Changing Seasons : June 2019

It is still a time of transition in the garden and it looks quite bare. Everything is waiting for spring. I do plan to have more winter flowering plants, but this year, because of all the projects and changing circumstances in the garden I have not had time to organise anything.

The last major project (for the time being) has been to take out more palms. I did like them but they created too much shade. Now I am changing to a native style cottage garden I definitely need all the sun I can get.

The palms where in the centre of the garden. You maybe remember them from previous posts. This was a post I did about the seat under these palms, https://retiredfromgypsylife.wordpress.com/2019/02/08/seat-series-2-palm-seat/

This is what this area looked like a month ago before we attacked the palms with the chainsaw…

The palm seat seen from the house

Looking from the back showing the palms

Now this is what the space looks like…

The palm seat is still there, but we will have to give it a new name. The stumps of the palms have been covered with bromeliads and behind the seat are pots filled with pelargoniums.

The Frangipani is looking confused as it has suddenly produced a lonely flower bud. This is way out of season for it. But do you see the tomatoe in the pot under it? Last month I was carefully nurturing it in the greenhouse, but look at it now. It has an abundance of flowers and some tomatoes already set. It is a dwarf so is almost full height.

Talking about the green house, I am loving it. I have seed saved from the marigolds and Zinnias that did so well last season and they are happily and cosily residing in the green house till the weather warms up. I’ve gone a bit mad taking cuttings too that all seem to be surviving. Jack made a frame from bamboo stakes and the Lebanese cucumbers are thriving in here. The veggies are doing well and it is very satisfying to wander around picking herbs and whatever else is available. It gives me a great feeling of satisfaction.

The Paw Paws are looking well and today we had the first one of the season for breakfast. I meant to take a photo, but take my word for it, it was delicious…

So what else happened. We are in the process of making another bed. Remember the big pile of mulched up pruning from last month (see them here) Now the new fence is in place we placed a thick layer of cardboard along the area in front of the fence, spread most of the mulch over it, put over a layer of cow manure then sugar cane straw. Now it will be left to mature and break down till spring when I will plant more native shrubs.

The pansies are happily flowering and most of the spring annuals have been spread around, and I’ve been able to take up the plastic spoons as they did a splendid job of keeping the cats away till the plants had become established.

Polyanthus seedlings

Phlox and alyssum

I’m so happy to see the new Grevillea,”Peaches and Cream”,  starting to flower Such delicate colours.

This is a gallery of some of the other things flowering, or making a display this month.

It has been a busy month and the weather has been very variable. The first 3 weeks it was dry and cold, only 13mm of rain for the whole 3 weeks. Then 6 days ago it warmed up and started to rain. It was like heaven in the garden. the plants, especially the newly planted annuals, just soaked it up and thrived. I was especially pleased to see the rain as in 10 days we are going away on another art workshop retreat and I am so looking forward to it and now I can relax knowing the garden is well watered.

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 I’m so pleased Su of “Zimmerbitch” runs this “Changing Seasons” challenge as it prompts me to try and keep a record of each month. I can go back to last year and see what was happening 12 months ago.