TEA ROOM # 89

Makes him feel Macho!!! Jean. ☺ I'm in Ga. so it is not like living in Northern states. Don't want it either. You all take care...

You know the little gas stoves that run on the butane gas cylinders, Jean - the ones that are in nearly all the shops now fairly cheaply? I was browsing at BigW one day late last year and came accross a little heater that runs on them also, in an obscure part of the shop, and on clearance for around $30, originally $140. Hubby absolutely LOVES it for his shed, and it seems to go forever on a single $1.25 cylinder (they're $5 for a pack of 4.) With it being warmer out there now it gives him a bit of time to go out and 'play' in the mornings before he heads off to work for the day, whereas in the past it has been too cool in the mornings.

Pam

Good morning everyone. Marlene sorry to hear that you still are not feeling well. Boy, is it cold here. Frost yesterday and today, but beautiful days as long as you stay in the sun. I still have the heater going this morning. The brugs are all still green with still buds coming. Some have lost a few yellowed leaves but Avalanche that I planted out in the front garden has powered away and lots of new growth. I put a RFP out there on the weekend too, so that's 5 I have in the front garden now. Have lots to do and am picking the boys up at 12.30 today as I have an appointment in Berri this afternoon, so short day for me. Must go will be back later. Dianne TantraX are from 1-11/2mtres tall at this stage. I have several in Brian's lot. Colleen

Feel my fingers, they are frozen....
Sun is shining brightly on all the freezing plants...
Colleen, remember when we were talking about the frost coming from below not above?
Well, evidently in the UK, they have frost gates that they open to let the frost roll out if they are on a slope....it rolls in and it doesn't come from above......so what Brian was telling you was correct.,,,They were talking about it on the garden show.

I will be very interested to see the results of the Tantra x's, were they from Judy or Alistair?
That little heater sounds great, Pam.......
Beautiful Zygos, Karen.....sounds as though you have the Zygobug.....
Charlene, that lilium is a most unusual colour...Anthony will be interested.....keep cool.
Perfect time for decadent chocolate cake, Jean....


This message was edited Jun 1, 2011 6:46 PM

thanks for the pic Charleen.,,one of.my 'specialised' bulb orders ,will arrive by friday,''exciting''-cant wait 4 summer,.,.sooty is walking on top of my big orienpet pots,where i blocked off an existing walkway,.,.i had to have a bit of a laugh to myself!!!!!it wouldnt be funny if they were poking up though!!!!ive finished feeding all my daffs,'my word,what a crop i have',.,.its extremely'''to the bone''' cold here,.,.anthony

Got hibiscus blooming this morning.
I knew you would like it.... Morning Girls, or Evening or whatever it is in your land☺

Hey Red, it is the wee hours of Thursday morning Downunder. Brisbane is about 15-16 hours ahead of us. Pretty Hibiscus.

Oh!1 No!!1 I knew I didn't know what it was but I'm always trying to keep up with them. Once in awhile I get lost but bumble my way back in again. Thanks Moon....
How about an orangie one. this thing is pretty too!!!

I have to watch out, or I wake everyone up at DD's house....not so cool with babies...grin.

Is that El Capitan? Pretty color.

I don't know, got it a Lowe's and I love the shape of the bloom. Want a piece of it

Thanks, but I am trying to cut back....grin. DH says it looks like a mad woman's nursery around here already. If it would ever rain, I could put some of the trees and shrubs in the ground and then have room for more pretties....if it ever rains again....

I know that feeling. If it does rain, will have a jungle for sure.

Good morning everyone. I'm late this morning, but the sun is up - hooray! Anthony, it sounds freezing there. Plants (and people) are amazing how they survive extremes of nature. It sure is an amazing, beautiful world we live in.

Don't know if I have the zygo bug or not, but they are all coming out now, and the colours are beautiful. A few haven't opened yet, so still more to look forward to.

Have a really lovely day.
Karen

This is Strawberry Fantasy up close after a storm. Beautiful colour...

Good morning everyone. No frost this morning and a bit of pink in the sky. I potted a few plants yesterday and divided a phormium . It very helpfully just fell into nice pieces when I tipped it out. I also replanted some of the Formosa lilies. They have very large bulbs now and I am so pleased as I grew them from seed just three years ago. I had two flowers last season and there is a seed pod on one of the plants still in its old pot. I dont know if its any good as the lilies have been in the shadehouse all the time. Maybe I have a "phantom pregnancy". lol
Hello Jeanmoon. lovely to see you again. How is your garden going ?
Charleen, those are very pretty hibiscus. Love the red. I hope you get rain soon over there.
Hello Anthony. I hope Sooty is very careful , walking on your pots. You should have some beautiful pictures for us to see when all those liliums flower later.
Hello Dianne, have you had any frost over the last few days ? Being closer to the sea, you are probably a degree or two warmer than here.
Pam, I told hubby about the heater . He does have a little heater but never uses it because he is always moving about, in and out of the shed. Never still, that man. Just like his Mum was. Nervy types. You should see him if he has to wait anywhere like a doctors etc. Talk about fidgety.
Karen., I love those zygos of yours. I have them but down here , I never get that many flowers on them. There are about 80 out in the zygo house and if I could get them to flower like yours, it would be lovely. Never mind, the flowers I do get are large and very pretty.
My hatioras flower more because the weather is warming by the time they flower.
Hello Colleen. Sounds like you are going to have a brug garden not a cacti one soon. The brugs will outnumber the cacti.
Hello Elaine, Teresa and anyone else popping in.
Heres something yummy to nibble on. Chocolate Peanut Squares.
Happy gardening
Jean.

A very Good morning Did I say I was going to high light the Emporerors robe well I did more than high light now have to find a place for him to live .----elaine.

Elaine, with a robe like that, he needs a palace. You will have to make one for him somewhere. A few handmaidens also.
He does look superior , doesnt he ?
Jean.

Oh dear Elaine I would be nervous working in the garden with your very stern looking fellow looking on.
you have done a great job, you would think he could at least smile :)

Well the rain has finally gone but the ground is very wet ...almost a warm day really 20C now, poor mixed up garden.

Even my Zygos are iffy this year heaps of growth, few buds and blooms I think my jungle is getting too jungle like , shade too dense. Must get in and chop stuff out now the snakes and wasps are gone.

Hello Charleen and Moonhowl Love the Hibiscus pics. Yes we sleep in your waking hours and visa versa.

Better get off before I am thrown out again ...waving to all !

Jean-- I have given him 2 warriors for now may be a army later .

Chrissy yes he is not a happy chappy I did not notice thate before .
-----elaine.

Elaine , you had better keep his little area looking nice. Those warriors could cause trouble if you dont. lol.
Looks really great.
Jean.

What a glorious day, warm and clear at least until 3....now it's clouding over.
Yes to the frost yesterday, Jean........

Just heard about more tornado activity in the US........poor people.
Jean/moon and Charleen, hope that it rains for you soon.....
How lovely is that Hibiscus.

We hope so too. i know my plants are praying for rain. The grass IN the yard , not especially care about, in the pasture , yes, on the flowers a huge yes!!!
Elaine, Warriors are not smiley, they are stern, so your fellow is a true warrior. Like the garden set up.

Strawberry jar has Semps and Sedum

2011 has certainly been a destructive weather year around the globe. Last night tornadoes touched down on the West coast in California and the East coast in Massachusetts. Neither of those states has had a tornado in recent memory. While folks were scurrying on the coasts, more tornadoes were spotted in the center of the country in Kansas. The Mississippi River, which runs the length of the US from Minnesota to Louisiana and into the Gulf of Mexico has flooded its' banks into 11 states, some tragically. And with all this wind and water, Charleen and I can't get a drop of rain.

Today the forecast is for sun and a high temperature of 100F. (38C) and will remain in the high 30'sC for the next week to 10 days. Our official first day of Summer is not until June 21. Something tells me Mother Nature is still not very happy.

Elaine, your Emperor would look right at home in the Chinese Garden in Sydney.

I've been to that Chinese garden - it really is a lovely spot, a quiet little haven in the midst of Sydney's hustle & bustle.
I was always very fond of Hyde Park - only partly because my maiden name was Hyde...

Good morning everyone. I just finished a nice post then forgot to send it as I wandered off to look at something else. Of course, my post disappeared.
I will not do it all again. I will just say hello to Charleen and Moon. I hope you get rain soon.
Louise, hope all is well at your place. Pats for the girls.
Dianne that is awful to hear of more tornados over in the USA. Especially in areas not usually affected. I hope all are okay there.
I'll have to ask hubby if he saw the news. He watches more that I do.
Hello Elaine, Anthony, Karen , Pam , Teresa and Chrissy.
I am going to get outside and do a few things before it does decide to rain.
Have a lovely day and stay safe wherever you are
Have some of these Cinnamon Rolls with a nice cuppa;
Jean.

This message was edited Jun 3, 2011 9:13 AM

Teresa it is indeed a lovely sanctuary...we wandered through for over 2 hours and would have stayed longer but the little ones were getting hungry...grin

A lovely day to you all...hope the sun shines warmly for you.

Moon

A daylily for you all. Have a great day... Charley sends you all nuzzles....

I just watched a documentary on the ChCh Earthquake, it was quite sad to see the devastation - I still haven't been any where near the city.
the documentary is called 5 Days in the Red Zone & follows Police from the southern town of Alexandra.
They were called in to assist after the quake & at one stage they showed Papanui, right in front of where I work, a hair salon where I used to get my hair done, a Chinese restaurant where I have eaten...
the salon is now back in operation, the restaurant in the next building is still closed.
They also show the beginning of demolition work on an historic old building that I walk by on my way to work, it took a while but it is a pile of bricks & rubble now - still not completely cleared though.

http://tvnz.co.nz/five-days-in-the-red-zone/s2011-e1-video-4188072

they show some of the Aussie USAR teams, what they had to deal with was pretty tough.

http://www.finda.co.nz/business/listing/rs4x/cleveland-restaurant-takeaways/

map view of the area, if you look you can see a long building to the right of tennis courts - that is where I work.
scroll up a little, the big building on the corner of Harewood Rd is the one that is gone.
on the other side of the road opposite the Cleveland is a building with red roof - that was demolished after the September quake.
There is a strip of narrow shops across the car park from the RSA, the red roofed one is being demolished... they show it in the documentary but I don't think you can see the Memories Cafe signage, that ended up on the footpath - the building frontage completely fell down in the 5.1 aftershock last month.

photo of heritage building after September 7.1 quake...

photo of what is left after February 6.3...
it is a bit smaller now as they got stuck in & stacked a lot of bricks in pallets that were removed, work seems to have come to a halt but the site is much safer now.

right now our neighbours are having their chimney deconstructed...
we are on the urgent list for the same thing, they have a new born baby so have priority.
We are up there on the list because our main heat source is the pellet fire.
It is burning right now & the day is grey, drizzly & very cold so I would hate to have no fire for however long the repair takes.
It is a bit unnerving as every so often there are vibrations as they hit the brick work next door, any kind of shakes put me on edge these days.
I think it is a cumulative effect as for a while I viewed small after shocks as mildly amusing.
I do know of someone who took to screaming 'is that all you've got' at the little ones.
That was in the days following Feb 22 when we were shell shocked & anything over 4 had us wondering if that was it or was it going to get worse.

Oh gosh Teresa ...commiserations ...it's awful.

Don't know what else to say ...except P**s off 2011 ...begone!

Sorry but it's seemingly endless misery for so many poor people and animals, even whole Countries.

I had better creep out of here after that little rant ...

Back later when I am not needing a caffeine hit ...been up with my bro since 4.30.

Waving to all our happy Tea Shop people ...wonder if they make caffeine patches ? lol.

Good morning everyone. Chrissy, I've been up since 4.30 too, maybe in sympathy? Still pitch black outside. I hope things are not too difficult for you. I agree, it has been such devastating year for so many people across the world. Now the tornado season is doing its worst in the US. It just keeps on.

Teresa, it is so hard to imagine how long lasting such damages are. It must be so difficult to see your hometown in such a state. Hard to get back to "normal" and you must sometimes wonder if it ever will.

Looks like we are going to have a fine weekend here, so maybe we'll get to visit some nurseries, or the Sunday markets. I hope so.

Hope everyone has a lovely weekend.

Karen

Bless you all. Hope things get back to normal for you....

Good morning everyone. A fine and cold day yesterday and no rain so far. Little wind which is good. I found more daffie bulbs coming up and hopefully they will be lovely and bright this year.
Nothing much to do in the garden at the moment except wait for the new crop of weeds .
Hello Teresa. It is hard to see all that devastation around you. I do hope that people are getting over the trauma now. It takes a long time for the scars to heal. Both physical and mental.
I also hope all goes well with you getting the things done on your house that need attention.
Hello Charleen. You must be creeping into your summer now. I hope it doesnt get too hot for you. You can send some of the heat here anyway.
Chrissy, as bad as this year has been so far, dont wish it away too soon. The second half could be much better. Besides we dont all want to suddenly become a year older already. lol
Hello Anthony. I have small buds on the lilium I got a while ago. It was shooting and has grown well. I will post a pic when it opens.
Hello Dianne, Colleen, Elaine, Pam and Karen.
Hello Moon. and Louise, I hope we see you soon.
I am off to do a few things domestic. Have to keep up appearances or hubby might give me the sack. lol.
Have a taste of this lovely assortment of cookies and cakes.
Jean.

Jean, I would love to send you some warm air, but I bet your Lovely Postal Department would hold it and you would never recieve it. I've sent Anthony two packages and haven't heard of him getting either. I know he will tell me. It's just the postal people like those mule pins so much they don't want him to have them. May try again in a buble envelope. last time was in a nice box. Poor Anthony!!!!!

Good morning everyone. It's raining here. Pretty cool too. The boys have a dinosaur project that they're working on so that will keep them busy. G/daughter came yesterday and will be back today. Her and 3 friends got a cabin at the caravan park so that they wouldn't annoy me. There's not enough room for 4 teenage kids here anyway. We have the Sunday markets on here this weekend and the Country Music Festival has started. That goes all week with buskers everywhere and competitions. It really brings the place to life. My sister and her family tried to book a motel room for next weekend and there's not a spare space anywhere. Things are looking good in the garden but there's still lots to do. The brugs that I brought out of the H haven't looked back, in fact I think they're looking better. The Sanguineas are starting to look a bit better now with their nice green leaves. I hope I get some flowers again this year. I have a couple of Arboreas so hopefully there will be flowers that I can fiddle with again. Well both boys are up and itching for their breakfast so had better move. Hope all are well. Louise I do hope everything is well over there. Elaine glad to see that you're well and still pottering with your craft things. Your emporer looks great. Very impressive with his scowling face. I'm sure that his guards will look after him well. Jean How is your mosaic going? It's probably a bit like my decopague. I have it all there but never find the right time, or enough time, to get to it. One day. Everyone have a wonderful day and I.ll be back later. Colleen

Hi everyone ...how come the weeds keep growing?
Guess that's why they are called weeds.
Can't do anything the the weather being what it is.

Dianne your gardens are looking lovely ...been enjoying your pics,

Thanks for the offer Charleen but I hate the heat! ...you stay cool now I am hearing it's way too hot over there already. Hope you happy folk over in the USA are staying out of the sun.

Elaine ...hope you are enjoying your pottering around.

Sounds very busy at your place Colleen.

Teresa more sad happenings in NZ today ...so sorry to hear about the explosion.

Pam, Karen, Marlene and Anthony hope the aches and pains are easing up.

A big wave to everyone ...Elaine this is for you

http://jeffreygardens.blogspot.com/2011/06/miro-mosaics.html

and anyone else who loves mosaic work :)

charlene,i had to laugh!!!i have visions of aus post workers,walking the streets with 'charley' pins on their jumpers,.,.,."YET"-nothing has arrived,.,.Teresa,i found a 'good' mail order lilium nursery in NZ for you--'ROZEMA GARDENS'-'alas' i cannot get any!!!!he has some good 'new' stuff..,.,.,.Its a crappy/cold/wet day here,..,i'll have lunch and figure out what i can do ''later''-anthony

I know it is very aggravating Anthony, if there were an other way to send it I'd try.
You all have a great day. the Mosiac is beautiful. Love it.

Anthony - I was given a pile of lily bulbs last night at work...
think they are asiatics.
Need to get them planted post haste,just read in the garden section to plant lilies as soon as you get them as the bulbs don't keep. Well timed article :)
have to figure out a good spot - full sun?
Dig in compost & a good helping of the ash from the pellet fire?
This is my plan unless you come back with advice to the contrary.
Cheers
Teresa

Yes, Teresa, lilies never go completely dormant, so they should be dealt with asap.

Anthony, perhaps you could buy the liliums you are wanting from the NZ nursery and Teresa could grow them for you and mail the seed. Sounds like a good trade to me. hehehe

Pam