Fabric Stash

It is Melbourne Open Weekend, and the most amazing place I visited today was Phillips Shirts. I was surprised to find that a business like this still exists in the heart of the city:

Still employing a few machinists and other staff. They still make some shirts in this building they've occupied for 50 years or so. The machinery was interesting, but what caught my eye were the rolls of vintage fabric around the room:

I'd love to get my hands on some of these beautiful silks:

But then beyond the sewing area is the fabric storeroom:

Where bolts of fabric are piled up to the ceiling:

Rack after rack after rack of fabric:

Some of it dates back to the 60s and 70s, and still has the labels showing its origin. I was a little jealous of the woman who showed us around. She is their designer and gets to play among these fabrics every day!

Werribee

Took a trip to Werribee Park, for a heritage fruit grafting day. Wandered around the orchard and the gardens,

but not into the mansion. However its verandah did provide convenient shelter during a patch of heavy rain.

Vacant

Nice-looking lecture theatre, designed by Peter Corrigan:

Not too intimidating when it is like this. But next Wednesday could be a different story. Imagine those seats filled with students, waiting for you to inform and entertain them.

And what do they get up to in the dress circle?

Lunch Time

Nom nom nom...

Saw these sparrows during my lunch break. I presume posters are stuck up with a starch paste? Are the sparrows eating the paste, or finding insects that are eating the paste? I don't know, but looking at the state of the posters, this seems to be a regular hangout for the sparrows.

Winter Rose

I started pruning my roses this week, but I left the last bud alone:

The last rose of summer.

Flying Again

Sunshine and a neighbour's almond blossom:

The bees are happy. There have been a few days recently when they didn't venture outside at all.

Seedling Check-Up

In just under a month the TreeProject seedlings will be going to their real owner to be planted out. Most of them are looking ready to go:

Black wattle (Acacia mearnsii) with the usual wattle leaves in front, wirilda (Acacia retinoides) with more vertical leaves in the middle, and swamp gum (Eucalyptus ovata) with rounded leaves at the right rear. Behind all of them, manna gums (Eucalyptus viminalis).

Today I started pruning their roots for the last time. It was also an opportunity to have a close look at each plant. I found (and removed) two different varieties of aphids:

Sorry the photos aren't clearer, but these insects are absolutely minuscule. I would not have seen them at all if I hadn't been wearing my glasses.