They say patience is a virtue, but my goodness – my patience has been wearing thin lately when it comes to my bathroom adaptation. I have worked hard to drive the case forward since moving in here in May 2015 and I have no idea how long it would have taken if I had just left everything to the council, but this week the work started, FINALLY!!!
I was prepared for some shattering weeks while the work was going on and boy has it been full on from early morning. But it is all worth it in the end and I can’t wait for my new bathroom to be ready to use. In the mean time I am left with a commode and washing myself in the kitchen – that is when the water is turned on. By the end of next week most things will be done with perhaps a few finishing touches the following week. Hopefully.
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This is how my bathroom looked this morning, just a shell with my toilet.
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The hallway has plastic zip doors to protect from the dust – but some dust keeps creeping in anyway as I walk in and out so I think a thorough spring cleaning will be needed once everything is finished.
All this work means I haven’t had time to do much preparation for a blog post. I have taken loads of photos the last couple of weeks, but they are still safely stored on my camera and have not even made it on to my computer. But I managed to make a movie and I hope you will enjoy seeing my garden – it is so full right now – another month like this and you will need a machete to get through! As usual, my movies are best viewed in full screen, at the best resolution your speed can tolerate, HD if you can, and with your sound turned up.
Just a few photos to round up this post. I bought a bottlebrush plant in 2012 as a small 2L plant and in my naivety I thought it would flower the following year. It didn’t. And it didn’t flower the year after either, or the next year. I kept potting it in a bigger and bigger container when it needed it and last year I gave it the next size up and decided this was it – it is not going to get any bigger container than this. Finally, this year it has given me flowers! Only a few, but it is a start, hopefully I will get many more next year.
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This is a Callistemon rigidus, especially chosen because it was advertised as evergreen, compact and suitable for permanently growing in containers. Mmmm....compact? It is 5 ft tall and growing....
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The brushes are deep pinky-red, not orange-red like many other bottlebrushes are – even though my camera struggles with catching the right hue.
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The brushes don’t last very long and has already started to drop off, but if the whole plant is covered in flowers next year (I hope), the flowering will last longer.
That’s it for this month, I will try to post some of the photos I have on Facebook so if you haven’t signed up as a friend yet please do – link to my Facebook page on the top left side.
See you next time, take care.
EDIT:
Sorry if you are trying to watch my movie on a phone, for some reason YouTube says it is not available - it is! At least it is if you watch it on a computer. YouTube keeps changing things all the time and it is hard to keep up with all their rules and regulations, not sure what the issue is this time....
Good luck with your bathroom, I hope that the finished product is all that you wanted.
ReplyDeleteI always enjoy watching your movies. You have an amazing collection of lilies--mine are starting to bloom here, too. I remember seeing a couple of huge Bottlebrush trees at the San Diego Botanical Garden. The hummingbirds loved them!
ReplyDeleteGood morning dear Helene,
ReplyDeleteIt's fantastic to see what beauty your garden is bringing.
I hope the work at your bathroom will be finished soon.
Have a wonderful day.
Rosehugs Marijke
Hej Helene!
ReplyDeleteFantastisk blomstring, liljor och annat fint. Flaskborstblomman var värd att vänta på. Hoppas renoveringen av badrummet blir bra.
Ha det fint /Marika
Your plants look gorgeous!I was extremely pleased when I saw that your garden is becoming more and more similar to a small colourful jungle as it's the same problem I am facing.Actually I don't think it is a problem beacause I like those gardens so full of plants that you can't even walk through them!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations upon getting your bathroom project off the ground at last, Helene! I'm sure you'll breathe a huge sigh of relief once that work is done. In the meantime, your garden doesn't miss a beat. I continue to be amazed at just how well everything (from lilies to Pelargoniums to dahlias) bloom, especially with so many in pots. I have 3 Callistemons and, with the exception of 'Cane's Hybrid', the others seem slow to bloom. The one I've got in a pot (because I want to verify the bloom color before I place it) still hasn't bloomed after more than 2 years and I'm getting seriously close to chucking it out.
ReplyDeleteYour video is interesting as always Helene, I liked the music!You showed your daylilies, they are gorgeous, dear! I didn't know this plant - a bottlebrush, it's an unique plant.
ReplyDeleteHave a nice week, take care!
I like the red bottle brush flower!
ReplyDeleteI poured myself a cup of tea and watched your video--what a wonderful way to start my morning! You have a lovely collection of lilies, one of my favorite summer bloomers. I hope the bottlebrush gives you even more flowers eventually; it's a plant we can't grow here in the Midwest.
ReplyDeleteIt is very difficult to do without a bathroom. I hope your project is finished quickly.
ReplyDeleteI am growing Callistemon for the first time (there were some in my parents garden long ago). They seem to bloom off and on, off and on when they are happy, like roses. As they get more established they bloom faster and better (like roses). The hummingbirds love them. Yours looks happy and and beautiful, like all the rest of your garden.
Oh no, I hope the bathroom is finished soon for you! All your blooms are so lovely. I especially love your daylilies. I'm always impressed at how many plants you manage to fit in a small place.
ReplyDeleteI sympathise. I have just moved house and have been without hot water on and off over the last month. Fortunately the loo has kept working!
ReplyDeleteI am now in Halifax, West Yorkshire. Because this is very different from coastal Dorset I've started a new blog - Loose and Leafy in Halifax. https://looseandleafyinhalifax.blogspot.co.uk/
Good luck with your bathroom. I feel for you doing without a bathroom and even water for so long. I'm surprised you have to get permission to remodel an existing bathroom!
ReplyDeleteYour flowers are gorgeous, as usual. Bottle brush is such an interesting plant!
Your June garden was stunning, Helene! Beautiful video. Love the daylilies, hydrangeas, and every plant really. Can't grow blottlebrush in this planting zone -- too cold, but they always fascinate me when I see them on my travels. I hope your bathroom project is complete by now. And hope you are well my friend. P. x
ReplyDeleteHello to everybody, I am trying to catch up with blog comments and this is a very, very late reply - please know I read and appreciate all comments you leave on my blog, thank you so much. I have visited many of you this summer even if I have not had time to write a comment to all of you. The summer has just flown away for me, not sure where it went, but I am still here blogging and still trying to film my garden and write a post at least once a month. Wishing you all a nice autumn in the garden!
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