springing into spring

Hello again friends,

Where have I been I hear you ask? 

Apart from life getting in the way, I have been away camping with friends on and off for the last five weeks.  Hubby has had six weeks holidays so we decided to have a holiday in our own back yard so to speak. I hope to share posts with photos of our adventures soon. The 4wd we recently put a turbo motor into never missed a beat and let me tell you she was put to the test on several occasions. 

So here we are home again. We arrived home yesterday and I have been trying to get back to real life as we know it. Having missed most of August, I am behind with a lot of jobs around the garden and house. Never mind though, I will get to them.

Today is definitely showing signs of Spring with a strong northerly blowing, and lifted dirt. It is 25C (77F) with lovely sunshine, and although windy I have been outside pottering this morning. It is warming up to 30C on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Perfect!

This tiny purple daisy that grows randomly around our back yard turns out to be a native daisy. What did we ever do without google haha!

Out in the veggie patch things are doing quite well. I do need to get and renew some of the plants now that winter has all but gone. Don't mind the weeds, they have grown a bit while I have been away. I dont really worry too much about weeds around here because once the heat hits they disappear!

Calendula's are starting to flower...

The sweet potato bed stayed dormant over winter, but is now showing signs of new life.

Beetroot and baby spinach happily growing together.

This bed is a mixture of self sown tomatoes, capsicum and pea seedlings I planted.

I am deciding whether to trim these capsicums back or not.  I think I probably will and get another season out of them. A self sown celery plant can be seen invading the bed.  I have a lot of these popping their heads up everywhere. There is also sage in the bottom right corner, and another celery plant that I will relocate.

Silver beet or rainbow chard.

Beetroot.

 Kale

Eggplants re-emerging from winter dormancy. At the end of summer I chopped these back once they had finished fruiting.

Yarrow taking over.

Believe it or not, this is supposed to be a baby spinach bed, but another celery plant made itself at home.

Garlic and celandula growing together. My garlic has struggled this year, not sure why but I think the soil is just not quite right.

The last of the lettuce I have growing.  Tastes so much better than the bought mixes.

More silver beet for ourselves and the chookie girls.

These tomato plants are from summer time. I thought they had succumbed to the heat but they came back and I have picked tomatoes all winter.

Baby spinach and peas.

Baby spinach and sage.

Celery and silver beet.  

More beetroot.

And Kale. So far I have no bugs on these beautiful leaves.

Spring onions and left over basil from summer.

Empty bed? No. I have ginger planted in here and I am waiting for the new signs of life.

Self sown tomato plants.  These came up in the soil in which I had planted garlic. They are looking so healthy and with any luck I will have tomatoes in time for Christmas this year.

 

Trying to get some oregano growing.  I am having a bit of trouble getting these going this year. Hopefully the warm weather will improve the chances.

Another self sown tomato plant.

Garlic and baby spinach.

Lemon thyme is doing really well in the foam wicking box.

More yarrow.

Rhubarb. I haven't any spare garden beds so these may have to stay in the pots.

  

Blossoms are forming on the self sown nectarine tree I have growing in a pot. 

And there are new leaves appearing.

  

Pomegranate.

Bay leaves.

Dragon fruit.

These guys are on the move once again.  This fella was sunning himself in the warm sunshine.

The lavender is looking beautiful!

Gold everywhere on the wattle trees.

Anemone in flower.

Geraniums are bursting with colour...

And it is almost quandong season.

I am going to move this blue berry back out to the veggie patch.

My herb hanging pot is still doing well.

Pretty perfumed freesias.

Succulent pig-face daisy...

New rosemary plant soaking up the sunlight.

Lemon blossom forming.

Potted fig tree shooting...

There are many jobs on the to do list.  One being the new poly carb shade houses we purchased, I cant wait to see how things will grow in there. Also the veggie garden shade needs to be finished off on one side.

I hope you are all well in your part of the universe.

See you soon,

xTania