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.

lemon tree

This lemon tree, a Lisbon, was planted in September 2008.  Last year it produced two fruits.  I have been feeding and watering it in the last twelve months and the bumper crop is the result of that consistent effort.  I will keep the tree low, and will prune the top.  A lemon tree is a must in all gardens.

Daffodil and white daphne

A lady in the Kew Garden club grows daphnes, white and pink from cuttings and she seems to strike everytime.  I bought this white  daphne from the club last year and I am happy that it looks like it will thrive.  A pink daphne in another part of the garden has died.

I cannot boast of having a host of golden daffodils in my garden.  This lone golden flower is still a joy to behold.  I have to look for another spot in the garden to put in more bulbs next autumn.

Winter flowers

The recent frost killed the white tree dahlia but there are flowers that are giving some colours to my garden.  The cyclamen, protected beneath the jacaranda, is a joy to behold.

So is the lavender bush, providing sustenance for the bees.  There is still a bee or two to be seen, surprisingly.

Fortunately these succulents survived last week's frost.  However a well established jade in full flowers was not protected enough.  I shall wait till spring to remove the dead flowers and leaves.

cauliflowers and azaleas

This cauliflower survived a bad attack of aphids which I had to remove with the aid of the hose.  Out of a punnet of seedlings only three are successful.  It is too beautiful to pick but I shall take my kitchen knife to the cauliflower.

The red of the azalea flowers create a happy spot in my winter garden.  The garden is quite colourful and I must remember to take a few more pictures.

First red poppy

This is my first red poppy of the year.  The self sown seed landed in a pot of bulbs and when I noticed it as a seedling I decided to leave it.  There are a couple more buds waiting to open up.  In the rest of the garden I am noticing poppy seedlings that should be ready to bloom in October and November.

White tree dahlia

The tree dahlia grows tall and the buds are finally opened.  I just hope they will last a while before the frost gets them.

A close up of the flowers, looking pristine.