Tutorials

Friday, 11 August 2017

Are you sure it is winter?

The weather has been so warm recently that I have had to keep reminding myself that it actually still is winter. We have just had the warmest July on record in our region and in other areas of Queensland as well. I am not sure what it has been like down south but considering it was snowing there a few days ago I don't think they are enjoying our balmy weather.

 
We have freesias flowering at the moment which makes me wonder how the Carnival of Flowers gardens are doing as there are probably lots of flowers in bloom in the parks already. However, the council gardeners are very experienced and know how to get the best from the gardens and I believe they always have plenty of stock to replace spent flowers. If you are planning on visiting Toowoomba soon don't forget the carnival starts five weeks from today and goes from the 15th to 24th September.




Once again this succulent is flowering and is one of my favourites but I always forget its name. So I have spent some time going through Google images to find a similar plant and I think it is an Echeveria. Is that correct?



I love the contrast of the purple and apricot and best of all, they take attention away from the weeds growing underneath them. LOL!


I was glad I planted some petunias this winter and, although most of the plants don't know if they are Arthur or Martha in this warm weather, they have provided a bit of colour in recent weeks.


I am not sure how long the pansies will last so will appreciate their beautiful colours while I can.




As usual the very old mulberry tree is coming to life once again and there will be some Mulberry Cobblers coming up in a few weeks I think. That is if it doesn't get too hot too quickly.



The chillies have survived what we had of the cold weather but I want to plant a spicy capsicum that I saw on River Cottage Australia a week or so ago but I didn't catch the name of it and can't find any reference to it online that sounds remotely like it. It was something like 'Monsanto' but of course, that wasn't correct. Did anyone see the episode and remember the name? It was either on River Cottage Australia or Gourmet Farmer but I am fairly sure it was the former. It was definitely a capsicum and not a chilli.



Mum's old azaleas still flower every year. I have no idea how old these are as she had them for many years before she died 11 years ago. Considering they aren't given any special treatment at all apart from watering they do very well. Obviously they are hardy plants :-)

Well, that is a little update on the end of winter garden. I find it very interesting to read old posts each year as I forget what type of season we have had in previous years. Perhaps next winter we will get back to our really cold days and nights but this year we haven't even turned on the heater as we just rug up in a blanket and that has been sufficient. Mind you, it hasn't done the trick in previous years and we have had to turn on the oil filled heater which costs a fortune to run of course but this winter our electricity bill should be low for a change. 

I believe south east Queensland is in the grip of the Influenza A and B viruses so do take care as flu season always gets worse after the Brisbane EKKA as everyone shares their germs there and then bring them home. 

Have a great weekend everyone!





20 comments:

  1. incredible warm winter, our days here have barely been below 25'c today it's 28'c in the kitchen! it's no wonder i can't grow any winter vegies!
    love pansies & petunias they seem to flower no matter what the weather is, always reliable.
    those capsicums in the picture we have growing in our markets & we just call them Bell capsicums or bell chillies though they don't have any heat in them. good luck in finding them.
    thanx for sharing

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Selina I think ours are Scotch Bonnet chillies. They aren't as hot as the Birds Eye ones we also have which I don't touch :-)

      Delete
  2. Beautiful colours in your garden Nana Chel. We're just watching our River Cottage Australia DVDs again. Apparently the Tilba property is now on the market. I've just seeded out my first round of spring crops so hopefully we won't have a sneaky late frost!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Barb I read about the sale online while I was looking for the program in case I could see it again. I believe the presenter now has two children so he is going back to being a chef for a while.

      Delete
  3. Yes, it has been a warm day here too. I was gardening in a Tank top and shorts this afternoon. I was working on my citrus trees this afternoon but I did look across at my mulberry and wonder if it might be going into flower. I must check tomorrow. My pineapple tomatoes are just starting to come into flower and the snow-pea seeds I planted last month are just starting to shoot.

    Barb, I have those same DVD's I haven't finished watching season 2 yet, and I have all of season 3 waiting for me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sherri, it is Tshirt weather here. I had my parka on at the farmers market this morning but have peeled off now as we are heading for 24 today. Unbelievable!

      Delete
  4. We're asking ourselves, "What happened to summer?" here in Kansas, USA! August is usually sweltering here and we've been having temps in the low 80's. It's been cool enough to open the windows in the morning for several hours, which is unheard of!! Don't get me wrong, I'm NOT complaining as it's been quite nice, but I always worry that payback will be rough lol. Either a September of all 100+ temps, ice storms or blizzards in winter, etc. I was just telling my husband this morning that I've never seen our lawns so green in August!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It seems the weather is weird all over the world these days, Debby. Our area is known for its cold winters so a warm one is a bit of a shock.

      Delete
  5. Freezing down here in Melbourne although we have had some warmer days poke through. By warm I mean 18 degees. I've noticed more colour around though. Seen a few daffodils pop up in gardens which I love.
    Your garden is beautiful. I'm just amazed at the colour and how healthy your flowers look. It just be lovely to look outside and see your colourful garden.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kylie, the flowers are growing in pots as the chooks were digging everything up but we have had enough of that now and they are locked up. I just have to twist my hubby's arm to make them a run.

      Delete
  6. Such a colourful garden you have, Chel. Such pretty flowers:) It was 28C here yesterday, for too warm for this time of year. I have a sense of foreboding about the Summer to come...I heavily mulched our garden beds here a month or so ago, after heavy rains, and I'm glad I did it then because I'm hoping it will help the soil to retain more moisture. Meg:)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Meg, 28C in winter is much too hot although that is normal in the NE of the state. I am trying not to think too much about summer as the last one nearly did me in :-)

      Delete
  7. Beautiful blooms! Weird weather here too as it was 11C a couple of days ago, with an icy breeze, but for the next few days it will be 16C then back down to 11. I'm pondering whether to plant tomato seeds now as I feel that Spring and hot weather will appear all of a sudden, after Summer heat dragged on then we were suddenly pitched into Winter and cold days/nights.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Robyn, you have had much colder weather down there like we normally have. Today is another warm one.

      Delete
  8. You have a beautiful garden Chel.
    Here it's summer - some days are way too hot and some days are a bit cooler in the morning. Yesterday we had rain, but today it's again like living inside a hot oven. :(

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nil, I hope our summer isn't like the last one with multiple heatwaves on top of each other. I hope it cools down for you soon.

      Delete
  9. I'm heading to the Ekka this afternoon - my first visit ever. I've heard about the Ekka flu, I'll have to top up with my On Guard to try and ward of any evil bugs I happen to come in contact with. Your garden looks lovely and so colourful, makes me miss having an ornamental garden a little. Cheers

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lyndie, you will need your sunscreen I think. I haven't been to the EKKA since I was a child...and I got lost! My parents weren't hapoy :-)

      Delete
  10. Chel we thought Toowoomba was lovely after our travels further south, then we got home and it was almost hot! The beach is warm and the water still is just a little cool for me to do more than paddle,
    Whilst in Toowoomba I did a bit of gardening for my Brother and SIL. I was amazed at how many plants were blooming and how much was budding. I said something about hoping there would be some blooms left for the Carnival of Flowers. I'm just a bit worried. If this is winter what is high summer going to be like?

    ReplyDelete
  11. Jane it will be 28C here this week. The poor carnival gardens will have problems I am sure. Still I guess the council gardeners have a plan B to cope with the early flowering plants. We could still get a frost too...who knows these days?

    ReplyDelete

Thanks so much for leaving your comments as I love to hear from my readers. As soon as I check them they will be published. If for some reason you have trouble leaving a comment feel free to email me directly by filling out the 'Contact Me' form on the sidebar at the right.