It was the first beautiful sunny day I’ve had to spend time in my garden since I returned to my country home in northern Victoria a week ago.  

I had a lovely day, I began by blogging about Tesselaar in the Dandenong Ranges in my Gray-Nomad  blog, then I began weeding between the clumps of pansies and spring flowering bulbs that have emerged and digging last summer’s mulch into he top soil to add organic matter and lighten the fairly heavy mostly clay content soil I started out with. 

I moved a Margarite that had grown rather large through winter, out into my back courtyard garden, planted tomatoes in the courtyard and then set about planting my summer flowering liliums. 

I planted 25 Lilium Triumphator which is described by Tesselaar as haing ‘voluptuous white flowers with a beetroot red throat.  An O.T. Lily hybrid with glamour and fragrance.  Hardy and wonderful.

OT Hybrids are the latest in Lilium breeding from Europe. A cross between an oriental and a longiflorum, OT's have been bred for a long vase life and floral arranging. Ideal for cut flowers and gardens, tall strong stems topped with multiple flowers and a soft scent. Grows 110cm tall. Flower during the summer months.

In front of these, still well to the back of the garden i planted clumps of three to five White Christmas Lilies then in small groups wherever I could find room, just back from the front border, and between my roses, I planted the bright colourful, oriental liliums.

A general tidy up, and the garden early spring clean up was complete.  Tomorrow I am planting herbs, and vegetables down the side of the house and in the courtyard, between the roses and perennials and I plan to plant mushrooms to grow on my outside deck.

Because I bought these liliums direct at the plant farm the Lilium Triumphor was marked down to ¼ price and all the other lilliums were all well below the cost of mail order or nursery purchased plants and much healthier, straight from the grower to the gardener and back into the ground without any set back.  Liliums do not have a dormant period, it’s important to plant them quickly.

My other concession to economy was to not buy any of the gorgeous, fragrant but more expensive Asiatic liliums.

I will be paying a visit to the zucchini growers in the Goulburn valley soon, they grow the plants in coconut core and once they harvest, they put the coconut core aside for people like myself to collect for free to use as garden mulch.

I'll need to clean out a few unwanted items from the garden shed to sell on EBay, my house keeping allowance doesn't stretch to lilium buys but lilium buys do so much for the inner me, not to mention the joy I experience when gazing at flowers in my garden, there needs to be a balance between budgeting and being too frugal, life needs to be lived and enjoyed and I thing a few hours next week selling some over stock will be rewarded for weeks of beauty during summer for many years and the anticipation of watching the liliums grow.   

This is the smallest garden I've ever had, in some ways I'm grateful for that, it's my retirement garden, great exercise when i want it, but I'll never need to be a slave to it.

It was a very satisfying day. J 
Picture
Lilium delphinium and paeony. art fridge magnet by Kathy Shell.
The flowers in my cottage garden supply subjects for me to paint and enjoy.
 


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    _Happy New year :-)
    I am going to combine several seemingly contradicting eating and exercise programs and put together my own Artslim Naturally slimming and Gray-Nomad fitness program.  I plan to bring these out as a low cost EBook and small paperback. They will suit anyone interested in managing weight with son=me difficult health conditions such as metabolic syndrome and past injuries.

     I'll be showing you some of the books I am reading that have some excellent qualities, although they will not be exactly what I am putting together to suit me and my style of doing things.
    I will be focusing on eating and exercising for wellness, weight loss if obese, weight management and balanced fulfilling lifestyle..

    Art and Art Print Gifts, available to purchase from The Art of
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    "Instead of giving myself reasons why I can't, I give myself reasons why I can." Spring garden with pansies. Large Fridge magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell
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    "Everyday is a renewal of life." Mare and Foal. Large Fridge magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Be weird whenever you have the chance. Large Fridge magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    "Fall in love with someone." Old English Sheepdogs. Large Fridge magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    "The winds of heaven are that which blows between a horses ears." Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Love your friends, no matter who they are. Bear grouping. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    If friends were flowers, I'd pick you. Magnolia. Large Fridge magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves. Three heavy horses at the gate. Large Fridge magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    "Don't approach a goat from the front, a horse from the back or a fool from any side. Three heavy horses, side on. Large Fridge magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    "Get to know your neighbour!" Rusty and Rosco the Clydesdales. "Don't approach a goat from the front, a horse from the back or a fool from any side. Three heavy horses, side on. Large Fridge magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    "Believe in yourself." Churchill Island farmyard. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    "Share with Friends. " Reg walking the dog. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    "Friends are welcome anytime, relatives by appointment only." Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    "Best Mates" Two Possums climbing together. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Grampians Farmyard. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Kangaroo Ground, Victoria. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Horses at the Dam. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Wattle Ridge. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Bushfire Haze, Enfield Forrest Blaze. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Campfire, Robe River, Pilbara, Western Australia. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Golden Holstein Rose on Blue. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Heavy Horse, Mare and Foal. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    28 Parrot, in McDonnell Ranges, Central Australian. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Old bush dunny.and shed. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Welsh Pony Mare and Foal. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Pilbara, Western Australia. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Brumbies of the Snowy River, Gold. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Clydesdale Foal. Vertical. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Carlton and United Clydesdale team and dray at Buninyong. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Oil painting Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Emu Twist. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Robe River. Pilbara, Western Australia. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Mt Sonda, the Sleeping Lubra, McDonnell ranges, Central Australia. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Kookaburra, Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Murray River, Right. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Homeward bound. Clydesdales and dray in Australian landscape, Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Formosa Gardens )Beautiful Gardens) Ballarat,Victoria, Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Cream Frangipani on Blue. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Heavy Horses at gate and in stable. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Sturt Desert Pea. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Tennant Creek, Northern Territory. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Composite of Heavy Horse art images. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Buninyong Bush early evening. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.

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