Last of the old Wendy house, built ca 1960

This stood in a very retired location behind the old corrugated shed, in the top corner of the garden. It was an adventure getting there through the undergrowth, and the little house itself was nearly covered with ivy. Creepy is a word that comes to mind. The problem was that there'd been no children to play there for decades, and wind, rain and ivy roots were taking their toll.
There may be a playhouse there again, or maybe even a garden house. In the meantime, I've taken down the little 4 by 6 foot house, marvelling all the while at Vic Smith's ingenuity. The framework had once been parts of a  greenhouse made of heavy, dense wood. One side of the roof was a cottage door. All the rest was boarded with a mixture of floorboards 12" wide, drawer fronts, thin pine door panels and one inch thick hardwood slabs, some 4' long. All this was well covered with roofing felt all round, set on a concrete slab. I'm fairly sure Vic's main expense for the little house was the cost of nails.

I'm keeping the biggest slabs of hardwood, but the rest will be heating us this winter. So all will have been recycled twice.

Shaggy Dahlia Story

The new dahlias coming into flower are competing for our attention.  The latest crop in the photo include the cactus with a central boss "Star's Choice" and the vermilion Tara Tahi.