a riot of colours

At the moment the garden is looking good, with the flowering bulbs giving a splendid show all over the garden.  The azaleas too are vying for attention, with colours in shades of pink, red, mauve and white.  The feeding they received last autumn is working.  My favourite is the pink climbing rose, the earliest amongst the roses.

climbing pink rose

spring garden

and now some seedlings, ready to grow

signs of spring

Blossoms from the Manchurian pear and the first daffodil in the garden, have to be signs of spring approaching.  Unfortunately the daffodil is surrounded by oxalis, which I have been pulling out.

The wallflower bush has been in the same spot for over seven years.  I pruned it back last summer and they are back looking very cheerful.  The azaleas and camellias are enjoying the rain and there are more buds appearing so I can be assured of flowers right up to late spring.  As for the cyclamens, they have been looking after themselves, with a little help from some seaweed.

These orchids opened in July and I am tempted to look for different varieties to add to my small collection.

Two more limes ready to pick.

red and green

The beautiful autumnal red leaves of the rowena tree, brighten up a grey and cold winter afternoon.

Different shades of green from the Russian kale, the silver beet and nettle.

Rainbow chard, lettuces and Asian greens, ready for the picking.

A few months to go before these garlics could be harvested.

growth in my winter garden

The azaleas are beginning to look good.

Fruits from my potted lime tree.

The lime tree.

There are a few small fruits in this smaller lime tree and I hope the flowers will set.

Summer flowers in late autumn

The sunflowers grew from seeds that dropped from the mature plant in late spring.  I let the seedlings grow, not expecting them to flower but here they are, resplendent next to the blue salvia.  The bushy salvia attracts all kinds of birds and the weight of the larger ones would break the tender branches.

mauve salvia

yellow roses, still budding

tuber begonia

autumn in a pot - self-sown rowan tree

2 pots of turmeric plant, still growing

Flowers and fruits in my autumn garden

Rowan tree with hanging baskets of summer flowers.

A mixed bed

Bougainvillea

Belladonna lily

Marigold and zinnia

Shocking pink nerine

Cape violet

Petunia, azalea and dahlia

Hippeastrum, white squash and chillies

Salvia

Green olives

Olives, pomegranates, rose hips and rhubarb

With hardly any rain I have been watering my garden to keep them alive.  The pleasure of seeing buds turn to blooms and fruits ripening cannot be measured in dollar terms.  Being extravagant in the garden is no bad thing.

Flowers in autumn

hibiscus, zinnias and hot chillies in a mixed bed

cyclamen with attractive variegated leaves

belladonna lily amongst the cacti

lobelia and petunia in hanging baskets

marigold and zinnia

fuchsia

tuberous begonia