Too Much

As I mentioned yesterday, there are so many things on this weekend that it became impossible to do them all. We could have got up early today and gone for a bird-spotting walk around Lake Wendouree. But we skipped that one.

Today is the annual Lal Lal Market. We had to pop in and have a look there, just because there aren't many things that happen in Lal Lal:

Notice that grey sky and how rugged-up everyone is. That will influence how many of today's events we actually get to.

There are three gardens open in Buninyong today, so we decided to go and check out one or two of them.

The first one is the garden of the Old Vicarage - formerly the Anglican vicarage. The house was built in 1857, and several of the trees date from that time.

This is probably not the best time to see this garden - the roses are not open yet, but the bulbs have all finished.

The 160-yr-old trees are impressive though. The back yard was not open to the public unfortunately. I'm not sure why this garden was open, as you can see all of the front garden from the street.

While we were in the area we popped in to the Buninyong Festival. I think it is a shame that it is on on the same day as Lal Lal market. I wonder if that was accidental or a deliberate choice. Perhaps the organisers of one or the other thought people might go to both, as they are only 10 minutes drive apart?

There were a lot more people and stalls at Buninyong than at Lal Lal:

 We took a quick walk though but didn't buy anything.

The second open garden, Mossmont, was worth seeing because it is hidden away from the road, so you would never know it was there. The driveway is lined with sugar maples:

This house was also built in the 1850s, and the garden features a 160-year-old elm tree:

Not in leaf yet, but it must give wonderful shade in summer.

A Victorian-style circular garden and fountain:

Orchids in flower close to the house:

I wonder if they move those pots somewhere in winter, or if this spot is sheltered enough for them to be OK all year round?

Garden bed with irises, euphorbias and proteas:

I was surprised to find that this weeping cedar is a deodar:

I've only seen them as upright giants in the Himalayas.

We decided we may as well take a quick visit to the third garden. We drove to the parking area, then walked and walked and walked. The property is on a narrow dirt road, with no room for parking anywhere nearby. So the walk to the front gate took longer than we had planned to spend on the whole visit.

Once at the property, there was a walk along the drive:

Stone walls:

And an amazing view across the valley:

Also a pizza oven, a swimming pool and lots of fairly young trees dotted around between the stone retaining walls.

The garden beds near the the house are in a cottage style, which is surprising given the modern building and the dramatic setting on the side of the hill.

My plan for the afternoon had been to visit Steiglitz for their quilt airing, on the way to the Geelong Patchworkers and Quilters exhibition. But after the busy morning, and given that I still have lots to do to get ready for our own exhibition next weekend, I decided to skip Steiglitz (today is not good weather for an open-air quilt show anyway) and Geelong as well.

Instead I spent the rest of the afternoon finishing the binding on Bloom:

Just a few hanging sleeves to do now.