering!!  It looks much darker in real life.

Iris - such jewels!!

The iris continue to star, today I found some fabulous new ones in the side garden.  The apricot has fully opened and has 3 floweres on the stem - looks fantastic :)

Baby blues in the front garden

And new to the front garden this lovely peach coloured iris - several stems - to die for!!

And this was today's find in the side garden - how good is this??  Came out of nowhere - smashing!!  Love it!!

And in the front garden the sulphur yellows continue to do well :)

When we first looked at the house I was thrilled to see so many iris in the garden, but Freya was quick to remind me that there was a good chance they'd all be gone before settlement - I am so pleased that they were still here when we moved in - I am enjoying them immensely!!

Nowra Road Trip and the Garden

On Wednesday I was off delivering ducks and quilts to Nowra and surrounds.  I stayed overnight with Shayne and Brad which was lovely - as always.

Got to play with Minto and Lily - who is a gorgeous puppy :)

Lily and Minto play a LOT!!

Minto - best kelpie - bar none!

Brad was busy with chores when I arrived, and is a man after my own heart - why wait till you've finished mowing to enjoy a cold beer, if you can combine the two!!  Way to go!!

More of Brad's handywork - he has been busy erecting fences to enclose Tarquinn and Freddie when they come to live at Cambewarra next month.

Also got to catch up with my friend Gayle and check out her almost complete new house!!  Very modern and very chic.

Here at Mt Tanga the garden keeps throwing up these amazing little finds, like this truly fantastic apricot iris - love it!!

And this almost sulphur yellow one - a perfect foil for the baby blue :)

The baby blue iris - several of these, very nice :)

And not far from the daphne there is this 'wanna-be' bush, clumps of tightly clustered flowers, no back petal colour and no scent, but very flashy :)

Lead and Halter Training, Kiki in the Orchard and the garden

Every morning we have a little lead and halter training sesh for the 'babies'.  Pleased to say that some are making good progress :)  We are using halters designed by Lavender Park's Ruth King and they are brilliant, the snap to close fittings make it much easier to fit  and not pull their hair and they come in a range of fab colours, though I must admit to liking purple and red best - nothing new there!!

Bracken is improving slowly - looks dashing in purple :)

Eddy with Maggie Mae, she is a real star, but all credit for her training must go to Ruth, we are just adding new skills like different handlers and new situations and surfaces.

Phoebe is a blue black and looks dazzling in her red halter.

Tarquinn has a buckle up halter and he is not fond of having it fitted as it is almost impossible not to get his long coat tangled  in the buckle.  He seems to have realised that there is such a thing as too close to the camera - at last!!  LOL!!

The orchard is looking fab at present, the trees are all in flower, these are apple and pear trees.

Kiki in full flight through the orchard.  She is sporting her new choke chain instead of a collar and its hoped that this will be less wear and tear on her neck!

The garden is also full of flowers, a stunning lilac tree.

Dutch irises in the side garden.

The front garden has just popped with some very pale/white bearded iris :)

Still Nothing Doing!

Sweet Pea still hasnt popped!!  She was first in the queue for brekky as per usual, and wasted no time getting on the ouside of her bowl of camelid museli!!  Today - with her best 'what are you staring at?' pose:

Sweet Pea has taken a very strong dislike to Cleo, who cannot put a foot right as far as SP is concerned, and for every foot wrong there is a spit waiting for her!!

With no baby llama to photograph I've turned the camera to the garden.  The flowering quince is getting more and more coral pink as the flowers age - not a bad thing in my book!

The irises are starting, not huge blooms but gorgeous colour, another nice surprise in this inherited garden.

As is this double jonquil.

The garden is full of red brow finches - see!!  OK not the best pic, but trust me there are dozens and dozens of them!!

And the swallows are back!