Brightening up

After a long day of painting, puttying, laundry, cooking, vacuuming, dusting and general housework - all on the most beautiful day imaginable - and finally having completely missed the whole of the French Open final which I had anticipated for two weeks because I had to help put the windows back in, I was not in a mood conducive to writing so thought it best not to! However, I have now got over all that (although you can get the picture), as today has dawned equally beautiful and I can start all over again. Isn't that the exciting thing about life. Every day is a new beginning and you can leave yesterday behind.

I don't know how long the good weather will last but hopefully the plants will recover from the hail they got last week - the leaves are spotted with brown and some died off in the cold. I have at least 50 clivia seeds that can be laid on the ground under a mulch of leaves which seems to be all they need to flourish and these will be scattered under the milkwood tree - I have another one growing now that is about 8 feet high and must start cutting the bottom branches to train it into an umbrella shape.

Splashes of bright jewel-like colour are appearing as the bokbaai vygies burst into bloom at the slightest sign of sunshine - they are very early this year and if I buy more seedlings I should have them in the garden for about 4 months. The lawns are green and the well is filling up for summer, and best of all, it is aloe time in Kommetjie! There are so many different varieties and everyone seems to have them outside on the verge, creating a riot of orange, yellow and red hues where ever you go, with the accompanying sunbirds ever present.