cherries

I planted two cherry trees three years ago - "Starkrimson" and "Stella".
I cannot boast of prolific harvest but I have been eating a few cherries from both trees.
The blossoms in spring were beautiful.

I hope to see more fruits in the future as they are so juicy and delicious.  I will be topping up the mulch around the trees and will keep the branches low.

Wild life

This blue tongue lizard comes out to enjoy the sun.  I don't really know if there are more than one living  in my garden because I have seen the lizard in different parts at different times.  The lizard is so slow I don't expect it to move far.  I have to watch where I walk as I almost trod on one this morning.

A closer look at the lizard which can remain still for quite a while.

Broadbeans

I have been enjoying the broadbeans, which, fortunately, are not eaten up by the snails which are creeping up all over the plants and creating holes in the leaves.  A few of the mature plants have been pulled out after the harvest as there was no sign of flower buds.  Those promising more beans will stay. I have planted out a few more seedlings and hope to harvest the beans beyond Christmas.

This is just one of the many snails found on the leaves of the broadbeans.  There are just too many of them to be successfully removed.

poppies

The red poppies are back in the same patch.  There are not as many as two years ago but as more of the buds open up their slender stems dance bravely in some of this spring's wild winds.

There will be a few left come November 11, Remembrance Day and I will collect the seeds for next year.  They self sow, but I would like to create a big patch of the red poppies in the outside garden for next year.

 I put aside a corner of the vegetable box for the bright yellow Californian poppy and the large mauve poppy.  The seeds of the mauve poppy I collect for cooking.  The poppies self sow and appear in some unexpected places.