Winter has hit us hard this year. I know we don’t get winters like many people around the world, in that it doesn’t snow and compared to some countries doesn’t get that cold. Then again we have really hot summers. It is all relative.
We have also been getting a lot of rain, which means being stuck indoors all the time. The problem with that is that most homes in Australia are not built for extremes in weather. Our homes are great for spring and autumn, but too hot in summer and too cold in winter.
We are trying not to use too much electricity, but it is hard not using the heaters all the time. With the average daily temperature around 14C or 57F we don’t want to do much except try and get warm.
We got some oodies and they have been fantastic. However, they aren’t great when you want to do work. They are very warm, but also very bulky. Great if you are just sitting around knitting.
Today I thought we could take a look at how the garden is going in this weather.
The raspberries
It has surprised me that I am still getting raspberries. They have slowed down a lot and I think with this cold snap they will stop.
Raspberries die off in winter and then come back in spring. So I am starting to see that happen. I will have to start pruning it back and then do some work to get it ready for next spring.
I’m hoping I will get even more next year. I made so much jam and have heaps frozen for whatever I want to make with them. So far we have been having lots of muffins baked with them. They are yum.
Mandarins on the tree
I’m still having trouble with rats or something eating my mandarins. So far I have tried a couple of traps, but haven’t caught any. I think I might need to get more serious about it.
I purchased a heap of netting bags to put over the fruit on the tree.
I really hope this works. Last year I reckon I only got to eat about half the fruit. It was annoying. I love mandarins, they would have to be one of my top two favorite fruits to eat. I want to eat them all and not share them.
Growing in the greenhouse
I am getting tomatoes from the plants in the greenhouse. However, Dave is complaining about how much it is costing us to heat it. I’m not sure if it is worth it, but I really wanted to at least try it for one year. In the spring we will have to see if it is worth it.
It would be good to grow some bigger ones, but they are the ones I’m struggling with. I guess I have to give it more time.
Spring bulbs
I have planted so many and I can’t wait for them all to start flowering. I’ve put most in the garden, but a few are in pots.
I’ve tried planting them really close to see what would happen. I guess we will find out.
Looking forward to being able to photograph them all.
Garlic
Another bulb that has gone into the garden is garlic. I really didn’t have any luck with it last year so I am hoping it will do better this year. I’ve put it into a different bed and I soaked it before I planted it out this time. Fingers crossed.
So far it is looking good.
Fungi
Out the back where all the woodchips were put down, I’ve had a lot of fungi growing. I really didn’t think of taking photos of it, but when I was out there taking the photos for this I saw some and thought I would capture them.
It is really weird and perhaps not that pretty.
Colours in the garden
Even though it is technically winter here now, many plants don’t realise that it is. Summer is so long that it can seem to take ages for autumn to get here. When it does it is soon overtaken by winter. That often means the trees changing take longer and can still have leaves well into winter.
They aren’t looking bare, but they are looking beautiful. I am so glad I planted a few of these trees in my garden.
The chrysanthemums are still flowering too.
Look at how beautiful the blackberry leaves go.
It looks so beautiful outside, but it is hard to enjoy it with almost no sun and chilly winds. I will have to make an effort though, there is work to be down. I do think we are going to be in for a wet and cold winter this year. Hopefully, it will kill all the ants and spiders. I’m over those.
I caught a bundle the last time I was growing a cornucopia of veg still judicially re-building my world since their collapse! They look tasty!
Thank you.
Impressive photos with some nice vivid colors!
Thank you Marland.
You’re welcome!
😊😁
Raspberries! I love raspberries. And you can grow mandarins. Wow! It all looks so productive; the fungus does look a little sinister though.
Me too, plus they are easy to grow which is great. Yeah, I’ve had a mandarin tree for over 20 years but last year was the first time I was actually able to eat them. I just never gave the tree what it needed before. Not now. Another great harvest this year. Yeah, not sure about the fungus, but it is just in the walkway so not really a problem, I hope. Thank you RJ.
Our citrus trees are loaded too and this cold snap will make the fruit sweeter. Often we find one half eaten orange on the ground in the morning. I think it’s a possum. We have plenty to share so he can have his one a day.
Ooh I hope so, they are almost ripe. I’ve been eating some, but it will be nice if end up a little sweeter. My tree isn’t that big, so I don’t want to share. It could be a possum, but I think it is more likely a rat. They are little buggers. Thank you Carol.
I think the fungi is so pretty–I photograph it whenever I find it growing on an old tree trunk, of which we have quite a few in our backyard. Your garden is looking great, Leanne.
I’ve never really had it growing in my garden before, it is a fairly new thing, but could be that the mulch or wood chips have only been there since spring. Will have to see what else I get. Sounds like you get heaps, I’m kind of jealous. Thank you Lois.
Your garden looks vibrant and flourishing despite the drop in temperatures. It must be nice to have that splash of colour around you when the weather is drab. I do not fare well in Winter either. It is the price I have to pay for the other three seasons. Snow is pretty but I detest shovelling it and I really hate the grey skies and rain. In recent years I have used it as an excuse to hibernate and hunker down and get stuck into some domestic project.
Thank you Laura, this time of the year the trees make a difference. It is really nice, though it won’t last. I think snow is pretty too, but after watching lots of people living where it snows through the winter you can keep it. It sounds like a lot of work to me. We don’t have anything like that here. We are getting lots of grey skies sadly, but some sun peaks through and it is so warm when it does.
Your veggies look good, you have a green thumb, Leanne. I hope it won’t be a cold wet winter for you guys, come to Vegas. Hot and dry. The raspberries look so delicious!
Thank you JOhn, I’m working on the green thumb, so have no idea what I’m doing, but I know more than I did this time last year. I think it will be that. We get years like this every now and then. It will be nice to get lots of rain really. Yeah, not sure about Vegas, sounds too hot, lol. They have been so good. They are definitely something I’m so glad I planted.
beautiful
Thank you Beth.