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The garden in Saturday morning sunshine
Feb. 12th, 2008 04:42 pmIt's wet and grey, grey, grey out there today. I'm not complaining mind - rain is wonderful stuff. It's a bit monotonous though, so I thought we could do with a little bit of sunshine and colour. I took these shots around our garden the Saturday before last, in between sun-showers. Since the rains finally came, the place is starting to look rather nice. It's a good feeling to see all our hard work pay off. There's still a lot to be done yet mind!
We'll start with the portulacas, hanging in bright baskets outside the study window. They're common name is "Sun Jewel", which is quite apt given how they glisten when the light catches them just so.
This beauty is a female Golden Orb spider. They're non-venomous, and in late summer their yellowed webs are a common site in suburban gardens and bushland. Ah, natural pest control!
Another creepy-crawly: the abandoned skin of a cicada nymph. It's been a good summer for cicadas - I haven't seen so many skins since I was little (I used to chase my sister with them). The dried out skins remind me of skeksies from the Dark Crystal.
Still in the front garden, we're growing pumpins in the neglected patch along the side fence. They haven't flowered yet, but I'm still hopeful we'll get a least one pumkin this Autumn!
Outside the front fence there are two Calistemons and this bottlebrush. We're having a running battle with the electricity board, who want them removed but the only reason they're a problem is because their contractors cut them back so badly! I think they're beautiful, and the Calistemons are always full of lorikeets and flying foxes when they flower.
Heading down the side path towards the backyard you come across the first of the herbs. This patch of oregano is doing particularly well. We also have rosemary, sage, garlic chives, parsley, thyme, common mint, Vietnamese mint and 3 types of basil. =o)
The herbs are a perfect match for the gorgeous cherry tomatoes growing in the back yard. I can't wait for these flowers to turn into sweet, sun-ripened tomato goodness!
And because I promised colour, here's the hibiscus near the back door. It was half dead when we moved in. Now it's a riot of deep green leaves and bright orange blooms, and home to yet another Golden Orb spider.
We'll start with the portulacas, hanging in bright baskets outside the study window. They're common name is "Sun Jewel", which is quite apt given how they glisten when the light catches them just so.
This beauty is a female Golden Orb spider. They're non-venomous, and in late summer their yellowed webs are a common site in suburban gardens and bushland. Ah, natural pest control!
Another creepy-crawly: the abandoned skin of a cicada nymph. It's been a good summer for cicadas - I haven't seen so many skins since I was little (I used to chase my sister with them). The dried out skins remind me of skeksies from the Dark Crystal.
Still in the front garden, we're growing pumpins in the neglected patch along the side fence. They haven't flowered yet, but I'm still hopeful we'll get a least one pumkin this Autumn!
Outside the front fence there are two Calistemons and this bottlebrush. We're having a running battle with the electricity board, who want them removed but the only reason they're a problem is because their contractors cut them back so badly! I think they're beautiful, and the Calistemons are always full of lorikeets and flying foxes when they flower.
Heading down the side path towards the backyard you come across the first of the herbs. This patch of oregano is doing particularly well. We also have rosemary, sage, garlic chives, parsley, thyme, common mint, Vietnamese mint and 3 types of basil. =o)
The herbs are a perfect match for the gorgeous cherry tomatoes growing in the back yard. I can't wait for these flowers to turn into sweet, sun-ripened tomato goodness!
And because I promised colour, here's the hibiscus near the back door. It was half dead when we moved in. Now it's a riot of deep green leaves and bright orange blooms, and home to yet another Golden Orb spider.