December including Christmas

What’s your favourite thing about this time of year?  The artificial lights on houses?  The random acts of kindness by individuals.  The very bizarre but completely normal Melbourne weather.  Wondering whether one will need an umbrella or sunscreen?  I love it all.  I am not a very religious person, but I see Christmas as a fabulous time around family.  As our family is expanding, the better Christmas gets.  At the moment, the weather is very odd.  I have vegies that have gone to seed way too early.  I also have fruiting tomatoes already.  It sure is a magical time to be in the garden.  This humidity is doing wonders for everything.  The rain and dry days too.  To reflect back on the year its been amazing.  I have orchids that have flowered for the first time.  I have Cliveas who have flowered twice.  The roses are just beautiful this year.  I believe the aphids have been less.  Everything seems more green.  All the different types of green...its just wonderful.  It still amazes me that some people would rather concrete in their backyards than the myriad shades of green.  Then we have the mixes that defy fashion.  An example: Chorizema cordatum, a beautiful plant which is pink and orange and is exquisite, however on the cat walk, a scary thought! I am not a huge fan of the colour pink however Croweas are known in their pink form.  Deep red bottlebrush are wonderful.  Lilac irises are startling.  I have a Hibbertia obtusifolia in a hanging basket and it is flowering at the moment.  People say that natives are boring have not really had a good look at the spectacular views in the bush.  For the moment, I am just in awe of the outside world.  Whether it be a flower, an insect or grass, it is great to be welcomed outside.  We are so lucky to have a garden and to be gardeners.  Merry Christmas and have a happy new year!

Hail to the Gardener

It is a wonderful time of year.  It is also a busy time of the year.  Especially for the gardener because the client wants everything spick and span and looking fabulous for the big day in December.  Its amazing to me that some people forget that some tasks require quite a lengthy amount of time to really come together, however they ring up the gardener two weeks before Christmas and expect their job to be done.  A busy time indeed, for the humble gardener.  So hail to the Gardener at this time of year.  The over-worked, under paid gardener.  Sometimes people look down upon us, but we don't mind, because we're happy with the job we do and accomplish.  The gardener enjoys seeing a single plant grow from a seed or cutting they have planted.  If you have a gardener, or know someone who is one, please hug them!  They are a lovely people and will hug back!  ;)  But not in a creepy way!

Herbs

I love herbs and the great thing about herbs is there is a variety to be grown and consumed throughout the year. What's growing in my garden at the moment? I have perennial basil, oregano, parsley, thyme, chives, mint, Vietnamese mint and the end of coriander, a personal favourite of mine.
I have just learnt recently that there are some do's and don't's in companion plantings. As we know, basil & tomatoes work really well together and why is this? Its because aphids and whiteflies hate it. And bees love it.
Other good companion plants? For roses, use garlic and parsley for aphids. For apples,fennel is good for coddling moths. Apricots need basil, tansy and southernwood as they may reduce fruit fly. The chemicals they use in insecticides are poisonous not just to the insect they are supposedly eradicating but also to many good insects, to the atmosphere and most importantly, to you. So on any plant which may be consumed by you and your family - because lets face it, washing with water isn't going to get rod of all residues of the chemicals. - use an insect repellant made from herbs. Basil is good for white fly and flies. Garlic is good for ants, aphids, and snails. Herbs are good for many things. I have mint close by for a refreshing tea; and having herbs in vases on my window sill in the kitchen is the best place to add herbs in my cooking! :-)

Spring is here! Woo hoo!!

First day of Spring, how wonderful! Love it!  :) Being in Melbourne, the day started off very sunny but now the sun has hidden itself behind the clouds.  The joys of living in the state which has been described (more than once) as four seasons in one day.  Extremely accurate!  And who wouldn't want a bit of spice?  A bit of change?  Anyway, its spring and there is a definite change in the weather and the land of humans as well.  The plants are still doing what they were doing yesterday but soon, there will be more flowers and more fruit and it will be an abundance of nature.  I fertilized a few days ago.  Managed to choose a time between all the rain drops!  Will we get another wet Spring or will it be drier?  Time will tell.  They are talking about a financial drought; what will that mean for the humble gardener?  When money becomes tight, the garden tends to get neglected.  Happy Spring everyone! 

Flowering

Its very exciting, as its coming to the close of Winter.  Which means plants are starting to bud.  Some have already started to flower.  Its when roses start to bud - that beautiful green/red budding is so special.  Its when cuttings surge into life. Its an exciting time.  My son turns one, which is also a time to be excited.  My mother-in-law gave me a small cutting of a Daphne a couple of years ago and I've been watching it grow and grow.  And this year, I've flowers.  Brilliant!   So what others flowers are coming into bloom?  I have jonquils, iris, clivea buds.  The name sake of this blog has been flowering now for a few months.  Such a beautiful flower.  It takes my breath away.  Looks almost edible.  At my parent's place - all of five minutes away -  their iris do not come into bloom until October.  Around my sister's birthday.  And my iris started to flower a few weeks ago.  It is odd how in some areas, soil and subtle differences can make a difference within a few kilometres.  

This time of year also sees the wattles come out.  They are so beautiful albeit awful for my hay fever.  The yellow is so vibrant and you cannot help but smile when you seem them in bloom. The other thing about this time of the year is the lawn will need to be mown every few weeks compared to every few months as its growth slows in the winter months.  Everyone seems more happier.  The sun in shining, even if its still cool.  The mornings are crisp but a bit lighter.  There is a small section within the day when a t-shirt might be worn.  Great time of year.  Its also when everything festive starts.  My family have a lot of birthdays in August to December really!  Fun times ahead!  Woo hoo!

Happy birthday to my beautiful boy on the 25th of August.  This year has certainly gone quickly!!