Speeding Towards December

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I have felt a bit like a juggler for the past couple of weeks as there seem to have been many competing priorities that I am trying to balance.

As well as getting organised to visit family in Queensland for 10 days in the latter part of November – yes, we are here now, we were putting the finishing touches to our plans for our overseas trip. We depart in mid-December for 5 weeks in Europe. This is all in addition to multiple volunteer commitments and the day to day running of the household.

Meanwhile, here are a couple of photos of our front garden. The native shrubs have grown considerably in the past couple of years and have been covered in magnificent flowers.

A view from just outside the front door. The plant in the pot in the foreground is an olive and it is covered with thousands of buds. Here’s hoping……………………

Flowers and Fencing

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I really enjoy this display of sweet peas that we can see from the kitchen and family room. I planted them from seeds I collected last year that were hanging over someone’s front fence. I will definitely be saving the seed pods again for next year.

This was the original front fence when we arrived.

This has now been demolished and the new posts are in place for the new fence. The rails have been salvaged and earmarked for another landscaping project.

It will be 1.5m high so will offer a bit more privacy and security as we are on a major regional through road. There will be electric gates for the vehicular access as well as a pedestrian gate in the centre of the fence.

There will be more photos once it is complete.

Work and Play

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The title sums up our day.

This morning we spent a couple of hours in the backyard. My first job was to remove the old cauliflower plants that remained after I had harvested the cauliflower during the past week. The garden bed will rest until it is time to plant summer crops such as zucchini, tomatoes and basil.

Meanwhile, GMan mowed the pocket handkerchief patch of lawn and then started on disassembling some timber lattice that has weathered badly and deteriorated significantly. It currently provides a division and some screening between the main area of the backyard and the clothesline which is in the far corner. We are planning to slightly realign the framework and change the overall style. I do not have any photos to share at this stage but there will be more details and photos once the reconstruction gets underway.

After lunch we had some slightly more frivolous plans. We headed to Bendigo to admire the mass plantings of tulips in the public gardens in the middle of the city. There were lots of people enjoying the colourful displays on a pleasant spring afternoon.

Here is a selection of photos.

The tulips were definitely the star of the show but by no means the only attraction in the gardens.

Inside the conservatory.

The exterior of the conservatory which was built in 1897.

Our next stop was a nearby hotel where we enjoyed a couple of hours listening to a local band.

A most productive and enjoyable Sunday.

Garden Update

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It is nearly two weeks since my last post and I could make the excuse that I have been busy but that is not true. I have been well occupied and juggling a few different aspects and I have simply not felt enthused to write. However, I am back with a few blog post ideas buzzing around in my head so I hope there will not be quite such a hiatus in the foreseeable future.

Today I want to show off some of the progress we have made in the garden. As always, it is small steps.

The weather is slightly warmer, or perhaps ‘less cold’ would be a better description. Either way, the bulbs and spring blossom are in full swing.

I did not plant these daffodil bulbs until early June so they were a little later than many of the bulbs around our town which are almost finished. I am enjoying their sunny faces which are just beyond our back terrace.

While much of the blossom around town is ornamental, I am very excited by the flowers on our espaliered nectarine tree. If every one of those becomes fruit……….Yummo, in a few months time. I will keep my fingers crossed.

A couple of months ago we cleared out the remnants of last summer’s crops and I planted some garlic as well as cauliflower and red cabbage seedlings. I hastily covered them with some fine netting to protect them from any bugs.

Yesterday was a glorious spring day bathed in blue skies and sunshine so we spent a few hours out in the garden. The seedlings had grown enough that I really needed to create a better frame for the netting. I sourced some thin metal roads that we had salvaged from an old clothes airer and some irrigation piping that had been left by the previous owners and managed to create the perfect framework for the netting.

Here is a closer look.

Cabbages and garlic.

Cauliflower.

Some flat leaf parsley which GMan salvaged and repotted about a month ago.

Until next time.

Reaping the Rewards

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I was away from home for a couple of days early in the week and did not think I had anything particular to share with you at the moment.

However, when I went down to the garden this morning I discovered that the sweet peas were flowering. I had planted them about 6 months ago along part of the fence in the vegetable garden area and barely taken any notice of them since. An occasional bit of supplementary watering but they really did not seem to be doing much and all of a sudden I have flowers.

Sweet peas, along with Iceland poppies, are two of my favourite old-fashioned flowers that I remember fondly from my childhood. The scent evokes strong memories and I cut some and brought them inside where I am enjoying them. I hope you do too.

Where Did I Go?

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If you were paying careful attention to my last blog post (27th August) you would have noticed that I mentioned that we were about to go away on holidays.

Well, we certainly did and were away for just over 3 weeks before returning home on Sunday. It was a road trip though our home state of Queensland which you can read about on my other blog, Somewhere, Anywhere if you are interested.

There will be plenty of new content coming up soon but meanwhile, here are a couple of images that greeted us upon our return.

We had housesitters staying in our home so that the chickens and gardens would be maintained. Quite aside from the housesitters, the growing conditions must have been simply perfect. This is the haul I picked from the garden on Sunday afternoon.

In December last year we had some Himalayan Ash trees removed. These are classified as an environmental weed in south east Queensland – please refer to the link for details. Naturally, we were keen to revegetate the area as quickly as possibly and have planted a mixed selection of native shrubs and small trees.

It is barely 9 months since these were planted but this callistemon is already putting on a spectacular spring show.

Blooming Garden

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It has been cool and raining most of this week here so I thought I would share a couple of photos to brighten your day.

August 2017

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September 2018 – last weekend

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I am loving the dark wall backdrop and the contrast it creates.

Lavender is a bit tricky in our high rainfall climate.  It seems to last for a few drier than average years and then when we get really wet seasons it just curls up its toes and dies.

However, a decent sized pot is only about $12 so it is a relatively inexpensive way to enjoy one of my favourite flowers.

Flowers in the Garden

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Most of my limited time and energy in the garden are directed to towards growing food.  However, that does not mean that I don’t love flowers or enjoy having them in the garden.

I don’t have a flower garden in the traditional sense where there were beds of seasonal flower displays such as snapdragons, sweet peas and my favourite, Iceland poppies.

We do have a number of native flowering shrubs which create a screening hedge on the verge but there are also some other gems tucked into various spots in the garden.

This is one of my newest hibiscus complete with a single flower.

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The lavender is thriving in this warm, dry corner of the front garden and has rewarded us with some flowers over the past couple of weeks.

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The marigolds brighten up the tubs on the front verandah.

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The vegetable garden is not devoid of flowers, either.  The rocket has gone to flower and is providing a pretty display.

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All of these flowers provide habitat for the bees and I am always looking to incorporate them wherever I can.

Welcome to the Weekend

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It is Saturday morning here.  The sun is shining and have lots of plans for the weekend.

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These flowers bring a smile to my face.  They are on the side table in the front entry.  I brought them home yesterday evening and yes, they are a little past their prime but I am happy to have them for a few more days.

We have a fresh arrangement of flowers each week in the reception area of our corporate office and they are discarded on Friday evening unless someone takes them home.

I finished work late yesterday and was happy to re-home them for a few more days.

May your weekend be full of smiles.