Sunday, August 29, 2010

Sunday in the garden

It's only a few days away from spring, and time to get back in the garden. It's all mad planning and planting and digging around this place. The fact that the local nursery had a big sale on this weekend also helped inspire us to get out there.

Spider web

After doing his last spraying of the nectarine tree for leaf curl the Mister discovered this spiderweb, all pretty and sparkly from the blue spray.

Strawberries

I had to dig out all my old strawberry plants from one of the wine barrels a couple of weeks ago as they were finally slowing down after years of solid production, and the barrel was infested with cooch grass and lilac suckers. I've replaced them with a different type of strawberry (and I've improved the soil and removed the weeds) , and I'll be interested to see how it goes.

Chicken wire for the snow peas

And for the first time ever, I remembered to build a supporting structure for the snow peas before they were planted. Let's hope our local possum doesn't take a liking to my little pea seedlings tonight, as I totally forgot to protect them with wire netting. Whoopsie.

After all our little jobs in the garden were done, we popped over to our friends' place up the road to have some morning tea and "inspect the property" (as we say around these parts).

Bindi - Australia's next top model

Bindi the dog is auditioning to be Australia's next top model. She's just so beautiful and she loves the camera (and the camera loves her!)

Magnolia stellata

Magnolia stellata. I think I want one of my own. But where to put it?

Euphorbia

I've never been attracted too much to Euphorbia before, but I may have changed my mind after seeing Susan's.

Pieris japonica

This is Susan's Pieris japonica. We have a few of the cream form at our place but they are nowhere near as old or majestic as Susan's. I'm looking forward to ours growing more and flowering as spectacularly as this one.

Here chook chook chook

These are the chooks. They used to roam free around the garden until a fox attacked them. So the three that survived are safely behind chicken wire. I long to have chooks but I'm losing that battle with the other gardener in this place. Some excuse about responsibility and barely remembering to feed ourselves at times, let alone living animals, apparently. He may have a point.

Seeing gardens like these, and constantly planning our own makes me so glad that we made the big step four years ago to own a bigger block of land so we could have a garden. We spend so much time out in it and it gives us so much joy and back pain. Oops - did I say that? But seriously, I'm looking forward to spending time outside over the next few months, feeling the soil in my hands and picking lots of produce for the kitchen. Just so long as those allergy shots work.

9 comments:

  1. Oh what a lovely girl Bindi is!! She has beautiful eyes!!!

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  2. Wasn't today glorious! I spent 3 hours weeding so that we can build our vege patch. I am losing the chicken discussion here too but I have the kids on my side so we may break him yet:)

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  3. Bindi's a very pretty puppy indeed!

    Good luck with the strawberries. I can still remember how good the ones from my Mum's old strawberry patch tasted.

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  4. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed that those allergy shots do their magic for you!

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  5. oooh gorgeous photos! wasn't today just a perfect almosty spring kind of day? We (apparently like everyone in the ACT - it was SO busy) went to bunnings, then I planted 5 new strawberry plants and spent an hour or so wrestling with next doors jasmine which is growing right over the top of my camelias! And all without having to wear my jacket!! =) x

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  6. Such a cool photo of the spiderweb. And I'm a huge fan of flower photos, just gorgeous!

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  7. YES! So looking forward to another season of gardening posts from you. I love that it's just as it winds down here, so I always have a garden fix. I say you should get the chickens. It can't be that much work, can it? How about - automatic feeders!

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  8. Ooh how exciting your garden looks! Uour mini nectarine started blossoming this week too, I must add it to my veg About sidebar list too. Your garden is going to be wonderful.

    Mister Bell has the same positin on chooks. Also, he says he doesn't trust them (!?!). I haven't given up hope though, perhaps I'll wear him down eventually! I'm about to start allergy shots again too, for dust mite. Perhaps that means I should do more time gardening and less housework? ;)

    So glad you've joined the Veg About, I'm adding you to my sidebar list!

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  9. Wow! You are a clever and generous person! I have just been perusing your blogs and involvements... and you take great photos too!

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