...and on it goes into the jolly month of April..

         

One of my "learned" hens studying botany.  

Yesterday I was in the kitchen garden planting; the rain stopped for a day. This morning rainy days are back it seems for the whole week and the Commonwealth games are on now for 2 weeks.  I rather would like a "Commonwealth garden show".  At least we gardeners do not cheat.  Anyway  I planted many essentials for cooking and health like red onions, beetroot, celery,  potatoes and brassicas follow later. It is still very warm and humid and the 

kitchen garden struggles. The tiny tomatoes have grown on their own and are very prolific. Tiny fennel from thinning them out, a few beans, they really struggle in this humidity.

Lunch for one. When ready, anointed with olive oil, vinegar liqueur  and may be some double cream Brie.

Rose Perfumed delight, cuttings from last winter are already flowering the third time, stems are still quite thin, planted in my newest adventure, grandly named  "Rose Walk" when in deed it is not at all grand, it might become so, one never knows, depending on my energy.💪

April hath put a spirit of youth in everything.   William Shakespeare 

Yes, sure even here in the subtropics, April  lets the spirits of the Antipodeans soar. 

Azales flowering means April, Autumn. This is "Dreamtime" 

I received  this Azalea from a couple who visited here when I was establishing  this garden in 1989. Her  husband’s name was Rex so I called  his wife “Rexona”. Her real name was Dawn, She was a lovely lady.
There are still the google gremlins at work the spacing does not work.


Purple Salvia "Black knight" and Salvia Madrensis mingle well together.

• A favourite combination  S. Waverly and S. Black Knight.

Hoya flowers many times through the year. 

This one makes meter long trailers, sitting in a tiny basket.

The days are getting now rapidly shorter again, this means more time to read and to reflect.
“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.”
Aristotle

Small tomatoes grown in the compost scattered on the garden beds. These are already made into pasta sauce.

I usually make the sauce in the Thermomix. 

Gathered in the kitchen garden; mini capsicums , some I added to a risotto. Basil became a pesto and  some was added  to the Risotto. A handful of beans, they have a hard time with the heat and humidity. Hopefully it is getting soon a bit cooler. Pitaya or dragon fruit,is lovely especially when chilled before eating.


Risotto with capsicums and pesto.

Hanging pot  does best with succulents, as it dries out very quickly

Never forget to dream,  life is so much poorer if you don’t Ts

13/04/2018

Old Rose, Marie van Houtte. 1871 Tea Rose,nice fragrance.
...and goes with this


Salvia, not sure which is which😏
..and with this

Salvia Leucantha


Buddleja , white summer lilac
....and with this and more growing in the same mix  and match garden bed.


Iceberg Rose
Garden lore
I wonder if there is an other  planet where people live and plant flowers? Ts
24/April2018
...and slowly autumn settles  to cool nights and mornings.

'Autumn' my art journal,  this might go on a canvas in Acrylics.



When you live here you get these sort of visitors. They are around and one must accept them and get used to them being around. They are quite placid and if you leave them alone, they are ok. One has to be careful with small pets as this is a Python , not poisonous but very strong and strangles her food.

Seen..

through the window...

on the eastern side of the house.


Rain and warmth have prompted some daylillies to bloom again.



Sweet, old  french rose Perle d'or.
End of month 30/4/2018
Our life is our book written by us, as every day is a new page  and ends at the end of the month. Then we can’t wait for the next month to start a new chapter again. Ts

Rollinia, Brazilian custard apple, ripening now. They must be golden yellow, fully ripe to harvest. Taste wonderful.

Small wild Gladioli are lovely to pick





Old french rose Jeanne Ducher. Roses come into their own now with the humidity and heat gone, cooler days arriving.

Clerodendrum wallichii 'Bridail veil' a spectacular shrub when in full bloom.
With this I will say goodbye until the next month which starts tomorrow;😉

...maybe we see each other again.

©Text, photos my garden Ts Lavender & Vanilla