Down the garden path

I had a busy weekend finishing off two quilts for QuiltWest - more on that on Friday. I even managed to catch up on a little blog reading. I noticed Hadley of FlyingBlindonARocketCycle exulting in some blue sky - at last! I know just how she feels. We've had at least three whole days of scattered showers so it was SO NICE to see blue sky again. Saturday was GORGEOUS! I managed to duck out and try a few shots with my camera and plant a few vegies, with the 'help' of Miss Melody. So I thought I'd show you what my almost-winter garden looks like.

My roses are looking a little less stressed given the rain.  I was able to put a few lettuces, some broccoli and coriander in. Lucky I put down snail pellets - I'd love to use more enviro-friendly means of slaying snails, like the saucer of beer trick, but that only leads to drunk Cavaliers at my place. On that topic, I'm hoping to have my first successful bean crop in 11 years, given the passing of the brown-and-white furry catterpillar in February. (Let's just hope ghost-of-Patches doesn't indoctrinate Melody in the joy of eating bean plants).

I'm not sure what these yellow trumpet flowers are called, but the birds love them. I can remember we used to pull the stamens out and suck the honey-dew off as kids. I love the orange and yellow - there's some purple in there as well.

 And the hibiscus do well whatever the season. Hibiscus tea anyone?

 This little New Holland Honeyeater obligingly perched on the bird-of-paradise for me and my zoom managed to get him.

 I pulled a few oranges off the tree - I never eat them as the fruit-fly always get to them before I remember to spray, and I'm a little squeamish about live insects in my food. Dead ones I don't mind so much. A year in Indonesia, you get used to it... But I girded my loins and gave these oranges a go and they were DELICIOUS. I'm definitely getting the spray out in time next crop. And cutting that dead wild passionfruit off it.

 And with the rain, I haven't had to fill the bird bath - hurrah!

So that's it. Hope you liked my little detour down my garden path!