Agapanthus

At the moment the agapanthus, white and blue, are cheering up my garden with their distinct white and blue flowers.  This much maligned plant is being treated as a noxious weed but I will let the ordinary and the mini varieties live on in my garden as they are hardy and will flower without fail in summer.  I remove the seed heads when they appear to stop spreading the plants where they should not be.

This clump of the mini variety gives some colour to this nondescript part of the garden.

This large clump of mini agapanthus survive well on this west facing slope, nestling beneath a flourishing cumquat tree.  This patch would have been bare without the agapanthus.

These white and blue agapanthus started off in a pot waiting to find a suitable spot when I first moved to this garden in 2008.  Over the years the white and blue agapanthus have remained where they are, outgrowing the pot, which has been completely hidden.  When the jacaranda is flowering the blue flowers seem to meld into each other.  This year however, the jacaranda struggled to perform.

vegetables

I hope this baby pumpkin will grow to maturity.  The rain last night, after a hot Christmas day, should help the vegetables to grow well.  Nothing like a good downpour to refresh the garden.  I have been picking some vegetables from the garden.  This year one of the big planter boxes is dedicated to four varieties of tomato.

Not ready for picking but these tomatoes should be sweet when red and ready.

The beans are doing well and producing more flowers so I can expect more for the table.

The zucchini when picked at this stage is even good eaten raw in a salad.  I tend to forget to pick them and they do grow very quickly.  It is a versatile vegetable, easy to cook.  I am watering the plants with seaweed solution.

Given the right conditions cucumbers will flourish.  This pot gets maximum sunshine.  I have to remember to keep it well watered.

All picked out

Tired of chasing the birds I decided to remove the netting from the big cherry tree (one day I will find the name tag) and discovered they are ready for picking.  A few could wait another day or two but they will only be lost to the birds.

I picked over two kilos of cherries.  Over the past couple of weeks I have been picking some as they ripened.  I cannot say this is a bumper crop but this has been the best harvest so far.

fruits from the garden

These cherries are ready for picking and the birds seem to know it too.  Even with the netting in place I have to shoo away the Indian mynahs trying to find a way in.

The apricot tree is dwarfed by the huge gum tree and no matter how much compost and manure I dig into the soil around this tree they do not seem to provide enough nutrient to give me big fruits to boast about.  The fruits, slightly bigger than the cherries are so sweet.  I will keep piling the compost and manure around the apricot tree.  I may have better luck next year.

This plate of cherries and apricots may not go far but their sweetness will be forever remembered.

More poppies

This poppy plant, an orange shade or red, appeared in the pot of bush bean and I left it there.  The cluster of flowers are still looking good after two days, even with the heat of yesterday.  I must remember to collect the seeds.

This deep red poppy is one of the many that have popped up all over the garden, from self seeding.  I hope to have more of them next year.

I must remember to save the seeds from this pink poppy.  Next winter I shall create a patch to sow the poppy seeds so as to create a statement come next November.

The poppies are all over the place, even in the garden box.  Like wild flowers they have established themselves in my garden and hopefully will return each spring.

Cherry trees

This is the bigger of my two cherry trees.  The netting had come undone and a couple of birds were attracted to the ripening fruits so I had to start all over again and wrap the netting carefully.

This bunch of cherries will be ready soon.  They are from the big tree and I am sure this is the Stella variety.  Fortunately the big tree is free from cherry slugs which have been attacking the little tree.

This bunch is from the smaller tree.  I have removed the leaves on top of the fruits as they were infested with cherry slugs.  I had to check all the leaves for the slugs which I squashed and to make sure they are all killed I sprinkled talcum powder all over.  The powder will suffocate any remaining slug.

When the slugs eat the leaves they become incapable of photosynthesizing, hence weakening the tree.  The brown leaves alerted me to the presence of the slugs.

The small cherry tree after the removal of slugs and ready to be covered in netting.

banksia

This banksia growing on the west facing outside garden is doing well this year, from the numbers of flower buds.  It is a very attractive lime- colour banksia and as I bought it from the sales table at CERES over six years ago it did not come with a label.  I did not expect it to survive but it is proving me wrong.

A close up view of the banksia flowers.

Poppies and cherries

Last winter I bought a packet of poppies of many colours and sprinkled the seeds in different parts of the garden.  The poppies, some pink and some with edging of white and some in different shades of red are flowering at the moment.  In addition to that the self sown red poppies have been flowering in the last few weeks.

This cherry tree is well wrapped up to protect its precious fruits from birds and possums.  The fruits are still green.  The fruits of the smaller tree will be ready for picking in the next few days, as shown in the picture below.

The roses are back

The unexpected warmth of the last few weeks is creating so much growth, especially the roses.  I shall not name the roses but will show off the pictures taken.  Some of the deep red roses are perfumed and I have picked the petals to make rose cordial.

This climbing pink rose is the first to appear in early spring.  This grew from a cutting given to me over thirty years ago and needless to say this particular plant was taken from a cutting from my previous garden.

This climbing Blackboy rose is struggling next to the climbing pink rose and it does not help to have a tall gum tree so close.

Mr Lincoln grows next to the front steps.  In the evening I enjoy its perfume while surveying my front garden from the verandah.

The October heat is causing the Ballerina rose to fade.  Under normal circumstances, if the Melbourne weather could ever be normal, the baby pink of the clusters of blooms are outstanding.

The arch, with the Pierre de Ronsard on the left and yet to be identified rose in shades of sunset colours on the right, was pruned down after a bad attack from possums last year.

A close up of the rose on the arch.

Deep red roses among the lavender and succulents.

Low bush of white roses dwarfed by the mauve poppy.

This standard red rose is doing well after the robinia tree next to it was taken down two years ago.

Pristine white roses.

Burst of colours from the roses near the front steps.

Bluebells and cherry blosoms

Some people regard the bluebells as noxious as weeds but I love them when they appear in spring, providing clusters of blue in different parts of the garden.  The most inept of gardeners can easily grow this bulb and can expect good results.

The star shaped pale blue flowers next to the bluebells I call the star of Bethlehem.  It may not be its correct name but this is another easy bulb to grow and it will proliferate.  The bulbs are smaller than that of the bluebells and when left untouched the patch will expand without any help.

The two cherry trees are looking good at the moment.  They are small trees and I keep them that way.  Last year I harvested a handful of cherries from each tree and we will see what this season has to offer.

The cherry blossoms are gorgeous and is it any wonder that the Japanese people make such a big deal of celebrating the opening of the blossoms.  The bees are having a wonderful time.


 

welcoming colours

Along my front fence the gazanias are at their best right now, providing welcoming colours to walkers along the footpath.  Last autumn I gave this narrow bed a good feed and I will continue to water the plants with seaweed fertilizer.

The cream ixias are just about everywhere in the garden and providing a contrast to the different shades of red and orange of the gazania.

My outside garden

I live on a corner block and I am fortunate to have, outside my fence, a piece of land that belongs to the council but left to me to maintain.  When I first arrived seven years ago there were three trees and a lawn on the north west facing slope.  Now it is packed with all sorts of plants from herbs and bulbs to fruit trees.

What is looking good at the moment are the flowering euphorbia (in the foreground) and the echium.  They look stunning when the sun shines on them and the bees just love their flowers.

First day of spring

My garden with its picket fence on the first day of spring.  We are blessed with such a beautiful day.  Just look at the sky.  The tree in the foreground is the Manchurian pear, now in blossoms.

The blossoms.  Last time the tree was pruned was a few years ago.  It has shot up again and can do with another severe pruning.

The apricot tree with a few blossoms.  Last season I harvested a handful of fruits.

The flat peach too has a few blossoms.  I have seen better days.  And below, close up of this gorgeous pink flower.

The ixias, creamy with yellow center are beginning to open up.

A patch of violets with the ever present parsley.

Cheerful flowers to greet visitors.

Garden as viewed from the house on this beautiful first day of September.  The cherry trees and the two apple trees are yet to show sign of their blossoms.