Gardeners and Garden Gems

Sometimes the dogs want to give more help in the garden than is actually useful!!

Kiki:

Ruby (now with her second ear up!!) .... who has been pruning my kiwi vines whether I like it or not!!:

And some 'shots' of colour around the garden, blue star flowers - several clumps amongst the roses:

Some lovely little daffs, a bit bashed by dogs!!:

The daphne a riot of blooms again this year - star!!  And heavenly perfume :)

The flowering quince, tons of flowers and ignored by the crimson rosellas this year... maybe thanks to the dogs?

Have been looking around the shops for a red japonica, since the flowering quince is doing so well, but then I found I already had one!!  Not very big yet, but very pretty :)

A couple of pockets of grape Hyacinths looking lovely :)

And not to be forgotten the natives are also doing well, the grevillias are in full swing:

 Jonquils, nearly past it:

And just 2 flowers so far on the prunus, small but perfectly formed!

Kiki and the Garden

Its the end of July, and while I need to touch wood while I say it, there have been some very cold days, but overall its been quite a mild winter.  The garden is positively bursting with signs of an approaching spring.

The wattle is about to burst forth, just looking at it sends my heyfever into overdrive!!

The violets are out in force, mostly white but some pale blue as well, all very pretty :)

The prunus is about to provide another spectacular display.

Only have one hellebore, all the way from Tathra, and this one looks like it could be about to say 'FEED ME, Seymour, FEED ME!!' LOL!!

The jonquils are putting on a fine show.

The grevillias are at 'P-O-P' (point of pop)!

The hardenbergia is making the gum tree look very flashy.

The humble Hebe struggled through the intense summer, but is coming back now.

Flowering Quince, looking forward to these gorgeous blooms.

The daphne, huge and loaded with flowers and scent, that even with a heavy cold I can smell and enjoy.

Cape Daisies, not a big fan, but they are survivors!!

Kiki keeps herself trim, taut, terrific - well at least the pug version of that - by chasing birds around and around and around the orchard!

Spring is Coming

Lots of things in full bud in the garden, but the wattle is almost in full swing.  It looks fabulous, nothing makes the sky looks as blue as wattle!  It is however costing me a fortune in hayfever tablets!!

There is a lovely little native (only) corner in the garden, and through the calistemons and grevillas trails a very pretty mauve hardenbergia.

Like the wattle, the daphne is now in full swing.... and the weeds are threatening to do the same... bottom right!!  Will have to get onto that but still have lots of trees to plant and pruning to do!!

The hellebore dug up from Mum's garden hasnt blinked an eyelid about being transported whilst in flower!!  Buds continue to form and open, love hellebores :) especially the red ones... no surprises there!

Geese, Black East Indies Ducks and the Long Paddock

Breeding season is getting closer, Gerald, my gander gets crankier every day!!  Goslings available in September.. with a little luck ;-D

This morning I let the llama and alpaca girls into the long paddock - nerve wracking!!  I cannot see them from the house, and while they are perfectly happy I've got very little done today because I have to keep checking on them!!!  There is a creek through this paddock so I'm terrified of Freddie falling in, or them crossing to the other side and finding the low fence that the last flooding damaged... need to fix that!!  Only saw it AFTER I let them through this morning, last time I walked this boundary it was fine!!

For their part the girls (and babies) think its fab, they ran, they kicked up their heels, hurled themselves about and enjoyed the freedom of a much bigger paddock with LOTS of feed.

 The views are good :)

Sweet Pea is due in September.. hope she lasts that long!!  She is ENORMOUS!!

Cant help it, Orchid is my fav ;-D

There is a very large daphne bush in the garden, it is full of buds and smelling absolutely amazing :)

Last, but definitely not least - the Black East Indies ducks are in their own pen now, and laying up a storm, fertility is excellent and I'm looking forward to a bumper season.  These are lovely ducks, medium sized, brilliant beetle green sheen and very pretty :)  Ducklings ( from show stock and < one week, $25 ea) available from 6 August, pick up from Canberra, Yass or Berry - contact me for details :)