One Month Till Spring

It is hard to believe that we are almost at the end of July with just one month of winter left. We have had a mixture of cold, wet and windy days and also frosty mornings which give way to a beautiful sunny day.

At the moment we are in the frost then sun cycle and the skies are a stunning blue. Lots of blossoms are out which are looking really pretty. I have been under the weather a little so have been taking it easy instead of being out in the garden trying to pull out the weeds before the next lot of rain comes along. However, I thought I had better take stock of what is actually growing at the moment as it is good to have a record to look back on this time next year.

I will have about a dozen cabbages ready at the same time by the looks of things. Oops! I said exactly the same thing last year :-) This will be the last year I will plant cabbages and cauliflowers as the pests really like them and I usually end up with some of them getting powdery mildew like this one. Now that I can buy organically grown brassicas for a reasonable price at the Farmers Markets I will do that.

 I learned something new this week when speaking to the staff at Green Harvest in Maleny. A few years ago I ordered East Indian Lemongrass as I read that it didn't rust so thought that would be a good plant to buy. I didn't realise that it is mainly used for mulch and for tea and isn't the lemongrass that is commonly used in cooking. So I have ordered some West Indian Lemongrass for that purpose.

There are still mandarins on the tree although the top of the tree is bare thanks to the local cockatoos.

The old mulberry tree which was supposed to be cut down and replaced by a dwarf version is still standing and getting ready to produce yummy berries in the next few months. Last year I froze some to bake Mulberry Cobbler with no added sugar on cool days when the mulberries were finished.

These are always looking cheerful at this time of the year and this is a really old plant that I inherited when mum died. It used to be one of many that were on her front verandah and protected from the dreadful frosts where she lived. I can't remember the name of the plant. Can anyone enlighten me?

Last year I saw a photo of pink lavender in this post on Rhonda's blog. I asked the CEO to look out for a plant and, if he saw one, to ask if he could take a cutting. Well, he said he saw one in the garden up the road so was given a few cuttings and I have been anxiously waiting for months for it to flower. Well it is flowering but it isn't a pink lavender unfortunately although it is a lighter shade than our other lavender. Back to the drawing board now.

This is my favourite bromeliad as I think the flower is just beautiful and looks much nicer in real life.

The avocado tree is full of fruit but I daresay the wildlife will be along soon to have a feed.

Because of the unusual winter rain there are hundreds of bulbs shooting up everywhere even in the succulent garden. LOL! Lots have been planted in the past 38 or so years since we have been living here. They will look lovely in spring and I just hope it won't be too hot as spring was hotter than summer last year from memory.

On one of the warm days we had a couple of weeks ago I was feeling all summery so planted a couple of cucumber seeds just to see what would happen. I put the pot in a spot where it would be protected from the frost and I noticed a seedling the other day. It will be interesting to see if it actually grows much more.

These tomatoes are growing in a sheltered spot just under the house and I cover them every night in case of frost and so far so good although a few leaves have been frosted. I would so love to have a few tomatoes that will keep growing until the warmer weather arrives as I really don't like the taste of bought tomatoes. 

Another reminder that spring is just around the corner is the appearance of the Californian Poppies. Apparently the plant is a herb although we don't use it for medicinal purposes at all. According to Isabel Shipard's 'How Can I Use Herbs In My Daily Life'  it was used by American Indians for colic pain and is a useful herb for spasmodic pain. I just think they make a cheerful addition to the garden. 

I hope everyone is keeping well. Here in our area we are heading into flu season as the EKKA is on in Brisbane very soon and the flu always hits after that. I believe that some areas in the US are having heat waves and I guess it won't be long before we are in the same boat. In the meantime, I am enjoying being able to sleep during the cold nights which seem to have stopped the possums from jumping on the roof at 2am every morning and the cockatoos from squawking outside the bedroom window at daylight.  Don't you just love wildlife?