A visit to a local Monastery an 'Orchid Show' and a weekend game of Scrabble

Relle and Di were visiting on what turned out to be a fairly wet weekend. The girls like to 'get out and about' so off we went to the Beaudesert markets in the rain. We were rewarded with some very reasonably priced plants and time for a devonshire tea with scones and very hot coffee...just how I like mine brewed. Rainy days are also good for board games like scrabble which Di and I managed to enjoy playing over 2 days. ..I won wothout too much recourse to a scrabble dictionary! If I look at my word choices such as "grower' and 'loam' - there is no doubting I have gardening interests!

We managed a visit to the Pauline Fathers at the Marion Valley Monastery situated on Beechmont Rd, 10km from Canungra.

As you descend the mountain road, the Valley opens up before you and there is a Catholic Retreat Centre with Chapel and Shrines that provides an opportunity for extended solitude, prayer and spiritual renewal. We were amazed by the number of new shrines that had been built by volunteers.

The Monastery is in a natural setting surrounded by rainforest. We managed to visit most of the shrines - admiring a new Polish shrine that had a well maintained garden.

The girls managed to visit Delvae on their way back to Brisbane and buy some of her haloumi cheese.

The following weekend was the Beaudesert Districts Orchid and Foilage Society Show at the School of Arts Hall in Canungra.

 I went with Warren and Gareth and met Dean and Tim for coffee. They both said to us "Oh you should have been here earlier..everything has been sold"

I admired a prize winning begonia called 'copper glow'

And I liked the look of a prize winning bromeliad called 'groucho'

Well done to the Society and check ou their Spring show listing in their website  http://www.bdofs.com/
I'm assured I'll be able to source the red flowered Dendrobium Kingianum. This orchid is the emblem of the Society and was discovered in the Lamington National Park, and so is found only in a small area in South East Queensland and northern New South Wales. It should be flowering in September!

Gareth heated up some yummy chicken and vegetable soup for lunch

and I read their latest book on cooking called 'Stoked - Cooking with Fire" by Al Brown who shares his love of cooking outdoors in New Zealand. A great read by the way!












And I hope to see you all on the 1st April for a 1.30 for 2.00pm start as Rosewood is hosting the 'Beechmont Garden Club' and please bring a plate to share for afternoon tea. Everyone welcome!