I remember this book so clearly after reading it over forty years go. Now I’m in rural Australia, it has hit home much more closely how the fires impact on the people, lifestyles, countryside and wildlife. I’ve always cared but now being here, watching the news constantly, having to check RTA websites for road accesses and seeing the damage first-hand makes it so much more real – and it hasn’t hit my area yet.
The last week or so has been horrific. I’ve driven through two of the areas in the last week in-between fires. These are areas I have known for decades and have always been beautiful and scenic – places I would have loved to have live in. Now they are deeply scarred by fires. I can’t imagine the devastation felt by the home owners impacted.
I do know that the locals will rally and help people out as much as possible. I also now have a profound appreciation for the local fire services and the importance of their role – and how much we all rely on volunteer support for crises.
The reference to February Dragon was via a novel, that this was when the big fires could hit – at the end of torrid Summers. These fires have come to us well before Summer. We are just mid Spring, hence there is serious trepidation for many months to come.
The front garden bed is now taking shape with the arrival of the sleepersTaking shape but so much more digging to go.
Last post was about my front wall garden that I am creating and that the sleepers were about to arrive. They have now been placed and even though the beds require much digging out and planting, just having the sleepers provides so much more definition and structure to the garden. I’m thrilled with them – big old hardwood worn railway sleepers with lots of character. Now I just need to keep digging… and planting!!!
One of the online sources I regularly use is Honeysuckle Cottage, which is a supplier of wonderful heritage plants, particularly perennials and herbs which I love. I was surprised when a friend told me they were just near Kurrajong, which I drive through each week on my trip between Kandos and Sydney. This week, dogless in the car, I dropped by and was enthralled by a nursery unlike any other – nothing commercial, just a charming bush setting garden with pathways and arbors leading to table after table and many sections of heritage roses, herbs, perennials – so many plants that were mainly propagated onsite – and plants I have not come across before.
This nursery specialises in heritage plants and propagating the many old and rarer variations – so many thymes, rosemary, lavenders. I was particularly interested in the aquilegias and have never seen so many established plants in so many varieties and colours in one place. Needless to say, the car, which was already pretty solidly packed, managed two more roses – another Lamarque and Madame Alfred Carriere, many aquilegias (after receiving a great run down on the different varieties and their history from an impressively helpful and knowledgeable staff member) and a number of salvias.
The garden path through friend’s eyes – once a bare, unadorned entranceBroad beans – “This could be in Tuscany.” Well, Tuscany/Kandos – very similar.Foxglove (or Digitalis). Planted last Summer and forgotten until now. Dramatic and fitting for the back wall.
I also had friends visiting this weekend. Looking at photos they took of the garden gave me a great feeling of satisfaction and an appreciation of how far the garden has come. This is a wonderful time of the year and for the first time I am seeing growth and flowers on plants that, for some, were planted late last year or early this year.
The flowering Crab Apple – still a small tree but has great promise and the blossoms are lovely.
Forgive me if some of the photos appear indulgent, but I’m also using this Blog as a garden diary so I track what goes in when and when plants flower. Ideally I’d like to keep colour in the garden year round.
This week looks like it will be a pretty physical one with lots of digging, feeding and planting for the front garden bed. I’m comfortable that the Convent gardens will be very unfinished for the Kandos Gardens Fair, but keen that visitors can get a perspective of the direction of the garden and what it will potentially look like.
The original roses from the sunroom. This is the first week of flowering and they are just beautiful and adorning vases inside.
As it was – grass running up to the fence. Low maintenance but just a bit boring for a gardener.
In the quest to rebuild the garden, one of the more obvious options was to put in a bed along the front ash brick wall. Obvious and will look great but it is around 40 metres long and I want a deep bed. With grass running right up to it, that’s a lot of digging. But digging I am doing and now beginning to make progress.
Making progress. I’d like the bed to be about twice as deep to allow for an abundant garden
I’ve been planting as I go, starting with the larger plants nearest the wall. After some foundering, I have realised that the plants will be south-facing. I’m not great with my north, souths etc when asked, so whilst the wall may face north, there happen to be two sides to any wall and I’m not planting that side!
This means that I can plant shrubs that are happy with some shade, such as camellias and azaleas near the wall as they will be more protected. I’ve opted for vigorous climbing roses as they should bundle themselves over the wall onto the footpath chasing the sun (or at least so I hope). There are also some standard maples and other ornamentals including lilacs, which I will endeavour to keep to a reasonable height.
Lots more to go
The bed is planned to have three layers – the higher plants and climbers at the back, the salvias and sages and mid-sized perennials in the middle and smaller groundcovers and perennials at the front. That’s the plan. I’m getting some inspiration from fellow bloggers, looking at local gardens and heaps of books. I’d like to incorporate some “useful” plants as most of the garden beds include plants that do more than look nice. I already have the odd berry plants and envisage more fruit and particularly herbs playing a role.
… and even more
Tomorrow I hope my sleepers arrive which will add some much needed structure and stop the rampant grass from invading. The bed will be much deeper than it is currently which will make it screamingly obvious how much more I need to dig out! However I’m sure this will be a very rewarding project and give me a wonderful outlook from the front windows and a great deal of future interest as I watch the plants develop.
A troublesome corner. I’m thinking it may house a deep bed of azaleas.
As Spring springs into action, I’m discovering so many new things – either with the old garden or with my new plants which are welcoming their first Spring. Here are a few more favourites coming into flower for the first time.
The first roseThe first bloom on the Banksia Rose which is thriving despite an earlier setback being run over by a rampant carThe Judas tree – these blossoms have lasted for weeks and the leaves have an attractive and distinctive shapeClematis seem to thrive hereThe white Robinia. The pink version is yet to bloomMy first Lilac
First growth on an ornamental mapleJust having a snooze, Mum, while you weedThyme – I can flower, tooLily of the Valley – so delicate and prettyChamomile just starting to flower. Jumped up a bit higher than a groundcover despite the whippersnipper.
Golden Hornet Crab Apple in full bloom, keeping the rampant Borage company
Spring is such a wonderful time of the year, particularly for gardeners. This is my first Spring at the Convent and it is wonderful to see both the old plantings and the new spring into life, particularly my misgivings and the forebodings of the damage that the vicious Winter frosts could inflict on my new garden.
Last weekend was the first Convent Spring Retreat. My friends are always welcome but by setting aside special dates each season, it makes it easier for them to co-ordinate and plan when we can all get together. It was a wonderful extended weekend supplemented by Verve and Moet and also co-ordinated with the wonderful Kandos Hootenanny. The Convent is now much more comfortable being painted and with carpets in bedrooms, curtains and polished floors, as well as some furnished rooms, however guests are still mainly on air beds. Unfortunately the Convent plumbing was a tad overwhelmed with supporting more than one or two residents, although the roses are flourishing with the unpleasant results.
The garden is springing to life and I’m seeing the results of my planting as well as now more heavily planting out, particularly with the impending Kandos Gardens Fair, which has the Convent as one of the gardens on display (although positioned as “in progress”).
Wild asparagus spear – amazing to watch spring up each time
Remember a recent post when I said we had been gathering wild asparagus? Much to my delight, yesterday I noticed three spears coming up from the scavenged “crowns”. As they were old crowns, the spears are thick and generous. I’m now hoping for a bumper crop. Amazing when I think of how woody and dead they looked a few weeks ago. I think the pony poop is beginning to work wonders.
I’ll now show some of the flourishing garden residents as they are now beginning to make an impact and make the garden such an interesting place to visit each day.
Flowering Quince – this is a real, fruiting quince, unlike some of the ornamentals I have also included in the gardenThe Lavenders (together with catmint and thyme) are bushing and flowering along the back garden pathThe lemons and limes flanking the back garden path are covered with new growthSugar Snap Peas – we feasted on these a number of times. They will be a regular garden and menu feature.Alpine Phlox making a splash as a ground cover in the old bobcat tyre tracksAnd the white primulas have flowered their hearts outThe Freesias have been a delight under the Catoneaster. I hope they multiply next yearOne of my all-time favourites – Aquilegia – and my favourite versions in blue
As I start to see light at the end of the tunnel with a permanent move to Kandos and things settling down once my Sydney home goes on the market, I keep telling myself that life will return to “normal”, but I’m not sure what this is anymore.
I’ve never lived in the country before and life in Central NSW in the Convent is likely to be far from what I’ve always considered as normal. I’ve also never been on my own like this before. The girls only moved out recently but moving to a new place without them really means being on my own for the first time.
I guess it means settling into what life will now be like. I know I will have my garden, new home, time to focus on my interests and discover new ones. It will mean making new friends whilst still keeping the old ones. It will also mean participating in activities and helping out here in a town that is much like me in settling into a new future.
With my homemade yoghurt in the fridge along with camembert and feta, my first date and walnut loaf from my new bread maker, the knitting back in action and more roses to plant, life is looking pretty good at the moment. Friends arriving this weekend is the icing on the cake.
From the Hall through to my room with new carpet (!) and view through to the verandah (now also polished).
Just a quick trip and back in a day to have a peek and do some watering. I couldn’t go inside as the floors are mid-polishing but could look through a few doors.
Through the back door looking to the Study.
It’s hard to imagine that it was only just over a year ago that I made my first trip with my friend L to see the Convent. At the time I didn’t even know where Kandos was. Whilst I fell in love with the Convent and location, it was also very shabby and unloved – peeling paint, drab and worn floor covers and obviously unlived in for some time, with piles of crunchy dried slaters along the skirting boards.
The Chapel floor in all its glory.
Whilst I could see the potential and realised that much of the work was only cosmetic and within my reach (although I had originally been seeking a fully renovated property – albeit not a Convent!), I had no idea just how well the old girl would respond. She has risen to the occasion every time and looks wonderful after each tradesman works their magic. She has also revealed her own surprises with the cellar, lovely old fittings and parquetry chapel floor as well as some of the finds such as the old church sign, processional cross and wonderful original large decorative hinges.
I can’t wait now to start putting in furnishings and decorating the place with personal touches, especially since camping there with minimal personal effects since November. A mini move will take place in the next few weeks and each car trip will contain more items.
The first of the Freesias.
As for the garden, Spring is already in the air. Some bulbs are fading but others are still coming into their own. The Freesias under the Catoneaster are just starting to flower after having come up and had buds on them for so long. The first ones are large and bright yellow, which look lovely with the Grape Hyacinths and Snowdrops.
The old Prunus that looked so tortured (and the neighbours regularly suggested could come out with the other plants), has responded well to a trim, feed and mulch and is flowering dramatically.
The Anenomes are working hard in the central front bed as the first flowers. I’m not sure what will come up here after my “seed throw” but I’m sure I will get some Cornflowers and I’ve also added a few Delphiniums. Blue and white are great colours for this location.
The Manchurian Pears are getting their first leaves and many of the plants that were dormant during Winter and were hit heavily with the frosts, are now beginning to show signs of new growth, although I think there may be just a few casualties we will not see again.
I’m sure the Sprouts are not supposed to look like this!
The veggie beds are doing well – the Berry bed is shooting to life and for the first time I can see new growth on the canes. Along with the disastrous beans which were planted at the wrong time and were annihilated by the frosts, I apparently planted peas that were purely ornamental, which have now become compost fodder after waiting months for action. The long- awaited Brussels Sprouts, unless I am sadly mistaken, have gone straight to seed. I’m sure they’re supposed to have sprouts and not look like Broccoli – sorry L. I know you had great expectations but this is all very new to me. However the Broad Beans ( of which I have many planted) are now bearing well and I have taken a pile back to Sydney to make a Risotto.
Much of the white external sections have now been painted or at least been undercoated and have brightened the place up. The original front urns host Gazanias that go well with the paintwork and have filled out well. The back of the Convent, whilst still showing slight signs of the old dark stains, is now so much cleaner with the paintwork really glowing. I may need a new banner for the Blog!
Anyway, I’m hoping this last two weeks is the longest I will be away from the Convent for some time. It will be wonderful to be moving in to the renovated home, making it permanent part of my life and being there for Spring to see everything come to life.
These Gazanias suite the old urns – and need to be able to take plenty of heat.
A Persian Bidjar carpet with Medallion and Pendants according to the auction description and certificate.
Today I spent the day at Lawsons endeavouring to pick up a few more items. From the online catalogue I was particularly interested in chests of drawers, wardrobes and rugs. I haven’t been to a mid week auction before and it appeared to attract mainly dealers with a smattering of private buyers.
The internet must make a big difference to the auction houses as they can now publish the catalogue (with photos) online prior and take a significant amount of absentee, online and phone bids from people who can’t make the auction. It’s good to see the care taken to place these bids as a standard part of the procedure and the prompt follow up. It makes me feel comfortable in placing online/absentee bids.
There was a huge variation in bidding – many items were passed in, a few real bargains – I kicked myself over a Victorian mahogany chiffonier that went for $200. It’s hard to assess size on the internet and some of the chests of drawers were too big, some in poor condition, but the one I loved was unfortunately also loved by others. I didn’t get a bid in as it quickly went for more than double the estimate, which made it quite expensive. The wardrobes were all far too big for my needs.
My arts and crafts mirror with hanging hooks – an informal addition for the back entrance.
This auction had quite a few Persian rugs on which I am no expert, but know I need rugs and this style will suit the Convent. There were two I really liked but both went for much more than the estimates. However I was really pleased with the one I bought for $425 which came with a valuation/insurance certificate of $2,250 . It’s in excellent condition and could go in a number of rooms. It’s also a good size.
Another purchase was an arts and crafts period oak framed mirror with hanging hooks that will be perfectly at home at the back entrance, that I snapped up early at $70 to the auctioneer’s comment that it may well have been the bargain of the day. The other was a beautiful late Georgian mahogany bowfronted mirror with drawers. This would look wonderful sitting on a chest of drawers – I just need to be able to buy one!
Mahogany mirror with drawers. I now just need the chest of drawers for it to sit on.
The central hall. Is that new carpet I see to the right?
I was thrilled tonight to get photos from Michael from Mudgee Carpet Court who is looking after the floors. The boards are Cypress pine and every tells me they’re good quality and should come up well – but it’s hard to imagine what they’ll look like when I’ve only seen them covered in multiple layers of old carpet, masonite and lino.
The lounge room looks great. And I now have some furniture to put in there.
Anyway, I’m relieved and thrilled with the results shown in the photos and can’t wait to get up there and finally put some permanent furniture in place and set up rooms. Looks like this can start next week. I also have removalists booked in a few weeks from now to take some things up to make the Convent look a bit more homely and tidy up my place in Sydney.
Hard to believe this is the old weathered verandah floor outside the Chapel. The old cane furniture should be great here.
More auctions may be on the cards this weekend as it will be best for me to buy what I can prior to finally moving from Sydney. Removalist costs to Kandos do not come cheaply! Items I have my eye out for include smaller old wardrobes (often a good buy as most people have built-ins these days and you can pick up quality old pieces very reasonably), chests of drawers, study/library type chairs, perhaps a sideboard or credenza. Auctions are very opportunistic – you need to be well prepared, disciplined and bid fast – most items are only up for auction for less than a minute! I also think some floor rugs will be in order – and lots!
This was the big surprise. No idea that the old green carpet covered the original parquetry flooring which I’ve been told is great quality and has come up beautifully.
Similar to the local railway stations, the old general stores that lie vacant tell a story of days gone by and buildings deserted as populations or commerce moves on. It’s particularly sad when perhaps this was the last commercial building in the town and often the centre of activity and frequently patronised by locals of all ages.
The following show some of these local premises in my area.
The lovely old Butcher,Draper, Grocer store at Lue – now standing unused.The old Clandulla general store. There are now no shops for the locals.The old corner store in Kandos – now closed for over a decade – and once the favourite venue for children and their lollies.
The old corner store in Kandos – now closed for over a decade – and once the favourite venue for children and their lollies. It’s just around the corner from me and I think it would have been my favourite too. I love the verandah canopy that runs across the footpath.
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CONVENT AND CHAPEL 