My very lovely friend, who knows I am off sick but is willing to keep me company and risk the infection, her argument being that if she was going to get it she would have already caught from me, contacted me on my sick day to offer her services to assist with a spot of gardening, slash weeding.
She knows how overgrown and overwhelming my garden of weeds is.
How lovely is it of her to offer to help? She could be pottering in her own garden, reading a book, watching episodes of Wentworth.
On her suggestion we took before and after photos. She concentrated on the overgrown grass and weeds and prickly rose vine around my entrance and letter box. (The postie will be pleased.)
Before:
After:
She unearthed some very tenacious bulbs sprouting!
I concentrated on the part of the driveway where I park my car. I struggle to get out without brushing clothes against shrubbery and stepping in the dirt. Quite a few prickly things have self-germinated here. Plants which will grow into monsters that will take up too much space for a suburban yard, let alone fit along side a driveway.
Before:
After:
My gardening rescuer also brought som bromeliads which have a new home under the massive tree.
We filled a green wheelie bin and more. Look at this pile!
But it wasn’t only me who was pleased. A kookaburra came for a feast in the disturbed soil. He found some juicy morsels and then sat on a branch waiting for more worms and grubs to surface. We were so lucky! He didn’t mind us at all as we got up very close. Less than two metres away. What a handsome fellow! And what a coincidence after the previous post this week about kookaburras!
What a wonderful birthday present from my friend!
Lunch shared is much more enjoyable than lunch alone. We had avocado on toasted multi-grain sourdough. And the obligatory cup of tea, made in a pot of course with loose leaf tea. Drunk from Wedgwood fine bone china.
Heaven!
Jo, you are right. Gardening is so therapeutic. Sometimes it is hard to know where to start. A little guidance and direction from a friend, and working together, made it even more pleasant.
lucinda sans 
”Twas a very pleasant way to spend the morning gardening in the sunshine. The hours flew by. Avocado on toast and a fine blend of tea was the perfect conclusion for our hard labours. You now just need some more sick days so we can finish the job!
What kind of friend is that and how can I get one?! You have a nice shady spot there. Love the bird pix!
We met at book club. I never would have picked her all those years ago as someone who would offer to help in my garden. Funny how things work out.
I don’t even think I was much of a gardener back then. In fact, I would probably have scoffed if you’d suggested a spot of gardening was good therapy.
What a lovely cottage-ey house you have. And a white picket fence! So story book. Glad you enjoyed a spot of therapeutic gardening – always better in company… and HAPPY BIRTHDAY. As Rosy said to me gleefully on my birthday, “You are half way to ninety, mum!” Well, you have gone one better than that. Wishing you wondrous adventures for your next 50..
Thank you for the birthday wishes, Jo.
My poor picket fence has seen better days. I think I will eventually replace it with a gardenia hedge.
Happy birthday, L! (Well, it is still Friday here). Enjoy your weekend!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! What an awesome friend and what an awesome idea for a practical birthday present. I hope you are starting to feel a bit better today.
P.S. your house looks nothing like I’d imagined it from viewing the backyard photos around the pool! I thought it was a less tree-d area being Sydney. What a lovely environment!
Our street has sadly lost many big trees. Some through old age but most through (over) development. But it is still a very green area.