One of the first places I visited in Kandos was the Museum, where helpful and knowledgeable volunteers cheerfully showed me volumes of directories on the history of the Convent.
I consider the building to be a “sister” to the Convent given it is also built in Spanish Mission style. It was originally a Methodist Church and was built under the direction of the superintendent of the cement works in the style of Californian buildings of the time. It has since become the Kandos Bicentennial Industrial Museum and pays homage to the unique nature and heritage of Kandos, as a twentieth century industrial town.
The building is quite grand and a somewhat unexpected structure to find in the town (like, I can talk) and I could easily see James Stewart and Grace Kelly in a scene somewhere in the ramparts up high under the watchful eye of Alfred Hitchcock.
Unfortunately the museum has been closed for some months but the Council are now taking steps to give it to the community to run and manage. The Museum plays and important role, both in conserving the heritage of the town but also as a tourist attraction. I’m hopeful it will shortly have a new lease of life.
Whilst I had thought I’d have a few quiet weeks settling in once selling Sydney and moving all my worldly goods into the Convent, life has a way of taking its own course.
My daughter’s arrival the day after the removalists, along with the rambunctious Popcorn, meant a different but very welcome change of pace. My two small dogs have settled in to Convent life easily and now they are both around six years old, they are pretty relaxed. However they didn’t anticipate Popcorn arriving and unsettling the status quo.
Popcorn loves his shoes – stilettos being his favourite. He also likes the odd leather boot and Reebok
Whilst still young at eight months old, he is also very big and active. However he is smart and anxious to please. Quickly he has learnt not to invade little dog space or try to make them play with him. They are getting to know each other and becoming more comfortable together. Little Roxy isn’t up to joining in games but loves to watch and encourage Popcorn from the sidelines. Tango has managed to work out a bitey type game with Popcorn that they both love. Whilst they may not interact directly together much, they are often exploring and chilling together. I now seem to have a “pack” of dogs on the property.
Despite Popcorn’s gardening efforts and that he will chew anything he can get hold of, he’s a good boy and is responding well to training. He is already enrolled and attending a local training class and may get to do agility at some point.
I have a feeing the Convent animal family may grow some more as I start to explore chickens as a next stage.
You clown! That’s the bathroom bin lid on your head!
Kandos is nestled at the base of the Coomber Melon Mountain range on the western edge of the Great Dividing Range and provides and entry to Capertee Valley and Wollemi National Park. I see views of the Mountains from many aspects of my home and my backyard is overlooked by an escarpment.
The mountains are stunning yet not widely known, unlike the Blue Mountains. Those who have discovered them value their wonderful wilderness walks and the stunning backdrop they provide for artists.
A local friend who regularly goes for explorations provided me with these photos to share.
Daughter #1 is paying a visit with Popcorn, a rather beautiful and boisterous eight month old border collie. Roxy and Tango have met Popcorn briefly a couple of times before and it has not gone well. He is big and active and they are small and not the most socialised dogs in the world. So having him here for a while (or perhaps longer) is an interesting prospect.
Roxy, the smallest, is used to Tango dominating (in a quiet but forceful manner) but is most forthright in letting Popcorn know his place when he gets too close or tries to play. However, given she is smaller than Popcorn’s head, it’s daunting when he becomes excited and lunges at her. Tango has used the retreat technique and just goes to her bed in my room and asks for the door to be closed.
Let’s all sit shall we? Positive time training and socialising
Food is a social tool. We are putting effort into training Popcorn whilst he is here and using it as an opportunity to refresh the smaller versions who, I must admit, were never greatly trained. It’s funny to see the three of them trying to please with their sits, drops and stays for treats – all hostility and avoidance is quickly forgotten.
It will be interesting to see how everyone copes with the changes. In a couple of days, Popcorn has come a long way in understanding the large property from his previous small yard and that he has people around most of the time, instead of being left on his own for long periods. He is trying so hard to make friends with the dogs and Roxy is making a big effort to accommodate him, as the three of us work in the garden together. However it’s a matter of two steps forward, one step back at present. Fortunately, no one seems jealous – it’s just understanding each other’s space and size (and not stealing the little dogs’ food!).
In the meantime, it’s lovely to have my daughter here. I’ve really missed having the two of them around this year.
The tomatoes were thriving and beginning to fruit. Most of the new growth has been broken off and fruit is on the ground
I was relieved that the winds saved themselves until the day after the Garden Fair, given they made their mark on the last of the sweet peas, broadbeans and stopped the cornflowers from feeling so cocky. But I wasn’t expecting a huge hailstorm to hit after I went back to Sydney.
Fortunately one of the last things I did was net off the berry bed to stop the birds who have discovered the ripening gems, and they have been spared. However anything with leafy growth has been massacred. It looks like a plague of green caterpillars has eaten their way through my beds, but it’s all the damage from hail. This time the damage is more widespread than the frosts.
Zucchini – after a number of unsuccessful attempts. I had baby zucchinis on this a few days ago
I’ll be replanting all the leafy greens like lettuces, spinach, rocket and can hope that the tomatoes just kick on and grow. But it’s disappointing to see the veg that were just beginning to establish themselves and fruit looking so stripped and bare. Moreso after so many attempts to get the cucumber and zucchini started and sourcing so many mini tomatoes. Fortunately most of the other plants in the garden seem to have been spared. Just the food crops took most of the force.
Another gardening experience. I now have a bit of hospital work to do in the garden.
Eggplant – this was a picture of purple flowers last Saturday
Right now I’m spending the last two nights in Wahroonga as I finalise packing. It’s hard not to be a little reflective as in the next few days I will be taking the final steps of an enormous change in my life.
In fact the last six years have seen a roller coaster of change in what for so many years appeared to be so predictable and commonplace. However over the last six years, and particularly the last two, my life has changed so much … and all for the better. Six years ago I thought my lifelong dream of living in the country was no longer an option. A few years later, a redundancy after 30 years of corporate life and a period of timeout gave me the opportunity to rethink my priorities and what I might really want to do for the next period of my life. I had a choice to view change as an opportunity or a problem. I know what works best for me and decided to use this as a the time to be brave, make the most of change and not have regrets.
This adventure started out as looking for that elusive work/lifestyle balance as I sought to keep my foot in the corporate door, albeit part-time, and enjoy a country life. It took very little time to recognise that the lifestyle was winning and that it was time to opt out of a career that I have enjoyed and provided me with the opportunity to take this step. My girls had made their decision to be independent, which made the decision to do something for me much easier.
It seems fortuitous that on my 55th birthday I will be spending my first night in my new country home fully relocated. It’s hard to believe that 15 months ago I hadn’t heard of Kandos and a Convent was inconceivable. Or that I would be tackling significant renovations. Or moving permanently to the country. But somehow it seems so right.
I’ve realised that to a degree I haven’t escaped the corporate work ethic and often spend a full day working through my “to do’s” in the garden, particularly in the lead up to the Kandos Gardens Fair, and that I project manage renovations and I always have a prioritised list. However I’ve promised myself that in the next few months there will be some guilt-free down time. I want to knit (sadly neglected). I want to bake (I can’t remember the last time I made a cake or biscuits), I want to read (I was once a voracious reader but too many things have distracted me). I want to try new things. I don’t want to schedule these activities or make more lists, but this will take some time before it comes naturally. I’m also looking forward to joining some of the local community and interest groups – to meet new people, put something back into a wonderful and welcoming community and also to pursue interests that have been on back burner or yet to be realised.
Anyway, right now I’m just pacing myself to get through the final packing and move. There is so much to be done that I really shouldn’t be sitting writing a blog post. But by Tuesday night, my life will be moved to Kandos and a new phase commences.
Now that the Convent will be my permanent home, and I have no immediate plans for work, I’ve realised it is important that I make the most of what I’m doing at the Convent and also do justice to the garden produce.
After the first planting of the garden beds, I know now to plant what I will actually use, not just what seems interesting to try and watch grow. This round of veg is very practical – things I know will grow and I will eat. Lots of leafy veg, my mini tomatoes, cucumber, zucchini, capsicum, beans … and I’m beginning to benefit from the produce.
I had a now deleted draft post on whether the broad beans were worth the effort. I had planted them in a few spots, not knowing how they would behave and for a long time I just had l tall plants taking up room but not doing a lot. How wrong I was. After suffering unruly plants falling all over my garden beds and dominating other plants, I’ve now harvested over 4 kilos of podded beans to place in my freezer. That’s after eating and giving away possibly that much again. They were heavy cropping wonderful produce and will again be included, although not in the raised beds – they are better against the wall where I can stake them against the heavy Kandos winds.
I’ve been picking half a dozen strawberries a day to include with my breakfast and they took quite a hiding from sampling visitors during the garden fair, but I’ve managed to pick 400g for the first batch of strawberry icecream which is now sitting in the freezer. I’m looking forward to the removalists arriving next week as I really need my big fridge here. The berries are only just starting and I can see Youngberries, Blueberries and Rasberries all forming and some beginning to show colour. Not sure I will have enough for jam this year but there will me more icecream and some syrups to put away.
The herbs are going crazy and I’m letting plants go to seed so I can continue to propagate without purchasing new plants (I hope). Next on the list is storing some herb butters – parsley, tarragon and chive are the obvious ones.
I’m enjoying the industry, but I also appreciate the practicalities of owning and running the property and making the most of the efforts put into establishing the garden.
Well, we did it. The Convent participated with other gardens in the district for a weekend of open gardens. I have no idea how many people came through but anywhere from 200 – 400. From locals who wanted to see what I’ve done with the building to people in Sydney who just love gardens.
The Chapel greeted visitors for the first time since its makeover
My Sydney friends acted as my volunteers, for which I will be eternally grateful, and it made the job so much easier for me. I met so many lovely people and now know many more locals. People seemed relieved that the Convent was being treated with respect and, if anything, was just going back to what it always should have been. The Chapel was open and did me proud.
My garden was the “newest” in that most of it was very newly planted and was positioned as “in progress”. Many visitors were keen to see it in a few years time, particularly once the new roses have kicked in. Given I’m not a local and have planted things I love and experimented a bit, many commented that I had plants not often seen in the area but which seemed to be thriving and they were going to now try – which was particularly rewarding to hear.
The Cornflowers – “Look at me, look at me!”
Whilst most of the roses (particularly the original ones) had finished flowering, some plants held back to show their best for the weekend. I think the cornflowers wanted to own the show and dominated in a few spots (and were much loved and admired). They worked well planted so thickly, which was quite unintended and I had no idea they would grow so high. Monday saw heavy winds and a number have now snapped and fallen, so the weekend was their pinnacle.
The standard Good Samaritan roses chose their time to flower well and were much admired
By some strange fate, the Good Samaritan standards chose the weekend to be in their glory and were much admired. The Fairy roses also chose this to be their weekend. I knew the lovely little wisteria-like plants would be my downfall and had tried to find out their names to no avail. Many people asked what they were and no-one could help, including some seriously knowledgable people. Of course I accidentally stumbled across it straight after – indigofera decor. Bugger!
The name stumped us all – indigofera decor. Apologies to everyone who asked!The Lobelias were electric down the side bed
The verandah side garden bed (the pinks, blues and whites with the sparky lobelia at their best) was very popular, but everyone loves to poke through the veggie beds and identify food. The berry bed was a particular hit. Given my garden is so new, people liked to be able to look at all the tags.
All the hard work out the front is not obvious from the street and people were surprised to come inside the gate and see that the front wall is now planted out with the deep sleeper planting beds.
Living Earth’s plant stall provided interest and temptation for visitors
Sculptures (which I loved) and a plant stall all added entertainment and interest and we also served sandwiches, cake, tea and coffee, so had lots going on. There are a few learnings for next time, but would be happy to participate again and the Convent seemed to love the attention.
The Fairy Rose also chose to bloom at its bestThe Chamomile – which I had thought was lawn chamomile – made an amusing and quirky path borderThe Foxgloves on the back wall also chose their time well. Lots more of these and Hollyhocks next year!Roxy refused to miss a minute whilst Tango decided the bedroom was the best place to be
The Kandos Gardens Fair is now rapidly approaching, meaning that most of my time is spent in the garden. The other gardens on show are well-established, but given the Convent garden only really started this year, I’m eager to have something to show visitors.
Rose hospital or graveyard? Home to the unsuccessful bare root roses
There have been a few disasters. The bare root roses I planted in a prominent position in front of the established roses at the front of the Convent, did nothing – I mean nothing, other than perhaps die. I’m not sure if they are still alive or not but looked very sad, bare little sticks. I’ve now taken the step of replanting them together in a more protected area which I am hoping is a plant hospital rather than a rose graveyard.
Also taking advice to spray for lawn weeds wasn’t the smartest move. I did it well in advance – maybe around three weeks ago. What I didn’t bargain on was my lawn being all weeds, which means I have large expanses of brown. Or more accurately, very little green areas. It’s also been very dry so I’m now watering like crazy to get some green back.
The back gate garden – looking cheery although the blues haven’t kicked in yet
Otherwise, there are areas I’m really happy with and the garden is positioned as “in progress” which cuts me some slack. I think the roses peaked too early and the lovely original old rose bushes have already finished their main flush of flowers, although I’m deadheading them and feeding, hoping to get some more flowers for the viewing.
In the meantime, the roses that were planted throughout the year are now coming into their own and look like they will be winners. It’s exciting to see plants grow and flower for the first time. Hopefully they will be doing their thing for the visitors we are anticipating.
Lots of blue here with electric lobelias and verbena. That’s Tango admiring the bed
In the meantime, my days are filled with digging, mulching, weeding, pruning, planting, watering and feeding!
Pierre de Ronsard’s first yearMadame Isaac Perriere making her debut!
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CONVENT AND CHAPEL 