My peaceful Garden;

Winter/June 2o19

Poinsettia preparing for winter colour.

Sweetpotatoes growing in the kitchen garden.

The lovely french rose Perle D'or visited by the tiny native bees (Tetragonula bees) I have two hives on the wall of the house. These tiny bees are stingless.

One of many favourites, Salvia, Embers Wish.

Favourite inhabitant in my garden. 

Australian water dragon. Intellagama lesueurii

The Australian water dragon, which includes the eastern water dragon and the Gippsland water dragon subspecies, is an arboreal agamid species native to eastern Australia from Victoria northwards to Queensland. 

....and sometimes I have the cutest visitors in the garden.

....awakening flower of the sour sop fruit. 

Soursop is the fruit of Annona muricata, a broadleaf, flowering, evergreen tree. The exact origin is unknown; it is native to the tropical regions of the Americas and the Caribbean and is widely propagated. It is in the same genus, Annona, as cherimoya and is in the Annonaceae family.

In the herb garden, not just herbs, also playful, makes a happy life.

Humanity needs gardens, the symbols of life and beauty and sadly the cruelty of nature, the impermanence of everything living. Ts

Sometimes I find a little reminder from my youngest granddaughter, in a cookbook. 
(Goi=Grossmammi=grandma Swiss German was to long a word for a tiny girl, she shortened it to Goi and it stayed that way.




Hidden away in a overgrown garden nook I found this long forgotten, sweet Orchid. Unfortunately the name is long forgotten.

quite like the self sown Coleus, enjoying the morning sun.

Hoya cumingiana sits in this tiny pot since 30 years. Flowers profusely in its time.

For now...until tomorrow if and when it comes..

“For you little gardener and lover of trees, I have only a small gift. Here is set G for Galadriel, but it may stand for garden in your tongue. In this box there is earth from my orchard, and such blessing as Galadriel has still to bestow is upon it. It will not keep you on your road, nor defend you against any peril; but if you keep it and see your home again at last, then perhaps it may reward you. Though you should find all barren and laid waste, there will be few gardens in Middle-earth that will bloom like your garden, if you sprinkle this earth there. Then you may remember Galadriel, and catch a glimpse far off of Lórien, that you have seen only in our winter. For our spring and our summer are gone by, and they will never be seen on earth again save in memory.” 
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

Ts for Lavender and Vanilla

Autumn/May 2019

After quite a long absence from blogging I had to have, I am back, maybe with new vigour, may be...The garden in May looks lush. Summer 2018/19 was very dry and uninspiring.

7 AM early morning sun in the Living room; 7/may/2019  

 

The kitchengarden provides Basil to make  a tasty Pesto. I used for this one  Tasmanian walnuts instead of Pine nuts.

A highlight are always Alamanda flowers, on top A. Caramel and A. Cherry.

We do not get snow but we still get Snowflakes. Euphorpia leucocephala






A highlight every autumn  are the Tree-dahlia flowers winking from
 above high stems.

In the fruit growing season now
citrus are ripening and providing fine juices. Soursop is bearing fruit and Pinks Mammoth were really huge and delicious.



Custard apples



The earliest very large Mandarins.


Daily native visitors in the garden.
Wonga Pigeons and the smaller crested Pigeons and the ever so naughty, lively rainbow lorikeets.




Simples; recycling at its best. Kintsugi (Japanese) embraces imperfection
and minimises  waste.

...and now,

"Be like a flower and turn your face to the sun."
- Kahlil Gibran

October, vibrant and lively.

Visiting birds;

There is always a cute Galah couple visiting the food bowls. Most of the time they are to late as the greedy Lorikeets have already cleaned up.





Colourful King Parrots.

September snaps...from the garden

African daisies

Dendrobium Orchid

Rhipsalis salicorniodes lives in a very big hanging pot on a window to prevent birds flying into the window.

The blue box  on the wall is home to tiny native bees/Tetragonula.

Tillandsia

Leptospermum, abundance of flowers.

Leptospermum is a genus of shrubs and small trees in the myrtle family Myrtaceae commonly known as tea trees, like the Melauleuca.

Orange Blossoms, the garden is perfumed, as soon as the last fruit has been harvested the tree gets back to produce these sweetly scented flowers and  the next wonderful crops.

Photos September 8. 2018

It was time to get out of hibernation and plant some vegetables, as  green smoothies are a must have every day. Also beetroot smoothies are on the menu every second day. 

Green smoothie, generally I add what I grow in my garden, peppermint, Tarragon, Rosemary cucumber if ready to use, leaves of anything leafy growing in the garden, like Broccoli leaves, lettuce, beetroot leaves, cabbage etc plus Banana, or apple, lemon when I have some! A teaspoon of honey and a tiny bit of salt, add water or milk or anything preferred.

Beetroot smoothie similar just add a whole, small beetroot or half a beetroot plus half an apple and some beetroot leaves, herbs and honey.

Benefits:
Feel great, 

Enhanced Nutrient Absorption. 

Green vegetables like kale, spinach, collard greens, and lettuce are nutrient powerhouses. ...

Increased Energy. ...

Improved Digestion. ...

Boost Your Immune System. ...

Healthy Bones. ...

Heart Health. ...

Get that Glow. ...

cheers.

©Lavender and Vanilla Ts all contents. 2018

July, gives a hand to June and August.

😏

2/July/2018

The kitchen garden is quietly producing...

The "White House" it is benign, not  like the real one!

Cabbages in the making.

Soon, Broccoli;

Borage for the busy bees.

Sellerie greens for soups and herb salt.

No garden without salvia, the bees love it.

Lemongrass; Neighbour's horse hangs over the fence to nibble on it.

Some of the Valencia oranges end up as Marmalade. Made in the Thermomix 5 is quick, easy and makes a very nice marmalade.

Next task, pruning and fertilizing the roses.

6/07/2018
Heavy rainfall over night. Nearly 60 mm

“The rain to the wind said,
You push and I'll pelt.'
They so smote the garden bed
That the flowers actually knelt,
And lay lodged--though not dead.
I know how the flowers felt.” 
― Robert Frost

 One row of potato bushes look a little harassed. I dug one plant out to have a look, this morning. I did not expect a crop. Alas here's for a few lunches or dinners.



..and a little stroll around the garden; a very mild day today. There might be more rain on the way. I am always to lazy to look at the weather patterns. My motto, if it it rains it rains, if it doesn't it doesn't, I can not do anything either way.😏 Just getting a bit dark now. glad did the wash earlier using the sun power on the roof.



Camellias are always a highlight in winter. They are so self sufficient, glorious flowers and tough as old boots.



I did not expect this Hibiscus to flower through the cool season.  I made a cutting many years ago and it flowers now the second time. I had no name for it, so I called it "Flamenco"

Bromeliad past flowering, still pretty with its red capsules, maybe seed.

Billi's and Lulu's resting place and many others never forgotten.

Brillantaisia has woken up.

The common name of Giant Salvia appears to be the most widely used common name is a misnomer as this is actually a member of the Acanthaceae family and the true Salvias are in the mint family or Lamiaceae. 

Bromeliads generally get fed from falling leaves and small twigs.

Hoya cumingiana lives in this tree since 20 years or longer, flowers 2-3 times a year. 

Bobbie enjoys to eat a few of the small leftover tomatoes.

22/07/2018

That's it for today, folks, see you around

© my garden Photos and text Ts Lavender and Vanilla