Playing in the garden

There are lots of things that aren't so ideal about the apartment we live in.  It's pretty small, there are only 2 bedrooms, we have some odd neighbours.  But equally, there are many good things about it, not least the garden.  It's a shared garden and each of the neighbours who feel inclined to do a spot of gardening have appropriated a little patch for themselves.  One neighbour has grown a grassy patch of chives, there are pots of mint, some massive aloe vera plants that have come out in stunning yellow flowers.  There are even papaya trees- the subject of much dispute of late between aforesaid odd neighbours.  DH even managed to grow some decent pumpkins out there.

Monkey loves being out in the garden and can spend hours out there.  He just likes wandering around, looking for ants, playing with his collection of stones, finding leaves to rustle around.  The helpers from the other flats sometimes come out there and one day, one of them gave him some Indonesian tapoica cake, which totally reinforced the idea that the garden is a good place to go into.

Some parts of the garden are very stony.  In fact, they are essentially a concrete and granite mix with a thin coating of soil.  DH has been trying to turn over some patches, mix in fertiliser (carefully mulched down horse manure is the best!) and trying to grow some grass.  He was out there for hours today too- see any family resemblance?

Here's Monkey looking for ants (he's discovered how to say the word) and having fun with the shovel.

It makes it hard to move anywhere else....