A good year in the garden

The last couple of years has been a bit of a struggle, but finally most things have adjusted to the clay. With alot of mulching the geese and chooks and ducks roaming over the garden it has helped,
This year I have finally got mangoes, 5 are left and they look like they might do something, there are apples on the trees, grapes on the vines, and the pumpkins look great.

I have put in raspberries and boysenberry and asparagus in this year, hopefully I finally found spot where they will grow well.

The frangipanies  have flowers and my water lotus has a flower. Three flowers on the magnolia.
My weeping mulberry fall over in the storm the other day I have transplanted it, at the wrong time I know, all the leaves have fallen off, with all this rain I'm hoping it will survive.

I have planted more cape lilacs along the fence line for the white tail cockatoos they love them', I had 4 and now 7 I have also planted hibiscus in between them.  There are so many different types of birds now its amazing, now the trick will be to get native animals in the garden. I did read up on making a bat box, that will be next up the back,

There animals haven't been so lucky, the geese had eleven babies that was good and 5 duckling, between the dogs and crows no chickens yet, had two tries and all the eggs disappeared, hopefully the one sitting now due next Friday will get hers out, there are 11 eggs under her.

This year I have gone mad on water plants in container I have quite a few different ones now,(just in containers I have found around the place), I have so many frogs now and they are so noisy all the time, I have learnt to live with it.

All in all it has been a rewarding year and I just love walking around in the garden, even though I still have portably fencing and tin up around the wire fencing to keep dogs and foxes out, some places are still a bit rough around the edges, but I love it anyway.

the purple water iris didnt last long but it did look glorious

Back in the Garden

We're back and in the Garden. I'm now living on an Acre across the road from Wanda. A nice large block with a lot of scope. The prominent things folks will see are my 3 big rose bushes in the front yard. Roses mean Harmony and peace. So having them out there adds a little balance to my hectic schedule.

My new house is old and rickety but nice and the backyard is a nice spot for the dogs to run around.

I am working on a new (this time home made) Aquaponics tank which I'll post up soon

no mangoes left

The rain last week washed all the mangoes flowers of, so no mangoes again this year, so burning under the tree didnt work. Maybe by next year i will find a solution to my mangoe fruit problem.

I have one chook and 4 ducks setting at the moment there should be babies everywhere, the crows are starting to hang around it like they know

weekend of mowing

Had a good weekend in the garden, did alot of mowing. Tidy some garden beds, and put some straw down in beds. Picked the first lot of tomatoes of the aquaponics bed, the mini cauliflowers are starting to head and so are the red cabbages, the bed is starting come into it own, in two weeks we will start eating the first trout from this batch.

The chook is sitting on eggs at last, so there will be some new chickens this year, one to the ducks is starting a nest too, the crows are stealing the eggs now so will have to cover the yard.

Fennel harvesting!

We pulled our fennel out of the ground today. And bought some pet supplies, including a new guinea pig companion for Jaffa who I have called Malteser! We also got a set of collars for the pups.


- Wanda

Goslings!

Here are some cute photos of our baby geese. Well, as close as I can get.

wives tales

Its been a great few weeks in the garden, i have mulched and fertilised.
the baby geese and ducklings are growing fast,in a few weeks they will have their feathers.

Lost a trout last week, did some reading and discovered the weather could have got to warm for them, i read you freeze water in plastic bottles it helps to keep the water cold,(didnt try but will next time weather gets warm) in a few weeks will be getting some barramundie, i planted lettuce in the aquaponics today, and i got some more natives to plant up the back to bring in the birds, i also got a boysenberry to plant.

Covered the patotoes with more pea straw and gave them a fertilise.

the mango is covered in flowers this year, i was told to rake up the leaves and burn them under it it help sets the flowers, its a old wives tale from a old italian lady, any thing is worth ago the last few years the flowers have not set.

any tips are worth trying and hearing about, shared knowledge is the way to go.
we all have something useful to share.