Watching the days go by

It's been an unsettling few weeks, waiting out the time until I can go back to my home again. In two weeks' time we should be able to go back in - whether or not the house is completely finished, as these things have a way of taking longer than planned. I'm dying to start a new crochet blanket! I was happy to finish my Summertime blanket but I miss having something I can just pick up and work on without having to think about it too much! I've done a few small projects... a coat hanger here, wrist warmers there, and I've made some rounds which will become a cushion when I can get home and go through my stash to find some stuffing. Then I'll go through my stash and find some yarn for a new blanket. My stash! I miss it so.

I did pack a few small projects to bring with me including my Project Life album. I've only got November and December to finish for last year and then I can start on this year! It's a bit of a joke isn't it... but the finished result is worth it. There aren't many flowers in the garden here so I picked some foliage and teamed it with cyclamen flowers from my houseplants and rowan berries from a neighbourhood walk. The berries have lasted well and I've had variations on this arrangement going for several weeks.

Last week I went window shopping at The Tannery, a Victorian-style shopping arcade that's been developed recently here in Christchurch. It's a lovely way to spend an afternoon, much nicer than a mall. I wasn't going to buy anything but I found a gorgeous vase (photo to come later) and then remembered a voucher I had in my wallet from Christmas... saved for just such an occasion. So I managed to go shopping without spending any money... always a plus!

In other news, we've had three heavy rain storms leading to flooding in the past six weeks. What the hell, weather? If it's not one thing it's another, that's for sure, and I wonder what winter will bring...

These photos are from Instagram where I'm entertaining myself these days. Is anyone else on Instagram? I'm here.

Getting the bash from Mother Nature, again

 A week ago we had a pretty big storm here in Christchurch. Thirty six hours of rain and gale force winds quickly became known as a "one in 50 year event", and that was later upgraded to a "one in 100 year event". It was a rather eventful couple of days in the city, as rivers burst their banks and streets were engulfed in flash flooding. (Above is a small creek which burst its banks)

 All was ok at my house luckily. We had a sodden back yard, since drainage seems to be an issue after the earthquakes (my theory is that liquefaction blocked all the tiny cracks and channels that rainwater used to use to drain away), but the house and garage were safe and dry. Not so for many whose homes were close to rivers and creeks, or were just in low lying areas.

(Above is the aptly, ironically named River Road. The actual river is to the left of the trees.)

 I went for a walk in the afternoon when the rain finally cleared. I'd been lucky and stayed at home that day... I'm glad I didn't have to try and drive through this!

Debris was everywhere, leaves and branches and fallen trees. On my way home I picked up this bundle of chestnut branches that had been knocked to the ground. They make a nice decoration, but are also a reminder of yet another extreme weather event. It seems to me that these once rare, "one in 100 year" type events are getting more frequent - whether it's earthquakes, rain storms or snow storms, we seem to get something every year now! Hopefully that's it for this year and the rest of it is mild and tame... but with an ex tropical cyclone possibly going to hit this weekend, I somehow doubt that will be the case. Time to buy a new umbrella!

Remembrance

Today was the second anniversary of the Christchurch earthquake, and we marked it with flowers. Road cones and fences were decorated with blooms, and people created a river of flowers by casting blossoms into the Avon river at various points around the city. I walked to the river in the evening with my posy and looked around at the slowly decaying neighbourhood. A few houses are still inhabited, but far more are empty and sunken as they wait for the diggers and excavators to come. It is sad, but still beautiful, as the Avon river always has been and always will be. The land may be deemed unliveable, but people will still come and enjoy the peace and beauty.

The Medway St footbridge once crossed here, but it was rendered a twisted mass of steel after the quake. It has only recently been removed and I hear it is being stored at Ferrymead park until a suitable site can be found for it to be placed as a memorial. In the meantime a strip of red and black flags spans the river.

I cast my flowers into the river as a mark of respect and a symbol of how this city will bloom again.

Pictures from the perennial border

 On a warm summer's morning I took a stroll through the Christchurch Botanical Gardens. Some of the plants were receiving an early morning freshening, before the heat of the day took its toll. (Behind the garden bench is the conservatory, which has sadly been closed to the public since the earthquake. I posted a tour through the hothouse back in 2008)

 I wandered through the rose garden and past the dahlia beds. They were stunning but I was here to see one thing in particular...

 The perennial border. Full of textures and colours, I'd been dying to see it in its full summer glory.

 I am in love with dierama. Delicate grasslike leaves, graceful arching stems with bell shaped flowers and perfectly round seed pods. I've got some seedlings at home that I grew from seed. They are tiny now and nowhere near flowering but I can't wait till they are all grown up like these! Mind you, these are rather huge... some of the flowering stems were taller than I am! I'll have to think carefully about where I place them.

I don't know the names of many of these plants but they are certainly pretty. They would make some lovely flower arrangements...

Spiky eryngium is one I do know. I am intrigued by it's form but I don't think I'd have it in my garden. I generally like my flowers to be softer and a bit girly!

And here are some hot summer flowers for a hot summer's day. Red hot pokers are a classic.

I hope you enjoyed strolling with me, I'm off now to find a shady spot to rest a while and ponder the placement of shrubs in my own garden...

Avenues

 Last year I was interviewed for an article in Avenues magazine, about Christchurch bloggers. The article was meant to be published around December/January, but though I peeked there was no sign of it. It wasn't in February, March or April either, so I figured they had decided not to use it after all, and got on with my life. Then last week my workmate brought a copy in for the staff room table. I was flicking through it on my lunch break and to my surprise, came face to face with myself. The article highlights five bloggers in total and all are worth checking out.

Mr Lui is SO impressed that his mum is in a magazine. (He did find the article useful for sitting on - as the muddy pawprints will attest.)

It's the May issue, and if you would like to read the article it's online here.

Welcome to everyone who's found my blog through the article - I hope you'll want to visit again.

Pictures from the Ellerslie Flower Show

 Here are some photos from my visit to the Ellerslie Flower Show last weekend.  I'm afraid I haven't in most cases noted the name of the garden or the designer, so I'll just have to give you my humble opinions.

This garden was the People's Choice award winner, with lily pads, lush purple velvet and a firepit in the centre.

 This garden was inside one of the marquees. I was very taken with the rustic wooden sleepers, and the 'fireplace' design - cool! I also enjoyed the plant combinations - spiky with fluffy, dark with light, flower with foliage, etc.

 This was one of my favourite combos - echinacea with feathery grass and cosmos. The purple and lime green work well together.

This was called El Templo de Bloom, and had an Indiana Jones feel to it. A waterfall, tropical plants and skulls on posts!

 Obviously the earthquake was a recurring theme. This rock garden is made from rubble.

And this garden used upside-down road cones as planters.

Other trends I noticed were white gaura - on every second garden it seemed. 

Also Japanese maples were all over the place.

 Lots of hard landscaping - although that's the case at every garden show I think! This deck had some alternate squares filled with tiny plants, which reminded me of the pothole gardening idea.

 I like the herbs and shade lovers tucked under this bench.

And how clever is this birdcage planter! Me wanty.

 This is a clever design for a small courtyard. The compost bins are under the decking! The garden also featured vege plants that had flowered and/or gone to seed - it was interesting to see 'past their best' vege plants used in a garden design.

There were lots of sculptures dotted about the place. This grassy meadow was filled with metal poppies and irises.

 A metal heron peeks out from grasses.

A monarch butterfly enjoys the show.

On the whole it was a good day out, but I didn't really feel that there were enough flowers in the display gardens. So I was thrilled to look out the window on the way home and spot this cute little cottage and garden. It was like it was put there just for me! I nearly pocketed it to take home, but I contented myself with just taking photos. And if any garden designers are reading this, this is what I want to see at the show next year: white picket fence, weatherboard walls and flowers, flowers, flowers.

One year on

 Last weekend I went for a walk around the neighbourhood. My bike seems to have a constant flat tyre these days, there must be a tiny piece of something sharp embedded in the tyre or something. So rather than combining exercise with errands, I'm having to actually make an effort and Go For A Walk. The most scenic place to walk is still along the river, even though it's a pretty sad place now. The roads are rutted, cracked and full of holes. Even when the holes are patched it doesn't take long for the asphalt to wear away, since the land is still unstable and settling itself.

The saddest thing of all is the houses: lopsided, windows broken, waist high grass on the front lawns. Gardens which were once lovingly tended have gone wild and all but disappeared.

 For the anniversary of quake day, someone came up with the idea of putting flowers in all the road cones. There are A LOT of road cones around Christchurch, and that morning as I drove to work, every cone I saw was sporting a bouquet. Some were simple - agapanthus and dahlias were popular - and some were mixed posies. It was beautiful and uplifting.

The rest of the day was strange. Memories and emotions kept surfacing, especially at 12.51 when I was sitting in the exact same place I had been when the quake struck. 

I find myself thinking back to how things were a year ago - the first few days without power or water, the weeks that followed where we were unable to use water from the tap without boiling it first, the inconvenience of sewage pipes not working properly. The traffic congestion and bumpy roads (neither of which has improved much in the following 12 months!) The time spent with family who looked after me when I needed it, and friends whose support and kind wishes kept me going.

This is a bridge over the Avon River in Dallington. There was a commemoration ceremony here where people gathered to throw flowers in the river.

A couple of days before Christmas last year our neighbours came to the door. They were holding this beautiful quilt, which was made by some lovely ladies in Australia. The quilt was sent along with some others to my neighbours' church, to be distributed among people affected by the quake. They are the pastors of the church and they very kindly brought the quilt around to us as a gift. I was very touched - both to be thought of, and also that people in another country had worked together to make this loving gift to send to Christchurch and show their support.

I put the quilt of love on our bed straight away. I've spent a lot of time looking at the individual squares and feeling the good wishes of those who made them.

My thanks to the Coolum Quilters of Queensland, Australia.

♥ ♥ ♥

Christmas fireplace and earthquake update

I'm going ahead with this post because I already had the photos organised. Not feeling very Christmassy here though! We had another series of big aftershocks this afternoon. It began with a 5.8 which was followed a while later by a nasty 6.0. This is the fifth big quake event we've had since September 4th last year. Mother Nature, we get your point... you can stop now!

Small and not so small aftershocks followed throughout the afternoon. Malls and shops had to close, on one of the busiest days of the year. I'm so glad I was at home, not in a supermarket! I stayed home, rather than get stuck in traffic jams or risk encountering flooded roads or bridges that were out.

Our power was out for about three hours. My cellphone also chose that point to run low on both battery and credit. I was so relieved later when I could charge it and get online to buy more credit! (After the September quake I swore I would never let it get down to one bar again, but it still happened, of course.)

Lui went to ground for a while. I wasn't too worried because I knew he wouldn't go far, unlike the several scared dogs and cats I saw running down the street in various directions. I hope all the frightened pets are reunited with their people soon.

We had no liquefaction this time - BIG YAY! I'm so sorry for all the people who are cleaning up for in some cases the fourth time. That stuff really is nasty. We only got round to waterblasting the garage last month, so I'm grateful not to be doing that all over again.

I had some things I was meant to do to get ready for Christmas, but I didn't do them. Tomorrow is another day right? To be honest I forgot about Christmas today. Earthquake days just exist in a time of their own.

All these decorations are now all over the floor, and there seems no point to picking them up. The adrenaline is wearing off, and I'm getting tired. It will be a shakey night. I'll get through it though - there's nothing else to do. Hopefully tomorrow is a brighter, quieter day!

Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas! xxx