hydrangea

This picture of the hydrangea bushes behind the vegetable boxes was taken in early summer before the week of hot days which sizzled some of the tips and flower heads which were exposed.  I covered the bushes on hot days.

 
This pink hydrangea survived the heat.  Strangely, the flowers in the bush beside it are bluish even though the plants were cuttings taken from the same bush.  I wonder if one bush gets more leaf litter than the other.

These flower heads are from the same bush but they are at different stage of maturity.  The colours fade as the flowers age.

hibiscus

These brilliant red hibiscus sprout from a spindly plant which has been fed and watered but has no inclination to grow into a healthy bush.  I grew up with this flower, the national floral emblem of Malaysia.

A close up view of the hibiscus.

This hibiscus, a double pink, has been in this pot for years, I was told, when it was given to me by a friend of a friend who was moving to New South Wales.  At times this small bush could have up to four flowers in bloom.  Put into the ground it could grow to a big bush but I think it shall remain in the pot for the time being.

A close up view.

peaches

These peaches are from the tree in front of the front porch.  It is so close to the porch the possums have no trouble getting to it.  Covering the tree in nets helped but somehow the possums and bats managed to gnaw on some of the fruits.  These fruits are so tasty I would like to take a cutting from the tree.  The previous owner who planted the tree grew it from a cutting.

The peaches protected by the white netting.

green tomatoes

The tomatoes seem to be taking its time to grow and ripen.  I hope these healthy looking fruits will be ready to eat soon.  We need a continuous summer heat to do the job.

A bunch of cherry tomatoes slowly growing.  The wait seems endless.

Flat peach

The tree is small and I intend to keep it at a manageable height.  It was planted in September 2008 when I moved to this property and it has been doing well.  The harvest is not big, but satisfying.

The fruits are just gorgeous looking and the white flesh is sweet, with a hint of tartness, and juicy.

The harvest is not big but it is a pleasure to see the fruits, ready for picking, after months of waiting.

day lily

On this last day of the year the sun shines bright and the flowers are just loving the warmth.  The day lily, constantly blooming and dying is a wonderful contrast to the agapanthus and the different shades of green of the different foliage.

View from my kitchen window

These hot poker, buddleia and banksia are growing on the other side of the fence, in my outside garden.    I can see them from my kitchen window, and that was my intention when they were planted.  The hot pokers (kniphofia) are over six feet tall and that must be due to the sheep manure I scattered in the area.