Seasons Greetings, Seasonal Regards

Maru is festooned with Christmas cheer. Grandchildren #2 and #3 skillfully and enthusiastically took charge. (Grandchild #1 is a teenager and was still in bed.) My metal birds, made by the talented Kim Gibbs, are getting into the spirit. Gardening has necessarily been a little light on.

The garden is at that delightful stage when it's mainly under control but you can see little patches that need your attention and TLC. Christmas preparations and celebrations have put a brake on gardening and today it's raining. Mother Nature is teasing me - you can look but you can't touch. However, we have had some very hot days and rainy days are always welcome. The weeds will be bigger, but they'll be easier to pull - there's always a silver lining.

This year I was able to use our lettuce, tomatoes, raspberries, spring onions and carrots for the Christmas pig out. Seems we are doing something right in the veggie garden. The strawberries are being recalcitrant but the self-seeded peas continue to stake their claim on the middle bed. Best garlic ever! Vampires be gone! Tis the season to enjoy the harvest, falala le lala laaaaa.

My efforts to raise seeds has been less successful. Seed trays of sawtooth coriander, native lemon grass, thai cucumbers, thai basil and meadow daisies have given me the sum total of 3 seedlings. The thai cucumber is the only one planted out so far. Better luck next year.

So mid summer season. Time to enjoy, potter, maintain and harvest. It will be Autumn soon enough, but I'm more than happy for it to take its time. We haven't had our quota of hot days yet.

Bird Update

The day I posted the last blog, the babies flew the nest. One was a little wary of the big bad world and spent a day flying around the shed but they have all gone now.