It seems I have to alter the way I write this blog for reasons unknown....oh, the ways of the internet....It has taken me a while to sort this out and so here is the latest of our Wildlife in our garden.
Mr Hare (or was it Mrs?) was lazily loping around our back garden a week or so ago. They are extremely shy (as would you be, hunted by vignerons who object to you chewing through their drip lines) so it was fortunate I was able to sneak round the corner without opening the laundry door and get two photos. The moment he heard the click of the camera he was off and running.....
While I had the camera out I took some more photos of the vegie garden, The peas have done so well this cool and wet winter that we have not had to buy any green vege at all.It probably helps too that now I am able to water with rainwater from the tank.
We also have broad beans now and silverbeet and Swiss chard which is very pretty as well as good eating.The photo of the spring vines was taken some weeks ago now. They are shiraz grapevines and belong to the next door neighbour. They look so delicate at that stage and you wonder where they get the energy from after the rough harvesting they have endured in Autumn when they look so battered and bruised.
Because the weather has been damp some days, the fumigating machines have been very busy in the vines keeping the downy mildew and other nasties at bay. It seems a constant battle for them but if they don't spray the sulphur, they would have no grapes to harvest.
The Dutch irises were very blue and contrasted wonderfully with the succulent plant also flowering at the same time.The photo with the tall,straight gum tree is the view from my studio window.
It can be very inspirational looking out on this at times when I am stuck for ideas to go on with for my stitched art works. It was a seedling we decided to keep as the Holm oak had refused to grow there. Holm oaks can be very slow to get going but grow into magnificent shade trees.
The arum lilies are considered a weed now as they can spread along waterways, but I don't think they will cause much harm in front of the studio window.The Holm oaks in front of our kitchen windows are flowering prolifically and the bees are there in droves....this is so exciting to have such numbers of bees as they have been sparse for several seasons and perhaps, just perhaps our zuchinis will be fertilized and so will our Queensland blue pumpkins and I may yet realize my dream of pumpkin vines covering the front yard and pumpkins in such numbers as to be embarrassing and so lots to give away and share......
You know, that’s what I love about growing our fruit and vegetables - it’s the sharing of the produce. I adore that! And would probably give it all away, if Wayne didn’t remind me that we grew it it to eat as well 🤣🤣🤣 (now why would we do that, I wonder!) I’m glad you’re enjoying your garden so much, and yes, the bees are back in Victoria too, we have had masses swarming all over the lavender we planted a year or so ago. It has made such a difference to the amount of fruit we have on our trees this year. Happy blogging Tineke xo
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment Gina.Yes, it is great to be able to share produce isn't it..we had so many quinces this year we put a box of them out by the front gate in May and they went.... box and all....So pleased to hear about your bees in Victoria too, they are so important for our crops and the lovely honey they produce
DeleteWhen I saw your photo of the hare I remembered that winery we visited a few weeks back where the winemaker felt it necessary to explain what a hare was. Odd, as we were all middle-aged or older. Hares have never been that common but they have been around for as long as I can recall.
ReplyDeleteThe winemaker probably thought we were all city dwellers and he would not have been aware he was talking to people with a country background, let alone to a woman who had shot hares back in the 1950ies and carted them home hanging from her horse's saddle to skin and bow the skins for drying to later send to Cromptons, the hide people in Adelaide.....
ReplyDeleteThe other thing I should have said was that a hare is related to the deer family. She leaves her young in scattered places so the leverets have a better chance of survival.
ReplyDelete