I’m sitting at our kitchen table. The doors are wide open – it’s been a hot summer’s day. Birds are cheeping away merrily outdoors, the sprinkler is on and jets of water can be seen splashing over the lawn and flower beds. Blog time … tap, tap, tap on the keyboard.
I zoomed around our veg garden on Saturday with the 60-litre spray pump sloshing in the back full of seaweed fertiliser. The garden stood to attention as I liberally sprayed the tonic about, stopping every now and again to squash a green shield beetle spotted sun baking (shame on them). Our backyard citrus and feijoa trees also received a good dousing. One of our lemon trees is dying which is such as shame as it has been so prolific – but those citrus borer are alive and well within.
Chamomile – the plant Doctor
My brother John, is back in town which is magic as he also has a rather large green thumb, and let’s face it, there is nothing like some good company and an extra pair of hands.
We netted some of our peaches and plums last week, which given that some of the trees are on the ‘large’ size was a great feat. As we don’t have enough netting to cover the entire tree, we could only net from the ground up, so our orchard now resembles a line-up of trees with petticoats! Glamorous protection … The birds might still have access but those marauding possums will not! Nice to beat nature every now and again isn’t it?
Who says weeds can’t look good!
Busy, busy, busy! There is nothing like hauling out the chipper and poking a pile of phoenix palm fronds into the void, listening as the machine grunts and groans as it chops and grinds. We were going great guns until the machine ground to a halt in protest – a chunk of wood jammed in the mechanics. While this wasn’t the planned exit for the day, we ambled dusty and dirty back up the driveway, patting each other on the back. As I’m a mulching fiend, I’m in heaven.
At last the Egyptian walking onions have been hauled from their bed and are drying on our concrete driveway. Garlic has been dried and trimmed and is now sitting in storage. Empty beds have been mulched to protect the occupants (microorganisms and worms) from the weather.
My carrots are still jostling about in their bed – I haven’t thinned them yet .. surprise, surprise. Plus I’ve been carting water to our pumpkins, and giving them pep talks – I suspect they aren’t listening!
Chook conference
Sally is finally off the cluck, her crazy antics have ceased although she is immensely enjoying ‘scaring’ the young chickens. And speaking of those five teenage chooks, it is looking much like we have five hens. Wow, I can’t believe it! Not a rooster in sight 🙂
Deep in thought
I have come to the conclusion that I might have planted too many flowers in my veg garden … LOL
We are munching on runner beans, zucchini, cucumbers, spuds and herbs the odd tomato and beetroot. Nothing like growing your own!
Happy gardening …
I love your pictures, great atmosphere! What a delightful garden you have!
Hey Miss … oh thank you Josephine! It is delightful even if it is loads of work .. Have a great day/night 🙂
Beautiful photos! The hen is leaving the sheep be? We use mulch for everything. We have a standing offer with all the tree trimmers in the area that if they have nowhere else to dump their chips, they can dump them on our property. One company dumped a big load of beautiful chips from mostly christmas trees right after the New Year. We have already spread the whole nine yards of it 😉 It’s interesting that we have a lot of the same “weeds” in New Mexico, but that is because a lot of desert type plants were brought into NM from Australia and south Africa over the years.
Hi … yes that chook has finally given up sheep riding. Hilarious! I’m a huge fan of mulching, you can never ever have too much of it. Even in flower gardens, it works a treat. Ah, so it is the Aussie’s fault – LOL .. we do like sharing things ‘down under’. Thanks for stopping by
Oh Julie. Lovely, lovely!!
You write with such passion and so descriptively!
Love the main photo (the one that shows up in my Reader) and I especially adore Chook Conference and Deep in Thought. Do you frame many of your photos and however would you decide which ones to frame?!? You are a natural, girlfriend!!
LOL … ah the praise. Oh thank you. Glad you enjoy my banter 🙂 I love those chook pics too. I spent ages crawling around yesterday with my camera. I’m sure they thought I was nuts! Sally is always close by talking to me. No I have never ever framed a pic. Funny I have never thought about it. Plus I’m particularly bad, I don’t shoot in RAW. Hugs to you Julie
You don’t need to shoot in raw IMHO. I never do!
A good buddy of mine (photographer) berates me because I don’t shoot in RAW. Glad to know that you don’t either 🙂
That’s kind of funny in a way. When Bill and I took a photography class after we bought our first SLR, the instructor highly recommended we shoot in RAW, so we did. One of my co–workers had his own photography business on the side and he said he never did. He always used JPG!
Go figure!!! Anyway, we just never found the time to really get under the hood with Photoshop and besides, RAW files take up a lot more space. So for now – until we find the time to devote to playing around, we’ll continue to shoot in JPG.
So much attention to detail..in your photography as well as in your garden! Simply beautiful !
Oh thank you .. my face is red! So pleased you enjoy the pics .. 😀
I always enjoy your photos – the lush countryside farm you live on is balm to the winter weary eye!
Gorgeous day here today – wish I could share some of our balmy summer with you. Glad you like the pics. Take care 🙂
Again I feel like I have just returned from a trip to the country. Oh the serenity Julie! What a blessed garden you have. Loving your photographs!
I’m glad you feel like that! I used to live in the city and just adore living in the country now. So nice to be able to share it with others. Glad you like those pics too 🙂
It’s fnny Julie that I have moved to a semi rural location 18 months ago – tree change from inner Sydney. Your blog feels like a drive in the country – another country location. 🙂
Your semi rural location sounds superb! Nothing like a ‘drive in the country’. 🙂
P.S. you can never have too many flowers. Hehehe 🙂
I know LOL
You can never have enough flowers Madame Julie. So lush. That’s it- I’m heading outside with my big pumper thing and filling it with seaweed fertilser!
Hey Miss! You are funny … go on, get outdoors with that seaweed fert. I love my flowers, but I honestly think I went overboard this year. Hilarious! My brother thinks I’m nuts 😀
I do believe you are living in paradise.. Gorgeous photos!!
You are having a great summer!
We sure are Rajiv 😀
We are all very jealous! It looks stunning (and your writing is fab!). Thanks for sharing.
Lovely comment .. So pleased you enjoy my banter! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
The pictures are so beautiful , serene and exude a quiet strength . A universe where it should be pleasant to live 🙂
Oh my, what a lovely thing to say! Thank you …
Never too many flowers. You were lucky not to get any roosters – we usually manage at least two roosters to every hen.
Hey Anne, so do we! First time ever. I think ypu may be right about those flowers .. Loads of cheer in the garden 🙂
Hi Julie, the second picture looks like a scene from the secret garden – absolutely stunning and it draws you into the garden and looks almost too magical to be true. You’ve perfectly framed that shot, well done. Where do you get the water from? Do you have a well? It sort od comforts me to see that others have to protect their crops as well…guess it’s birds with you too? Your veg garden looks so cheerful with the flowers. How I long for those lush, lazy, hot summer days 🙂
Hey Annette .. Oh I’m so pleased you like that photo. I was just walking through the hedge when I spotted it. Made me think of a window. Our water comes from a duck pond fed by a spring, without it no garden .. And yes, we have wild turkeys, birds and possums who all want to help us eat the fruit! always great to know I can share our place with you 😀
Wonderful pictures again Julie! ‘Mulch fiend’ is a great term 🙂
True to! One of my favourite things to do in the garden .. Protect that soil 🙂
Surely one of the best quotes about gardening: “I have come to the conclusion that I might have planted too many flowers in my veg garden.” The five hens are magnificent, despite the lack of a rooster. and your netting is both pretty and useful. What could be better?
Hello lovely .. Thanks for stopping by! So nice to be able to share our place with you. The netting is pretty, although a friend did say it won’t stop the birds! At least it will slow them down and stop the possums 🙂
I love your place. I love the photos and tales.
Keep them coming, Julie!!
Sure will 😀
Wonderful story Julie. I have to say that I’m a fan of your weeds 🙂
I like them too!
Hey Dan … thank you! Pleased you like those weeds 🙂
Wonderful post and photos Julie! It looks absolutely lovely there. Don’t wait too long to thin those carrots. I really like the photo of the onion flower (I think) silhouette. Take care.
Hey Bob! Thank you .. always love getting your comments. I know, I’m being bad about the carrots! You are absolutely right, it is an onion flower head with parsley going to seed on either side. Couldn’t resist the shot nor leaving them in the garden to last out their days 🙂 You take care too 😀
HI Julie. Your garden looks so green and fresh. It doesn’t seem like one in the height of summer at all. I feel refreshed just looking at it! Cheers Sarah : o )
Hi Sarah .. thank heavens for our duck pond! LOL We so need some rain though don’t we? How is that watering system of yours going?
These photos are magnificent! Looks like paradise and that chamomile: wow. I couldn’t agree more that there is nothing like growing your own food.
😀 I think it is paradise too! Thanks for your lovely comment … and yes, there is simply nothing like growing your own.
those flower pictures are so beautiful 🙂
So pleased you like them .. I have so many of them in my garden 🙂
You can never have too many flowers 😀
Another enjoyable wander with you around the garden Jules – love your chookies!
Is the big plantation pines or something else? (the pic with the chooks and the sheep).
Glad you’re enjoying some beautiful summer days – ah makes life just great!
Stunning garden – stunning pics!
Oh thank you 🙂
Gorgeous photographs, Julie! I like the sense of ‘freshness’ you bring out in your images.
Thank you … there is a real sense of freshness today, it has been raining at last! Glad you stopped by 🙂
i forgot to plant cleomes this season, and look at all that pink prettiness i am missing out on! for the height of summer, your garden looks green and lush. such a lovely tour thru it,as always 🙂
ps, a successful reply! i have just worked out, after months of frustration (or so it seems) that i can only reply to you when using my iPad. yay! i have felt sad about not being able to say hello for a while.
I’m so glad that you did! So nice to hear fro you 😀
I really like cleomes. And so do those horrid Green shield beetles. Raining here today .. Perfect! 🙂 thanks for stopping by!
Beautiful post Julie. Still looking like heaven and the chickens are just wonderful. Blessings!!! <3
Oh thank you Gill 😀
It’s a green heaven/haven! And you can never have too many flowers. I love those cleomes. I’m planting more flowers this year from seed (I hope). They are just now germinating. Lots of colors. Last year I did a lot of purple and dark purples- this year a rainbow 🙂
I know, you should see my veg garden! Loaded with flowers. Ah, they do have so many benefits 😀 good luck with yours!