November garden in the morning

 After an unusually hot and dry October, yesterday we woke to thunder and lightning and lots of rain, such a relief.  There was 17mm in the rain gauge by the end of the day, and the garden is much happier for it.

 My experiment for the summer- growing in straw bales.  The idea is that the straw insulates against extreme heat and retains water, it breaks down over summer, and you're left with some good humus rich soil.  I added compost into the planting hole.

 Pumpkins coming up

 The garden bed that not much grew in, with lots of manure and mulch is growing much better.

 Lots of apricots on the tree

 Lots of almonds on the tree

Lots of raspberries and (not pictured here) lots of boysenberries, which I think will be an early crop this year due to the heat.

Swarming part 2

 This is the final cluster before Andrew was able to come home and catch it before they took off.

 Capturing the swarm

 These were rehomed to a lady who lives around the corner, and are doing well so far.  We had another swarm yesterday, so we had to borrow an empty hive, but this lot don't seem too happy right now.  Fingers crossed they settle down.

Swarming

 I could hear a lot of bee activity a little while ago, and I have watched as the bees have become thick over the backyard.

 I hope they stay on our block!

 Andrew installed a new (empty) hive last weekend, so a swarm would hopefully find it.  Fingers crossed!

Olive trees dripping with bees

School Holidays

 The kids have been back at school for a week and a half, and I haven't blogged for months, but anyway, here's some highlights from the holidays!  The order of my photos has been jumbled, but here's Liv, who got to fulfill her wish of a horse ride (pony), at Koombahla park in Wallington.

 And Evie with her new bike that she got for her 9th birthday.

 The birthday girl with her longed for Merveilleux cake

Double glazing

We had our back windows and door replaced today, with timber framed double glazing.  Our old sliding door had become quite difficult to open and close, and last year I discovered a one inch by about 1cm gap in the top of one of the frames, which would let in hot or cold air depending on the season, and spiders I'm sure.  I plugged it up with cotton wool then, but things should be far more efficient now.  They are the windows/door for our lounge and dining area, which can get quite hot in summer, especially in the mid afternoon.  I'm sure a lot of winter heating went literally out the window too.  I'm having trouble loading a before photo, but I'll put it up soon if I can.

Broody chickens

 I really thought I'd notice if this was going on.  I was a bit shocked to find this chicken sitting on 15 eggs, hidden under the pumpkin vines.  She's been escaping every day, which was annoying, I just thought she'd figured out how to get out, and so she kept repeating it because it was fun.  We've attempted to block the gap in the fencing, but she was determined.  One egg per day for 15 days.  Today was the day to start sitting on them, and that's how I found her, hadn't seen her since this morning.

Better do the float check on this lot!

February garden

 It is getting closer to the end of summer, and we're getting some good harvests, and starting the autumn clean up.  We're enjoying our first blooms from this dwarf flowering gum, after planting it nearly a year ago, I'm looking forward to it growing to it's full height, and being covered in blossom every summer.

 The pumpkins are taking over, though not sure if we'll get a lot of pumpkins from them.

 Avocados continue to get bigger

 Freshly planted dwarf black mulberry

 The new bed chugging along- 35 degrees celcius today, so it's a bit wilty

 Cantaloupe Minnesota Midget

 Watermelon moon & stars

 Backyard beds

 My new echinacea flannelette pyjamas- I'm having a break from making new items for Etsy, and making a few things for myself.  These will be great for winter.

 Liv with Violet

 The next flush of raspberries!

 Andrew's cantaloupe

 Bee enjoying an artichoke flower

Burr comb

The bees are exploding in population now, enjoying tasty treats in our garden

Mid January garden

 Artichokes flowering- the bees love these

 A new garden bed- I've been layering up used chicken house straw, with rabbit poo, chopped up comfrey, banana skins, rock dust.  I've put in a border of comfrey (there are some comfrey roots buried in there that are yet to come up.  My salvia "bee's bliss" is in there, and in a few months, I'll plant an almond tree.  You can see the quality of the "grass" next to this bed, it's quite compacted and sandy.

 Golden delicious apples, only it's second summer.  I had to thin the fruit, as it was way too heavy for the poor tree.

 Sweet potatoes are starting to take off

 The pumpkins are also starting to take off

 The new beds are full of life

 Kiwi fruit plants are surviving, but they need a lot of soil improvement

 Cox's orange pipins getting quite big

 Driveway garden is progressing

 One of 10 (10!) avocados still on the tree.  I've put little drawstring organza bags on them to keep the beasties out, fingers crossed.  Andrew is very excited, he'd be happy with just one reaching maturity.

Part of the apricot harvest, halved, de-stoned and now in the freezer for my breakfast smoothies.  We've been lucky with rain this summer, things are surviving nicely.  I'm just hoping that February is not a scorcher!