"It takes courage to grow up & become who you really are"

EE Cummings

I cant believe it was the spring  2013 I last posted!
I suppose what happened was that the internet in Northam was so appallingly slow I just couldn't be bothered anymore, also work got really busy & then we decided to shift (again!).
but anyhow Im back, along with another new garden, & heres hoping this is where I will stay.

I love my Northam garden, it was just starting to look good & we put sooooo much work into it, but shit happens & we decided to move once again.  I am more than happy in my new little house & the garden is going to be awesome!! These photos are from 2014 Northam garden, just to remind me of it.

Aloe garden in Northam

By the way the caption at the top is because I had a significant birthday this year & its a reminder to just be me!

Spring gone, winter back!

Well we had a few lovely spring days & then winter came back in full force, day after day of high wind & sleety rain, we have had our wettest September in 42 years.  Some farmers are saying they haven't seen a season like this since they were kids.  The crops are looking amazing & we have had 3 planes working, which is wonderful, following 4 years of drought & semi drought.

below my youngest skybax with his faithful hound, not at all impressed with the invader!

A fearless feline has come to stay at our hangar.  this male moggy turned up about a month ago, he greets the pilots every morning & actually strolls onto the tarmac to greet them again on their return in the evening, while the planes are still roaring! not even the slightest bit afraid of Bella!

Im loving my new little Genista yellow imp, its flowering happily away, despite the miserable weather.

Conospermum triplinervium, smoke bush. I have been wanting one of these ever since I saw them flowering in the bush, they are outstanding on mass & a little bigger.

gorgeous little margerite daisy I struck from somewhere.

This margerite, I actually bought, which goes against my grain as they are super easy to strike.

wisteria just starting to break out, I moved this from the verandah a while back & thought Id have a go at a standard (sort of)

freesia's & snow in summer



not sure what this is, some sort of native hop tree maybe, but I love the new golden growth.

Spring is here!

This amazing little plant was only just transplanted a couple of months ago, but its decided to soldier on & is blooming away.  My iphone doesn't do the flowers justice at all.

Melalueca

This gorgeous flower belongs to a native annual wildflower that have come up in various spots, I will have to remember where when we do our weed spraying, they are so pretty.



sunny side up Australian paper daisy, just planted in Jack's garden, hopefully I can gather some seeds to fill in around it as well.

Corondium elatum

A little dwarf iris that was already here, I shifted it to the front garden & thought it would be too shady to flower, but obviously not!

One of my inherited fruit trees has begun to flower & is looking quite happy, here's hoping!  

The mulberry tree is going mad, in the space of a couple of weeks it has come from having no leaves at all, to being almost fully leafed up & with fruit as well.

First few flowers of the season

Aloe mountain gem

Only a few days of winter left & my garden is starting to show a bit of movement.

For such a little guy, this aloe is such a show off.

Grevillea Goldfever

Grevillea goldfever is a low spreading shrub that is supposed to flower all year round, it will grow approx. 30cm high & spread about 1.5m.  He's very small at the moment, but hopefully he will spread out nicely near the rocks in the garden that Jack built! 

 

Anigozanthos Bush Tenacity

 Great colours in this little kangaroo paw, which is part of the bush gems range, he wont get very big, only about 60cm high.

 

 

Anigozanthos viridis

This green kangaroo paw has thinner, more grass like leaves, its a little bit fussy so we will see how we go.

Blooming

Pretty much the only thing blooming in my late winter garden at the moment                    

Euryops vergineus from South Africa

This hardy little shrub has been planted in my Aloe garden & has gone crazy compared to everything else. It is also is very easy to propagate.

tank shifting

Sunday was the big day to shift the fourth tank to be inline with the other three.

New spot, all cleared & level, my potting shed behind.

It was in a different spot & the Chief wanted it shifted, to make everything more symmetrical & neater.

Our little tractor was a back saver, not much physical digging was required & looks like I might get some good dirt for my terrace garden.



shade house, looking towards olive grove

 weeds need mowing, that's radish that has gone yellow, from roundup.

looking back towards shed.

 You can see the three tanks through the shade house, green house & house house on the side with terrace garden in front.

Three of the four tanks.

& finally after much pulling, pushing & lots of grunting the fourth tank is in place, just in time for our next lot of rain.

Gosh these photo's highlight how much work I still have in front of me.

We have been here 7 months now & I feel as though we have not stopped for a second, but when you look around its hard to see where I've been.

Everything all looks so brown, not because of lack of rain, but because we have embarked on an intensive spraying program to try & eradicate the dreaded oxalis (sour sob), its everywhere & has the potential to make me very sad if Im not careful.

Fesh Beginnings

My favourite plant in my garden ATM.

Artriplex nummularia or old man saltbush.

Its native to the arid regions of Australia & is used by farmers as fodder.

I just love it for its pink tinged new growth, grey leaves & drought hardiness.

This plant was already here when we moved in, but I have taken some cuttings & they seem to have taken really easy, so will take a heap more & use as a quick filler in the rest of the garden.

Danger Gardens favourite plant in the garden this week