Dear everyone, this image is a pic I took of our neighbours' lovely hand-made home, and it sums up the promise I feel of being able to build a home of our own.
I want to let kind supporters know, just what a difference you have made! This time last year, we were really sinking... but as we approach Christmas this year, it's with enthusiasm and happy anticipation. You have all contributed to our lives improving, and being set on course to keep improving.
The trees came down, and we were able to buy a dehumidifier for my son, plus pay for a pair of 15 amp electrical outlets to be installed at the meter box, so we can run heating and dehumidifying in my son's 'room'.
Then just a few weeks ago, I was finally repaid a small sum of money that was owed to me, and it was enough to finally purchase the container that is my son's room!
How amazing is this! We've reached our goal in different ways. We have a safer building site free from tree/limb fall, and we're cleared of the monthly hire fees for my son's shelter. We own it outright, and can modify it to be a healthy living environment. No more mold!
We're taking stock of all that has changed, and looking forward to making progress in the year ahead, from a position of security. It feels amazing. Thank you. We're so incredibly fortunate and hope that you are too.
We wish you and your loved ones all the best for Christmas and the New Year. May all your needs be met and your wishes be fulfilled.
May all the world know peace and safety.
So much has happened since I first joined this community. It goes hand-in-hand with becoming involved in the Claremont Summer Flower Show. I've had a life-long passion for hybridising liliums, and it was so exciting then to work with other growers and gardeners, as I made space for breeding more lilies. So, I crossed paths with @gwhizz, and was led to this little garden of tranquility on the internet! Excited about sharing pictures and stories with other lily breeders, I joined and soon the lilies forum became a big part of my life and the bulk of my 'social' life. I enjoyed the happy friendship of other gardeners around the globe.
It came to pass though, that I was encouraged by another grower to join Facebook and discover an even bigger international community of lilium breeders. And I eventually did! However, being the introvert that I am, I discovered I didn't have the energy for more than one social platform, and the FB community became my internet lily 'home'. As much as I missed being here, I wasn't able to remain active. But I started this blog as a way to focus the little spare energy that I did have, on writing and sharing photography. I still wanted to stay in touch with the community, and I really wanted to share my flower photos. Well, I've been a less than consistent poster! Thank you to anyone that has kept an interest in my blog posts, anyone who still enjoys the pics I contributed to the database, and anyone who is reading this now! I'm reaching out for help...
Of the many things that have happened since joining this community, finding myself in an abusive relationship, fighting to get myself and my children safely out of it, and starting life again, have all been the biggest challenges. Every gardener knows how much it matters to be able to put down roots and grow in good soil... well, I've suffered more storms and been uprooted more times in my life now than I want to recall. I've wanted to just give up, but I'm too stubborn to die.
Here I am, on a piece of land that no one can take away, and finally I feel safe somewhere. But we only have temporary shelter and it's been more than 4 years now. In fact, we're approaching our 5th winter. When we landed here, I was full of momentum to build, and nothing felt insurmountable. I would save money, build bit by bit, and in a few years would have a new home and shelter, and a garden safe from all the hungry possums! I would be thriving in my home-based business and life would be prosperous, peaceful and gentle. ohh,, haha... dreams.
For every bit of money I've saved, there's been a major expense or emergency just to stay afloat. Despite years of online study for a new career that I can manage around my commitments and disabilities, I have yet to make business a success. And this summer, my body decided it would rebel, and all the hard physical labour required to keep my building project moving, was suddenly off the cards. Autumn has somewhat rejuvenated me, and I've resumed chipping away at things, but I have now reached an obstacle I simply can't move on my own.
In order to make my house site safe, there are half a dozen huge eucalypts that have to be felled, and they have to be felled really carefully by professionals. For over a year I've been trying to find someone willing to take the project on, but it's a big, daunting job in a remote place. And I was scared to know what it would really cost. Well, this week, a competent team finally said yes! Hooray! But the cost is so much more than I was hoping. It's $10,000.
For years I've tried to do this without asking for help, but I'm spent and I can't meet the cost alone. It has taken so much agonising and courage, but I've started a fund-raiser. And now it has come to this, I have also written about and asked for help with the other big financial obstacle that is holding us back from getting our home built - the help to buy our hired shipping container outright first. Put an end to the monthly hire bill, and give us the freedom to modify the container so that it can be made a healthier environment for my son who lives in it. While it is lined, insulated and fit out as a site office, it was never intended for habitation. It doesn't ventilate properly and fills with mold during the cooler months. If we could raise enough, my son could breathe clean air!! With the trees on the ground, I can go ahead with completing earthworks and footings, and put up our post and beam frame! For a total of $30k, we could really turn things round!
I'm can't remember the rules of sharing outside links here, so I'm going to put the fundraiser link in my signature quote and start a comment thread. If you're still reading... Please, and thank you, for any support you could offer at all, and for sharing this fundraiser far and wide. We need to this to reach thousands of people to have a chance of raising all the funds - sharing is the greatest gift... please share!
Many humble thanks. I'm posting some images. Please enjoy.
ATP (All Things Plants) was a regular part of my internet diet and community activity for quite a few years, but for just as many, I've been an infrequent visitor and irregular contributor. Checking in today, I discovered I was logged out and had forgotten my password, leading to me delving into profile settings to create a new one... and I discovered that my original join up date was 12th Oct 2012. It's been nearly 10 years to the day since I joined!
Ten years ago I was full of hope for my Lilium breeding. I was renewing my passion for this beautiful genus: planning, planting, pollinating, saving seeds, dreaming of the wonderful blooms to come. I was working with material from my teens, when I had started growing Liliums in the family garden, and had made my first cross-pollinations with treasured plants from gardening mentors.
Those early seedlings had somehow survived all the moving around in pots from rental to rental, to homes gained and lost, being plant-sat, until I finally landed in yet another rental after a period of being homeless. I landed traumatised and suffering major depression, but at least I had a place to live. It was when I took an interest in growing again, that I began to feel again, and enjoy life. So it was, over 10 years ago, that the love of lilies lead me out of the darkness. A year or 2 later a lily-growing friend recommended the forum to me. I joined, with trepidation, and discovered I really enjoyed connecting with such a lovely gardening community.
But other life events took over, things got dark again and time passed. Has it really been 10 years? Sadly, my Lilium dreams are again on the backburner. I had to leave behind my life's work in order to escape yet another abusive partner. (Patterns, much?) And this time, though I have landed in a safe place - and this time I own it outright, never to be disowned or cheated of my efforts again! - it isn't suitable for lilies. It's a beautiful piece of bushland with sunshine, trees and birds... and wildlife. Hungry hungry wildlife. Anyone who has ever tried to protect a garden from ravenous Brushtail possums will know the futility and pain. But I love it here and am making a home. I'm building it with my own hands and no one can take that away from me! I'm also expanding a small range of plants that the possums will leave alone, and creating a little patch of garden beneath the glorious trees. Clivia, Dierama, Agave, baby palms that I hope to one day see sweeping the sky... It's good.
But egads. I'm 10 years older. I'm 50 now. The same age, I've just noticed, as this forum! It amuses me that the NGA and I were born in the same year. I want many warm years to come, in the embrace of this garden where I can finally grow. No more sudden transplants, fearful lightening strikes, long drawn-out droughts, or bleak winters without end. No more months and years of anxiety. I hope I'm finally home.
The pics are from a recent trip to the botanical gardens. It's just a lovely time to enjoy the blooms.
Well, it had to happen. The chill that makes lovely autumn colours has arrived. It also makes me shiver as I face another winter. Funny thing is, this summer, for the first time I can remember, I couldn't cope with the heat. It was humid. What's with that? I mean, if I was a daylily, I guess I'd be happy. But we're not meant to be humid here. No one consulted me. 
Thankfully, autumn is still my favourite season. Some of the things that really light me up this time of year are Nerines. 
Ah, well... mid-spring has actually been and gone! I didn't get round to posting any pics, and found I had taken only a few very lack-lustre images. But in the spirit of continuing the year I want to catalogue, here's a belated mid-spring.
Actually, there isn't much variety in natives flowering on this little block of land at the time. The yellow pea flowers continue and Dodonaea viscosa quietly does its thing... except its thing is really the beauty of the seed pods later, not the tiny greenish blooms now.
One thing that does make its presence felt is Goodenia ovata. It grows in masses along our road verge, turning it yellow during mid-spring.
Our mystery pea-flower in full bloom:
Goodenia ovata:
