My blog really has nothing to do with crafting. Be surprised it is all about gardening and my front and backyards, my favourite people living in my frontyard with my yuccas and cactus.

9-Sep-2008

I joined a new company after 2-1/2 months. Main reason why I have not been updating my blog as I have been busy again getting settled in a new job and I also went on a training. This time this job is for keeps.

25-Mar-2008

In case you havent heard yet, I found a job as a Senior Business Analyst for a major Australian financial services company and today was my first day at work. I went straight to my postbox to check out any mails (am expecting new magazines to have arrived today) and I noticed something on top of one of my yuccas where Juan was below note..sleeping again. My yucca had bloomed flowers. They were so beautiful that I went inside to take my camera and take pictures of it. They say that yuccas that produces flowers signifies luck and I really hope that luck is meant for me. Or maybe I have not realized yet that I have already received that luck since today was my first day at work. My luck was finding a job in 3 weeks time. I was so happy with the flowers but at the same time I kind of felt sad because they also say that yuccas that blooms flowers will eventually die. Usually it takes years before a yucca plant can produce one (sometimes it takes 50 years) but my yucca is only 4 years old. This particular yucca has about 3 or 4 new growths so I better cut them off and plant them somewhere before it dies.

15-Mar-2008

Two of my favourite fixtures in the house live in my frontyard, taking a nap under a cactus shade. They are my mexican friends Juan and Loco and their 2 boys Paulo and Juanito. Same as my backyard, the correct word to use to describe my frontyard is "neglected". It needs a lot of trimmings and weed removals. It requires grass cuttings to remove the excess growths as they are starting to spread even towards the pavement,. The black mat under the soil does not seem to work as weeds still grow. It does have a life and a mind of its own trying to figure out how to grow outside and believe me they really grow even if they have to bore a hole on the black mat.

If you look closely on the cemented areas, you will find big square tiles about 12" x 12" in size, they are actually mexican images handpainted on the tiles. There are about 12 of them scattered on the cemented areas. There is one right there in front of Juan (see picture below on the left, on the bottom right).

I have taken a picture of my front yard and the lots of yuccas that have really grown. These yuccas are children of the yucca family I have in my backyard. As you can see I have divided my front yard into garden beds, 5 on the sides and a big garden bed in the middle. The one in the middle is filled or covered with pebbles to avoid mowing. The postman thinks it is a very smart move to use pebbles because he himself knows how difficult it is to mow, to wake up early during the weekend to do mowing. Even the couriers who delivers goods to my address thinks so. They say they like it.

There is Juan and Loco again taking a siesta and somewhere around here on this group of pictures are Paulo and Juanito probably hiding behind the weeds. Take note of the dying cactus where Juan is. :-):-).

Last night I created a schedule as to how and when to start cleaning up my front yard as my priority right now is to apply oil to my decking, the extension of my entertainment area before the wood starts to break due to heat. You should see what the heat or rain has done to my picnic table. Will take pictures of my deck when I have the chance. I also have lots of yuccas and small cactus in that area of the house. I have an awning put up in the area to protect it from the sun.

Here is a sneak preview of my external entertainment area. More of this will be coming soon...

10-Mar-2008

Continuing the saga of my exploration of the outside world, I took pictures (again) of my front yard. 2 weeks ago. Unfortunately I was too busy to have them posted in my blog.

I also have lots of yuccas in my front yard. They are actually children of the 4 big yuccas from the backyard. I decided to have majority of my front yard be filled with pebbles so I dont have to mow. The theme of my garden actually is mexican which explains the yuccas and the cactus found in my front yard.

As usual, due to laziness and my crafting activities, I havent done much to the front yard as far as maintening plants is concerned. Since the local government implemented water restrictions I practically lost interest in my garden, what with the hefty fines handed to you if you are caught watering the plants. I have left the watering of the plants to rain.

08-Feb-2008

The weather seems to be affecting my mood. No inspiration at all to do anything creative. I keep on starting on something but cant seem to finish anything. Some people say that what I am doing is the work of someone who has nothing to do. Maybe they are right. I seem to be enjoying doing nothing....and am supposed to be job-hunting too.

Anyway, I decided to go out to my backyard this morning (on this weather), equipped with my camera and started to look around. The words 'surprised' and 'amazed' would be the better description for it . I havent really been to my backyard lately to appreciate what I've worked hard for when I first moved in to this house. I just watched the place from the glass window and keep telling myself maybe I should do this or I should do that, cut that one out, move it here....everything that I can think of for about 2 minutes while looking at my backyard.

Oops! There goes a neighbour's cat who has broken about 3 pots from my collection. Looks like it has given birth to 3 more as I can see 3 of them moving around. I should find that hole anywhere in the wall or fence that lets them inside my backyard. If they keep on breaking a pot, that would make them expensive visitors in my area.

See pictures I took of my backyard this morning. I never realized how tall my yuccas have grown.....I started with only 7 plants and now I seem to have about 30 of them. And how can a yucca plant with dead leaves on top have new yucca babies below?

Note: These are pictures from my backyard so please dont duplicate them and make them your own.

If you are into gardening, come back regularly on this page. I plan to go out more often and take pictures of my outside world. Of course, my inside world is crafting, pursuing my creativeness.

For those of you who may need plants for your garden, write to me and I might sell them cheap. Or if you are not yet into gardening and my pictures have given you an inspiration to become one and you need starter kits, write to me and I may provide you with one at a price you cannot refused. :-)