Christmas storm

This is what the garden looks like the day before Christmas.  The red and white roses are in fill bloom and the jacaranda, though not flower laden this year, still looks lovely.  A storm with torrential rain and hailstones left enough damage to make any gardener weep.  It happened in the afternoon on Christmas day, starting with heavy rain and lashing wind.  Then the hailstones began to pour down from the sky.  The large leaves of the rhubarb were in tatters and the delicate leaf stalks of the zucchinis and squash were easily broken.  This morning I collected a bowl of green tomatoes, ripped from the vines.

 The hailstones covered the lawn and the footpath strewn with jacaranda flowers.

The white petals of the Iceberg rose covered the ground beneath the standard form.

Nothing can be done about the vagaries of nature and all gardeners are very aware of that sad truth.

Blue and white

At the moment the garden is a picture of blue and white.  There are other colours but the white and blue predominate.  The standard iceberg roses are in full bloom and the white agapanthus too are at their best. The blue agapanthus, both dwarf and the large varieties are all over the garden.  Some people hate the sight of agapanthus because of it's reputation as a noxious weed but if the flowers are removed once they are spent, then there should not be a problem with self seeding.  I do have spare agapanthus if anyone is interested.  The jacaranda is looking magnificent but is fast losing the flowers which cover my car daily.

sweet corns and beans for Christmas

The sweet corns will definitely be ready to pick for Christmas dinner as indicated by the silk.  I planted a punnet of the sweet corn seedlings in September, with little hope of a harvest.  Of the five seedlings I planted in the garden only two survived the snails or slugs that chewed into the delicate stems.  The other five I planted in a large container and they all survived, but I can definitely say that those in the garden are looking a lot healthier.  I should have paid more attention to the container and top it with compost as corns are hungry plants.  Still, they are giving me some corns for the dinner table.
The beans too are ready to harvest.  They are so delicious eaten direct from the bush, which I am inclined to do before I begin watering in the morning.  I don't water everyday but after a hot spell I will give the garden a good soaking.  The beans I will be harvesting is the climbing variety but the bush beans which I planted a few weeks later are showing signs of bearing fruits.  I must start thinking about putting in more seeds so I can have beans right on to the onset of winter.

more flowering bulbs

Just when I thought the flowering bulbs are spent, I found a small patch of Brodiaea Queen Fabiola underneath the Manchurian pear tree.  The blue flowers brighten up the shaded area and I hope the bulbs will multiply.  I must remember to dig them up and spread them around the garden for more surprises next year.

This orange lily makes an appearance this time of the year without fail.  The previous owner of this garden had planted the lily amongst the azaleas, beneath the jacaranda tree.  In December when the azaleas are shiny with green leaves the orange lily stands above them.

artichoke

I allowed this artichoke to bloom simply because I love the colour and the fragrance of this flower.  I am careful before I put my nose close to the brilliant blue filaments to inhale the spicy perfume because there could be bees as seen in the picture.  The flowers last a few weeks.  There are a couple of small buds on the bush, if you can call it that, but the season is definitely over.  There is a smaller plant but I doubt if it would send out buds this season.  I may have to wait till the end of next winter to enjoy more artichokes in spring.