2013 Spring Daffodils
These are some of the best snaps from last year,

Visit 26/27th September
14 mills in the gauge, the least rain for many months. The daffodils have started to die back although many of the later flowering types were still blooming. Tulips are now coming into their own. There are so many different varieties of daffodils. Unfortunately I've forgotten names.

Some of the wall flowers I've grown from seeds are now flowering. There are some lovely colours.

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I planted a few pink and white daisies to replace those which had succumbed to the frost over winter, plus 2 punnets of snapdragons and 10 gladioli bulbs.

Cutting back of the penstemons and salvias, (Hot Lips and Pineapple Sage) continued.

The wattles are now at heir best. Two small Ovens Wattles are in bloom at the edge of the dam. They were self sown. 

This was the time for burning off in the paddock. The gorse sprayed last year was ready to be burnt without the fire a problem. There still remains plenty of work for a pyromaniac . Hopefully the weather in October will be ideal to continue the burnoff.

Visit 23/24th July 2012
35 mills in the gauge. Weather cool but reasonable. There had been a couple of very heavy frosts over the past fortnight according to neighbours. This was evident as daisies and the red hot pokers (Winter Cheer) had been severely hit. Some won't survive.

Winter irises were at their best, blue and white. Particularly pleasing was the white variety. This is the second year it has flowered and will get bigger year by year.

The hellebores are doing well. They should be blooming until October.

As indicated last visit, daffodils are later blooming this year. However they are beginning to bloom and make a show together with the Winter Joy wallfowers.

A few crocuses had sprung up in the garden on the south side. Not sure where they'd come from.

These pokers (Kniphofia sarmentosa) are about to bloom around the garden. They certainly are comfortable in the cold. 

Candytuft seedlings have sprung up around the place They should make a good show in the late Spring. I divided a campanula (white with a blue fleck) and planted one down on the back fence.

I continued the planting down at the dam, with a couple of salvias, including Bog Sage. 

I was visited by some arborists from Melton who lopped the laurel close to the house. It had been starting to grow over the roof and I was pleased to get the job done although neighbours were horrified at the price. The branches were mulched so can be used around the garden.

Visit 10th/11th July, 2012.
Plenty of rain recently, 60 mills in the gauge over the past fortnight, plus another 30 mills overnight. The dam is as full as it can get without flowing over the southern end.
The first daffodil for the season has appeared, one only, a Magnifique. Everything is a fortnight or so later this year. Must be due to the very cold, wet winter.
No golf which gave me more time to work in the garden, rugged up with 4 jumpers, jacket and hat.
Decided to extend the garden down around the dam as space is becoming limited around the house. First planting included a red hot poker 'Winter Cheer',  a lemon poker, a daylily (name unknown, brown and yellow colour) and French lavender. More to follow.
Planted in the main garden were 2 Bulbinella Hookeris and 2 Kniphopfias 'James Nottle', recently purchased from Lambley Nursery.
Cut back and divided some penstemons and campanulas.
Each visit I dig out the blue flowering Michaelmas daisy which is taking over areas of the garden.

Visit 17th November

One one day visit this time due several commitments. 26 mills in the guage. Garden not quite at its spring best as daffodils still dying back. Tons of plants in flower, in particular bearded irises, flanders poppies, arctotises, love in the mist.

The Russell Lupins have done well this year. Also the perennial yellow lupin is in full bloom at the moment.

The day lilies have appeared in flower. The one in this photo belowis particularly attractive, brown and gold, Hawthorn colours.

Most of the time on this rush visit was spent weeding. Not even enough time to lop more of the Laurel Tree...

Visit 2/3 November 2011

45 mills in the gauge. Garden looked good but the daffs are still dying back which makes for 'natural' untidiness. Weeds pretty horrific at this time of the year, particularly the dreaded 'sticky' weed, which has thrived after recent rain. The back was given a decent workout trying to draw the weeds out by the roots, with mixed success.

The Aquilegias, particularly the dark blue and pink, are putting on a great show on the south side, Look impressive from the kitchen window.  The Flanders poppies are beginning to bloom and will be quite prominent by Remembrance Day.  Bearded irises are at their best now, various varieties including yellow white, and dark blue. 

The Variegated Weigelia is in flower.

The lavenders are now beginning to bloom in earnest. I particularly like this one, so bright and colourful.

This time I planted more pink marguerite daisies to replace those which succumbed to the frost over winter and seedings of Penstemon lyallii, Penstemon 'Lilac Frost' and Verbena hastata rosea. I can't wait to see the flowers when they bloom as these are new varieties for me. 

The first of the salvias to flower for me are the 'Hot Lips' which will put on a great show until well into autumn.

The horses have returned to the paddock after a break of about 4 weeks. Good to see them back as the grass was really starting to move.

More of the poor Laurel tree(s) was lopped.

About to flower: Watsonias, peony poppies, penstemons, salvias, pigface, species gladioli, roses, rock roses

Visit 18th/19th October

25 mills in the gauge. No golf as I took advantage of the warm weather, low 20s, to burn off a lot of garden rubbish in the paddock and all the laurel tree prunings. I had 5 fires going at the one time. Most successful.

The last of the daffodils had just about finished flowering. The garden looked OK. One highlight was the clematis on 2 of the verandah posts, one white, the other a delicate pink.

Also in flower were the Snow in Summer, prolific even though I'd cut it back hard some time ago. Here it is intertwined with African Daisy.

I don't have many tulips, perhaps 25, but they are at their best at the moment. They are scattered. For better effect I must remember to plant several together next year. 

The poppies have started to bloom. One I'm pleased to see is a delicate orange one. The seeds were brought back by a friend from England some years ago. 

One of my more interesting wallflowers, a yellow one, is in full bloom. The red flowered one is not nearly as impressive. Also pleased to see some pink 'bluebells' in flower, gifts from Pat Murphy. 

The Apple and Quince trees are in blossom at the moment, plus my small lilac tree. Also the one decent rhododendron, Pink Pearl, is ready to burst into bloom.

The purplish colour of all the Honesty plants is becoming evident in various parts of the garden.

Planted this time were 10 more gladioli bulbs, some pink and red marguerite daisies, and a few Penstemon lyallii seedlings. 

This is the time when Sticky Weed is at its most prevalent. It's a damn nuisance and very difficult to root out. I must admit to spraying where it is out in the open. 

I spread some pea straw as a mulch around various plants. Let's hope the chooks from next door don;t scatter it as they have been known to do.

I had some produce this time, plenty of rhubarb plus some asparagus.