Now all I need is for the weather to oblige water is still running in the gully
Was very cold here last night -5.1°C and everything was white, the birds were not impressed with the bird bath this morning if they had skates they'd have been happy not too much has been hit by the frost.
I've finally been getting the weeding and mulching of the trees in the food forest done and it is looking much tidier now. I still have to get out there today it is very hard to get going with the cold weather then I have to be inside before the smell of the zoo next door gets too strong otherwise I get sick so about an a hour is all I'll get today I should manage to weed around the fig tree today then mulch tomorrow.

WOW !!! been a while since I posted.
I've been very busy with weeding, building compost heaps and knitting.
The garden is looking much better now I can see the triffids, things have self seeded lettuce, parsley, rocket, chamomile, feverfew and every sort of asian green.
I've had a bit of trouble with the compost heap I've been pulling out barrel medic and putting it out on the heap but the next day I go to put more out and the other stuff has gone no sign of it... me thinks the wallabies are getting in of a night the barrel medic grows well in the house yard but there is none outside. I hope the compost heap will be ready for planting in by the end of September as I want to put in some pumpkins and watermelons.
I've been knitting some dishcloths and new bedsocks for DH.
Yesterday in the garden I was harassed and stalked by a Jezebel http://lepidoptera.butterflyhouse.com.au/pier/nigrin.html It followed me for a good 10minutes then landed on my face ....
Too sore to do weeding today so just trying to ID a pretty shrubby bush I saw yesterday.

...was there a previous mention of onion face?? What a privilege to have a butterfly land on your face.

( Anyone else lost seven of the smilies icons? )

Lovely weather for gardening Judi -,almost got too hot for digging this afternoon.

Do you let your Chinese artichokes flower before you tip them out of the poly box? Mine are just beginning to flower.

Off to Google barrel medic.....later, and I learnt a great deal about it!! Green Harvest even sell the seeds.

BW I've got several different lots of chinese artichokes some are flowering some no sign of flowers, mostly I just harvest in Winter and early Spring.
I'm getting sick of the barrel medic it grows so fast it outgrows everything I know it is good but too much of a good thing.
Must remember to take some photos...

I went out and took some photos….
The Chinese Artichokes are really growing like weeds these ones I will harvest in about a month.




The asparagus is starting to put up nice fat spears…. Yummy




This is one of the patches of barrel medic I haven’t got to yet it is growing taller than the walking onions.




All the bulbs are flowering, the jonquils, hyacinths and daffodils.






The dam is full and finally water has stopped running into it.

Here are some photos of the elderberry I have




I have an old cocky cage over it to protect it from the frost.



I noticed today it has a baby.



This is one I took as a cutting and am waiting till spring to plant it out.



The fennel is looking really good I have it coming up everywhere these are mulched with barrel medic.



The Mulberry is jumping the gun putting out shoots there is still a good chance of a heavy frost here.




I’m all for recycling and this is an old stovetop Fowlers Vacola that rusted out so I planted Rosemary in it.




I still have some stripey caterpillars in the garden.

Wow the pics are fantastic! Love the frost cage, great idea! What is barrel medic?

Great work Judi,the asparagus look tempting.

Our Mulberrie tree is doing the same, it1s only a young tree, but it has small fruit.
next will be putting a shelter over it.

take care

lmd80 wrote:You mean other than a pain in the garden
It is used for pasture improvement and it grows through the frosty Winter it adds nitrogen to the soil and in the right place like in a food forest it makes a great living mulch.... downside is it has burr like seeds and the burr really gets tangled in animals fur.

(I've posted like this so I can read as I type)

I started "Our Patch" to show what goes on in our garden the plants
and the wildlife.
I'm excited I have a new baby in the garden, I go for a walk
around the garden every morning and afternoon just to check the weeds
are still there this morning I checked the birdies nest and
there were 2 little eggs this afternoon a new baby

oh Judi that is lovely.
I am always so inspired when i read your posts in this thread - i have lost my way in the garden a little this year - maybe family has drawn more from me this year with an extra child in the house now - but i when i have the time to come on here i always look to see what you have been doing and how you are going - it makes me feel - i dunno somehow connected maybe
But what ever it is Thank you for doing it for me and i look forward to many more posts from you and special pics to inspire me more xx

What is the bird, Judi?

It is a Brown Honeyeater, there are 2 babies and they look so
very cute and fluffy. I check them every morning and the parents
are not worried about me they sit in a tree nearby and watch.

we had a young grebe land on the roof of our shed yesterday so interesting
I bet you have had some nice days recently with the warmer weather - just glorious the last few days here - but rainy and bleak again today - think we all need a little sunshine in our lives in more ways than one hey Juddles? xx

I rememmber that nest, its the one who stoll all the lint out of the drier