Conversation Stumpers & gardening.

God made rainy days so gardeners could get the housework done. ~Author Unknown

People are odd. I mean seriously, seriously odd. What on earth goes on in their heads? Try these two conversation stumpers that we got this week.

Conversation stumper number one, on seeing Ditz come out of the library with an armful of books, several of which were 4'' thick: 'So this is what you do instead of school.'' ????? Do these people not read? OK, not going there.

Or this one; conversation stumper no.2:"But you didn't homeschool Liddy; she's so...*normal*." Pardon? As opposed to what, or whom? Ditz? Are you saying my Ditz isn't normal? OK, not going there either.

Now that I have that off my mind...The girls & I went shopping on the mainland on Friday. Ditz was glowing. Her birth certificate arrived which meant I could open her bank account & she could deposit her cheque. We got a lovely teller who thought us all terribly funny but dealt with Ditz, making her feel terribly grown up. It was a scream. Ditz didn't have a clue & we all knew it but the man pretended she did. What Ditz understands is that she now has somewhere for other people to put their money for her. Yeah, right Ditz.

We then went on to Bunnings, which is our big hardware outlet but has a nursery attached. I just shouldn't go into these places. I could easily spend thousands without batting an eyelash & thousands I did not have. Plus I had two girls in tow, both of whom will happily show me even more plants I should like to buy & just shouldn't. I managed to resist the Gardenias because I have 2 in already. I mean, more is better but I have 2 & there is no need to be greedy. I wasn't so lucky with the watermelon. Ditz carted the punnet all round the store until it simply ended up in the cart along with everything else. Where I am to grow watermelon I do not know. Liddy bought strawberries but at least they do not require so much room.

As for me, I bought leptospurnam, Banksias & grevillias. If you're not an Aussie you won't have a clue but they are all natives, shrubby & bird attracting. I got things with either variegated foliage or foliage that is not predominately green for a bit of variety. Back home we went to our local for potting mix to dump in the big clay holes we had to dig to put the plants into. Yes, our soil is shocking, hence the potting mix to allow everything to establish before battling the clay & ironstone. Being natives they should do alright despite my uncertain ministrations.

I drooled over the really BIG ceramic pots. I want a couple of those! Gorgeous blues & greens, which are my colours. I looked for & didn't find a birdbath. I looked at the tables & chairs I want but didn't find rockers. I then told Liddy I want the big nursery at Wello next time we have money. I have missed my garden. Now Dearest is moving all the building materials out of it I can start finishing the job I began. Dearest has the certificate in horticulture; I do the gardening! We have awful soil & the yard facing west was razed to the ground. It has taken me 20 years to get a canopy but now I have one I can put in my understory plants with some hope that they'll survive! Liddy, like my older 3, is a gardener. Ditz stands around getting in everyone's way.

My girls tell me that I can still upload pictures soooo...there will be pictures but for now I am going to go & move soil & plant more plants & water it all in and then I am going to wander round smiling like an idiot, sniffing appreciatively & enjoying what my labour has wrought.