I want to report September missing!

I know I did blink but I can't believe how fast September went!

So here are assorted photos and reports of what we've done in September - I promise I will do wee better this month reporting! :D

1. General gardening photos - it was taken on the first day of September and it was a lovely day. Thought it was a good day to take stock of all fruit and nut trees on this property. Took way too many so will just put up a few for you to enjoy.

Plum flowers - it looks like we'll get heaps of plums if Spring is going to be nice to us and give us mild and gentle spring weather (so far we've got a bit more rain and winds than we usually get for the last few weeks...):

 

I have to say that plum flowerings are the most showy - so good and full of both honey and native bees...

Elderflower is also in bloom (well, it has always in flowering for the whole year, but it is much more fully than the usual. The bush was only planted in July 09! Had tripled in size and I am going to plant many more as it seems that this area's suitable for them -I've got three of them and all going crazy!):

Apple-shaped Quince in bud (I think it has to be the amazing pome tree - the leaves are so 'furry' and the flowers most beautiful!):

Now this is the messy Fruit Grove! It does needs to be mulched, fed, etc - all will be done 'one day':

This is one of three mulberry varieties - Hick's Fancy and it seems it is doing very well, considering it was only planted a month before this photo was taken and already covered with fruit!:

As per Spring's style, here are numerous ornamental flowers - all have to host for all the winged bugs anyway:

Gorgeous wattle - native to this area:

Iris - its close to the bush, so not waterlogged one?

This is the plant with berries and flowers that the native birds go crazy over, and they're almost everywhere here - I've let them grow as I thought it would be a good plant to encourage birds away from our fruit trees. I still need to find out what it is and how 'good' it is, etc. Any idea?

 

She-oak flowering - gorgeous!

 

That's from the front gardens! 

Now its the backyard's turn...

Grapevine budding and growing well at the moment so naturally we are quite excited about this! I think out of 9 grapevines, we've lost one to puppy chewings!

 

Nectarine already fruiting - still have a month or two before we'd harvest before the tree drop the whole thing like it did last year without any warning!

Orange tree is finally flowering - it didn't fruit this winter at all, so we missed its delicious and juicy oranges!

First time ever grew any asparagus and it actually shoot through very well - had to put cage over it to stop dogs from knocking it over before its ready to be harvested. It crops up so fast - now I understand what others meant about harvest almost everyday - I think I did watch one shoot up literally!

Spring onion flowered and a bee, along with other hunderd of bugs, knows it.

Don't ask me why they're lined up there! As of today, we're down to 9 - one of black chooks went AWOL and we could not find her. However, our Broodie's sitting on a nest of eggs at the moment so there's a replacement coming up...

Lemorange/Lemange - it needs to be harvested as it's already budding and flowering! I need 40 hours day and 4 sets of arms!

This is just a random photo - just loved how lichen grows on the bark:

Hope this post got you satisfied?

Let me know what else you'd like to see.

Cheers till next posting!

It RAINED today!

Yah!

It has been a while since we got a nice soaking.

This morning I was working in the Fruit Grove and I was amazed to see hundreds of bees, hundreds of ladybirds and, unfortunately too many cabbage white butterflies everywhere, along with hoverflies, several unidentified insects there! It is awesome to stand in middle, with all the insects buzzing around you, non stop and think they're so happy...

I am seriously contemplating asking a bee keeper to put in a hive - imagine someone's getting free honey elsewhere from my hard working green manure! heh. I am still working on getting fruit trees staked where needed, mulched and such. I think there's about 2/3 of the whole area to go! Sighs...

Find the fruit trees inside this yellow flowered area! They're there...




See how tall are those green manure plants compared to my lil boy! I am not sure what plant those yellow flowered ones are - however I am gonna plant them again next year! They grow so well and fast, kept the soil so well and cool down there, etc and most above all, the insects love them!


Even this cursed Cabbage White butterfly!


Here are the evidence the Fruit Grove's thriving...

Plum: Only 5 fruits can be seen from 2 trees! It is only first year, so we'll see how next year bring...

Apple Cider "Yarlington Mill": There's 4 and perhaps other 4 growing on this tree alone. Not bad...

Nectarine: It's fruiting so well out here, I think there's 3 trees and there are numerous fruits on them, and there's the old nectarine tree at the back with hundreds on it. (Got the bird netting over it today so fingers crossed we'd get some this summer!)

Peach: I've got heaps of peaches growing as well. All are about golf ball sized at the moment, but will needed to be netted asap anyway. Interestingly enough, all are in different colours, such as rosy blush, peachy blush, greenish blush, etc. The trees are at about a metre tall.

At the Pear Strip, this Elderberry is flowering slowly. Am looking forward to see what it looks like when its fully flowered with its fruits.

Now to other important stuff...

Here's the Chickbox that my DH with our older son made for me when I was away for the weekend to accomodate the chicks.

Inside the Chickbox, there's 5 chicks, including those two black chicks. Pippa and Rosie loves to get their cuddles with me!

Remember Shay the questionable Silkie. Her feathers are still so yellowish grey so it is most likely that she is a cross bred. A bit shy though - shame.

And one of the Light Sussex twins, a suspected cockerel...

And his twin sister.

When I was in Ballarat during the October Long Weekend, I went to visit an ALS friend who is also a great chook expert. I got her to teach me how to tell which is boy or girl with the chicks and we had fun! Thanks Roogz! So this is why I am abit more confident that I've got 4 female chicks and a male chick. In few more weeks, I will know if I am right anyway.

Right next to the Chickbox, I've got heaps of potatoes growing like crazy! Most are in the vegie beds like this...

But I also got lots in the bags as part of experiement. They actually thrives in bags too, so I will have plenty of areas to plant potatoes for the years to come. As we are not to plant the potatoes in the same area for a couple of years once grown there.

Well, there's more, but I cannot disappoint some without those lovely flower shots...

That's it, folks. More to come soon. Thanks for the comments.

Cheers till later!