February...a walk around the garden in 28 days...

4/02/2018

February has never been my favoured month. To me it is sort of not here nor there. Summer is on its way out and autumn winks, yet there is not that much difference in the weather, it might still be hot, thunderstorms hopefully, and another sprint of flowers from summer plants. The long waited for rain has arrived and revived the garden.

Some of the daylilies are making another appearance. This is the lovely "Pure Indulgence" a strong and floriferous daylily.

Today, enjoying a coffee sitting quietly at the edge of the pond and watching all the small visitors around. Many butterflies flitting past, lovely colours, blue, yellow, some dark with white spots. Dragon flies like ballerinas dancing over the water.  Insects, bees are busy and it seems this is a place where one can hear the silence. To have the capacity to enjoy solitude is an inner force. Just now I see my little bar-shouldered dove sitting on the rim of the food bowl, enjoying the sun, lifting her wings. Small momentary observations are precious.

Little Corellas are sweet birds, welcome to the food bowl.

New leaves on cycad. Cycadophyta/Cycads, plants with a long fossil history, dinosaurs of the plant world. They typically have a stout and woody trunk with a crown of large, hard and stiff, evergreen leaves. 

February is the Month to harvest Mangoes; making Mango chutney and Mango jam for family, friends and myself.😉

Mango sorbet.




Bromeliads are a good choice for the subtropical garden, if you do not have a lot of time or do not enjoy a lot of gardening. They are nearly self sufficient. Especially the species which do not grow to fast.

8/02/2018



A glimpse into the garden, after rain nice and fresh again.



Daylily Daisy Broussard tricked by the rain to flower again.



Bougainvillea, pretty with variegation.




Yesterday it was windy to make the big palm leaves sway and rustle.




China rose "Old blush"  still pretty  past the prime.

This early morning I was in the kitchen garden; I have sown
 a row of sugar peas
a row of  beetroot and planted spring onions.




Cucumbers, Zucchii and Aubergines  are already growing. Most of the summer crop is finished, the last the pumpkins to go.

That's it for today see you around next time.🍆🐍 I have a Python in the veg garden.


TO EPICURUS, PLEASURE MEANT ONE MUST LEAD A LIFE OF RESTFUL CONTEMPLATION, EATING & DRINKING MODERATELY. ONE MUST LIVE WITHOUT ANXIETY, FORGOING THE WANTS & WORRIES OF LIFE.

16/2/2018

It was a very hot week. the beans were growing nicely but have succumbed to the heat, a few are still standing.

I am harvesting Soursop. they are big between 1-2 kg each, some are a bit smaller. It is not a big tree and I won't let it get to big.





Tree in my garden.





the fruit is fibrous, delicious and very healthy.



Soursop Ice cream a tropical delight.

I use the Thermomix reverse cycle to get the seed out as they  are enclosed in small fibrous pockets  and quite tedious to get out. With the Thermomix it works  well.

A few excerpts from https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/fruit/soursop.html


While the flavor is enough to make this a popular fruit, the rich vitamin and nutrient content of the fruit includes vitamin C, vitamin B, and a number of antioxidant compounds. The juice from soursop has been used topically, while pulverized seeds and decoctions made of leaves are also popular forms of natural remedies. You can also use the leaves and pulverized seeds to brew a powerful tea, which also has a number of impressive effects on the human body.

The anti-parasitic nature of soursop has made it a popular treatment in many of the rural areas of Latin and South America, particularly in areas where parasitic infections are more common. By brewing a tea from the leaves of the fruit, you can cleanse your gut and ensure that your gastrointestinal system is running smoothly...and so much more. 

If you are interested 

https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/fruit/soursop.html

28/02/2018
Last day in February. We had very hot and humid days, rain  was good, easier to get into autumn, as vegetable planting starts more seriously in March through April.

Today I have harvested again  2 big  Soursops, the last for a while. 2 big ones have fallen down and  were rotten when I found them, as it was raining heavily and I did not go up to the kitchen garden where the tree grows.










I can also harvest lots of Passion fruit now. Sweet and delicious.


I think I give everything a miss now and I see you again in  March.

My favourite time of the day when the early morning sun hits the garden.





Happy Morning, happy day. Ts





Morning is my favoured time because the whole day is still a  Mystery,Ts

Sorry, I can not reply to comments. I have alerted Google but I guess I wait in vain, nothing has been  done despite sending feedback a few times. I have tried again the replies disappear. I have seen many other bloggers have the same problem.

©Photos my garden, Text Ts Lavender&Vanilla