We have a long weekend coming up Labour Day. Nice. Time to poke those Cherokee tomatoes into the dirt with some good buddies close by like basil. I’m even thinking of popping in a chamomile too – home grown of course. Yes, it is planting time at Frog Pond Farm. More on that next post.
Our bees have been rather busy lately, tossing another old queen out of her hive. She has her supporters though, so they vacate with her. This time they were within a few feet of a hive suspended from our loquat tree, which by the way is a splendid looking tree but doesn’t provide fruit! Shameful. Interesting, apparently they are self-fertile and pollinated by bees. Really?
I have been using Rok Solid at our place now for several years. It is an amazing fertiliser in a powdered form, made from basalt rock, seaweed and fish fert. The smell is particularly nice – well I think so. We had 1/2 a tonne delivered the other day so no guesses as to what we have been doing over the weekend. Olives, citrus, feijoas and orchard done! And then it rained and rained. Good timing.
Our clucky chook Gladys is still doing a sterling job at incubating those eggs. Which I might add, have changed in colour ever so slightly and weight. Chicks are on the way .. only another 10 days to go. Perfect!
My brother arrives on Saturday. I’m so excited. He is such a great bloke and like myself has a rather large green thumb! It will be so nice to have an extra pair of hands and someone to yak to while gardening.
I’m loving spring and so is our garden! The grass is growing like mad as are the weeds! I have been ripping out bindweed which is located next to our creek. It is in the convolvulus family and particularly enjoys binding itself around other plants, eventually hauling them to the dirt like some wrestler. Rest assured, this won’t be happening on my shift!
Spuds – there are more of them poking their greenery through those mounds and as much as I had hoped that the chooks would leave them alone, Sally can’t help herself. She is as light as a feather and easily flies up and over the gate, heading straight for the spud plot. Time to clip a wing. Think painless and spud saving!
Well that’s it for me you know the drum ..
Happy gardening!
PS I had to pop up another beach shot .. loving walks on the beach in spring!
Sounds like it is very busy in your garden and not just you being busy.
Hi Leanne … our garden is very busy indeed. Bees, bugs, birds and greenery all doing their thing! Great to see you … 🙂
Your place is looking wonderful Julie. I love springtime gardening – my gardens this year are benefiting from more TLC than ever before, the garlic especially is going crazy. Must be the liberal doses of worm tea!
Hi Sue .. thank you! You must come and see us next time you are in Auckland. Would love to show you around our garden. TLC makes all the difference, as does that ‘worm tea’ – amazing stuff! 🙂
That island looks familiar. Is it on the coast in the North Island? I love New Zealand so much- a magic place for an annual visit. Must investigate Rok Solid and see if we can get it here.
That is Oaia island which is off our local beach Muriwai. It is on the west coast of the North Island. I love NZ too Francesca .. we are so lucky 😀 I don’t think you will be able to buy Rok Solid in Australia … it’s made here in Tauranga. Shame it is brilliant stuff! I think you live in Melbourne yes? Now that is my favourite city. Wonderful place …
Yes, I thought it was close to the areas I love. We go every May and wander about in a camper van- Corramandel and so on, just slowly meandering around the west coast of the North island. Shame about Rock Solid- we get seasol and fish by- products but your one has an extra ingredient!
Yes near Melbourne but 50 kms out in the bush- an hour away so best of both worlds.
Hey Francesca .. you sure do. I lived in Melb for 20 years and just love the place! Very special …
You may have heard of St Andrews whern you lived there? It’s a country town, further along from Eltham, with a popular weekend market.
Really? I lived in Warrandyte for a few months. And also stayed with a friend who grew up in Eltham. Small world 🙂
Oh fabulous beach shot. I first read – popping in a chamomile loo, which I thought was going to make a particularly interesting post. Must learn to read properly.
Hey Anne … glad you liked that pic. Oh I laughed when I read chamomile loo – imagine! Thanks for stopping by …
Wonderful photos. Tomatoes and basil – you will be whipping up some bruschetta before you know it! Take care.
Love bruschetta .. rather like the sound of those toms and basil on top with our own olive oil and some chilli for good measure 🙂
Delightful!!! Love your posts and crazy about your photos! Can I come for a visit?!?!? 🙂
If you ever visit NZ then you must come and see me! That is a given … So pleased you enjoy my blog! Yay 🙂
Looking at lovely Spring in October (our Fall)- nothing better! Thanks for sharing.
You are very welcome. I so enjoy seeing your place in Fall …
the feeling these pictures give is too good 🙂
Oh thank you so much Joshi … that means a lot! 🙂
Since cold weather is on the way here, I’m just going to have to enjoy spring now through my NZ friends. Thank you.
Beautiful pix – all of them. Your garden is lovely. and that hive – my goodness, I thought it was a jackfruit at first!
Hi Cynthia … thank you! Glad you like the pics. Our garden is bursting with life … just love this time of year. That swarm was a surprise. We have already had one this season .. Nice to know that you will enjoy our spring too 🙂
What a beautiful spring time you have – I like to see this. The beach shot is great! 🙂
Hello Josephine! Hope you are good … you have been very quiet lately. I miss your lovely photos. Yes, I love spring. It is so nice to stand back and watch the garden wake up after winter. Glad you like the beach shot. You would love to take pics of this beach … it has black sand! 🙂
Wonderful! Hope you enjoy a great time with your brother 🙂
I used to get out in the garden with a good friend years ago.. good times!!!
Keep up the inspiring work, photographing and writing… Oh and gardening 😉
Hey Robyn! I will have a great time with him. I have the whip out already! LOL … Oh thank you, so pleased you find my work inspiring. That means a lot! Thanks heavens for the blogging world – I would never have had the opportunity to know you. Lucky me!!! 😀
Your place is so so so gorgeous. Like the finest of the US state of Kentucky with an ocean next to it. It looks lovely. How far is the ocean from your home?