Sunday Selections # 93

Sunday Selections was originally brought to us by Kim, of Frogpondsrock,  as an ongoing theme where participants could post previously unused photos languishing in their files. 

The theme is now continued by  River at Drifting through life.

The rules are so simple as to be almost non-existent.  Post some photos under the title Sunday Selections and link back to River.

Like River I generally run with a theme.  Last Sunday the skinny portion and I were given a treat and went on a small adventure.

We travelled by a restored steam train (it is 108 years old) from Canberra to the nearby town of Bungendore.

It was a lovely day, and a lovely trip, but goodness they are filthy things.  Every so often we would be at the right angle to see the smoke - black and filthy.  It was also incredibly hungry, using close to 4 tons of coal for a round trip journey of around 40 miles.

It has been lovingly restored - largely by volunteers from the Australian Capital Territory Division of the Australian Railway Historical Society (goodness, what a mouthful that is).  As a special treat we were invited into the drivers compartment (sorry, I know this area has a particular name, but it has been escaping me for a week).  It was not easy getting up to this area, and it was not easy getting down, but I was glad I did.

All that coal had to be shovelled by hand.

Inside the cabins there were old railway posters.

We travelled through some quintessential Australian countryside complete with kangaroos (that I was too slow to photograph), sheep who ran away as fast as their fat woolly legs would take them, and the odd cow or two.

There is something truly magical about a train's whistle.  One of our homes had a railway running through the bottom paddock.  Until we took this little jaunt into the past I had forgotten both how much I love the sound of old trains and how remarkably soothing I find the noises they make.

Sunday Selections #92

Sunday Selections was originally brought to us by Kim, of Frogpondsrock,  as an ongoing theme where participants could post previously unused photos languishing in their files. 

The theme is now continued by  River at Drifting through life.

The rules are so simple as to be almost non-existent.  Post some photos under the title Sunday Selections and link back to River.

Like River I generally run with a theme. Today I am going to show you some of what is coming up or open in the garden at the moment.  I will probably get a bit carried away and put up many photos.  Clicking on any of them will make them larger (or embiggen then as the lovely Ampersand Duck once said).

Lots still to come...

Greed sets in (again)

I should know better.  I do know better.  A little while ago a catalogue from a gardening company landed in my in-box.  Garden pornography pure and simple.  I know that I should delete them unopened.

But no, I just had to open it, and take a quick peek.

Wrong, wrong, wrong.

Here is my order.

One Button Plant - because I had never heard of it and it looked interesting.  A shade lover.

Ten mixed Calla lilies because they grow well here, and I couldn't resist...

A Double Whip Cobra Lily - because I don't have any and it looked interesting.

 An Echinops Star Frost - because I couldn't resist it.  It likes full sun and is drought hardy when established.

An Ethiopian Cobra Lily - because I don't have any.  Are you starting to see the pattern?

 A Hollyhock - the Watchman because I couldn't resist that dramatic colour.

Fifty Oriental liliums.  Goodness only knows where I will find room for them.  Some amazing colours, and the scent is incredible - for those of us who don't find that same scent poison.

A Pink Cobra Lily - to join the other two Cobra Lilies.  We have planted them fairly close together...

Three Russel Lupins because they make such a bright and cheery statement.

A Russian Hollyhock - for its glorious sunshiny colour and mass of flowers.

One Sonatini Hippeastrum - Viridi Rascal, because I couldn't resist the red and green stripes.

And ten Tuberous Begonias, because I cannot resist them.

All purchased by the very silly woman who has a mountain of weeding which needs doing and who finds bending down to weed or plant very difficult indeed.  Did I say very difficult.  Well nigh impossible.

They have arrived, and I have made a good start on the very difficult, well nigh impossible planting.  All that is left to go in are the Oriental liliums and the Calla Lilies.  Oh, and the Bellis Perennis and the Columbine I bought when we visited Tulip Top Gardens.  Not entirely sane.

Sunday Selections #91

Sunday Selections was originally brought to us by Kim, of Frogpondsrock,  as an ongoing theme where participants could post previously unused photos languishing in their files. 

The theme is now continued by  River at Drifting through life.

The rules are so simple as to be almost non-existent.  Post some photos under the title Sunday Selections and link back to River.

Like River I generally run with a theme. This week I am featuring the  Red WattleBird.  This is an aggressive little bird that punches well above its weight.  It swoops the cats, and considers swooping me.   Instead it settles for abusing me as I come in or go out of the front door.  They wake well before the first sparrow fart and are remarkably unmusical.  A shriek crossed with a cough perhaps.  Just the same, I like them.  This fellow was having a fine time in the camellias just outside the front door.