Too Much Sunshine......

...... means too much shade.

Too much bright light, and too much shade to take good outdoor photos, means that flowers don't show up to their best effect. However, waiting for optimum conditions sometimes means I miss the flowers altogether.

Iceberg roses are budding prolifically and should produce a wonderful display.

Another Cotinus (Smoke Bush). Perhaps Jane will like this one better?...lol.

Anyone need some Alyssum or African Daisy seedlings? The result of piling plants in a heap waiting to be mulched.

Japanese Maple, Silver Birch, Calendula and Californian Poppies.

Poppies in the shade of a Sycamore Maple.

Mauve and white Lilac.

Claret Ash, yellow Broom, African Daisies.

Self-sown Sweet Peas.

Smoke Bush, Crab Apple.

Eriginon (Seaside Daisies).

African Daisies.

Overgrown Silverbeet vying for space with the Alyssum.

Lavender, Centranthus and Bronze Fennel.

Centranthus, daisies and Ceanothus.

Gazanias.

Silver Curry Plant. The leaves actually taste like curry and can be used in cooking.

Ceanothus.

Crab Apple.

Only a few months ago this daisy was a cluster of thick, stumpy branches without a leaf on them.

Columbines in the shade of the cherry tree.

Yesterday's Garden

Yesterday was the sunniest day we've had for a while, so I managed a couple of photos while the sun was out and there was a lull in the wind. Ever notice that just when you want to photograph a plant, the wind begins to blow and the plant waves about madly?

Now, if only I could find a space for all the plants we bought in the last week or so!!!

You are invited ....

.... to come on a photographic journey with me through Victoria and New South Wales.

The 600km trip home on Tuesday provided plenty of opportunities to snap roads, GREEN paddocks (fields) and ever-changing clouds, albeit through the windows of a moving car. Believe it or not, this is the order in which the photos were taken so you can see that the cloud scenes varied all along the way. Sometimes it was a case of 'be quick before the windscreen wipers pass again'. If only the countryside would stay this green!!!

I took about another sixty photos on the trip......aren't you glad I didn't post them all?......lol.

Around the garden ....

..... between the showers.

25mm (1 inch) of rain while we were away and the garden is just loving it. Very cold wind at the moment is stopping us from getting out and planting all the plants we bought, but hopefully we can sneak a few into the ground in the next few days. Meanwhile, we're loving the rain too, even though the lawns now need harvesting rather than mowing.

Pink Dogwood (Cornus)

White Dogwood - fairly insignificant flowers, lovely leaves and stunning red branches.

Yellow Broom and Red Valerian or Centranthus.

Pink Valerian and Yellow Daisy (?)

Silver Lace Bush, Purple Hops and White Osteospermum.

A bit of everything including Californian Poppies and Bronze Fennel.

Smoke Bush (Cotinus) - Grace.

Rhododendron

Lavatera

White Lilac.

Purple and white Lilac.

Single pink Marguerites.

The lettuce are thriving and the pansies are blooming.

Contemplative gardener.

Broad beans and spring onions that have been growing continuously for about 15 years.

Apple blossom.

Food for the Future

We've been busy this week! Lovely Spring weather - sunny days, occasional rain, and life seems to be bursting from every branch and the warming soil.

Gradually growing in size over recent months has been this large heap of discarded plants and tree prunings, and the occasional nasty surprise like rose branches full of thorns and ornamental grasses (Miscanthus), which is impossible to shred without bringing the mulcher to an abrupt standstill.

So, on Tuesday morning this was the heap......

...... and five hours later

this was the result.....except for what was embedded in my hair and down my shirt!

In two or three months it will resemble what Kerri calls 'black gold' and help produce more

Lettuces...

Broad Beans,

Tomatoes (in black pots for protection and to direct water to the roots), Spring onions and rampant Parsley

and even more onions. Irises by the fence seem to be thriving without any 'black gold'.

Plus the carrots, parsnips, French beans, peas, potatoes, beetroot, strawberries, spinach and silverbeet that are also coming through.

So after all that activity, we're heading back to Victoria tomorrow with friends to spend a week exploring those beautiful old towns, delightful gardens and magnificent scenery.

Oh, it's a hard life....but we're ready for the challenge.....lol.

I hope you all have a great week, too.