Last year we gave our peach Espalier a hard prune and it barely produced any fruit.  This year we have HUNDREDS of peaches and they are almost ready to harvest.  I didn’t get around to thinning them out so I’m hoping with lots of water and a another week or so of warm weather, we’ll be able to harvest most of them.

In other garden related news, we’ve been enjoying a lot of our fresh veggies in our cooking: zucchinis, peas and blueberries that last few weeks and the runner beans are covered in thousands of red flowers and a few beans are ready to pick.  The apple trees and heavy with fruit as are the pear and plum trees.  We’re in the midst of a record breaking heat wave and a regional water shortage so keeping everything watered has been challenging.

I was just reviewing my ‘To-Do List’ and realized that I have completed most of the items (alas the list never really ends).   Washing the windows couldn’t have been easier simple using this technique / recipe my husband learned from a friend so I thought I’d share it:

• In a bucket mix 1 containter of auto windshield washer fluid, 1 equal part hot water, 1 small bottle of Jet Dry (I used the no-name brand).
• Wipe on using a squeegee and simply rinse with cold water from the hose (no need to dry!)

The other day my husband, uncle and his wife took a float plane tour of the Sunshine Coast and he took this neat aerial photo of our property.  You can see most of the property, all except for the back yard (off to the right) where the view is obstructed by some larger trees:

It’s been a while since I posted for a few reasons.  We were on holiday, and then my dad passed away from cancer,  just last week.  Family came up this week and we spent a few days relaxing, taking in some local hikes and sitting in the garden.  We also took the opportunity to plant a few things in memory of dad.

This peony tree was given by two friends.  We planted it in a sunny spot in the front court yard, right next to where dad used to sit:

I finally got my Ginkgo!   Mom and Dennis generously contributed to the purchase of this Ginkgo biloba ‘Autumn Gold’ and we planted it in the ornamental grass bed also in the front courtyard:

We also planted some new new grasses, Japanese Forest Grass aka Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola‘:

We buried dad today, so it seems rather fitting that we also planted a tree in his memory.  Miss you dad!

I’m crawling out from hibernation, slightly overwhelmed at the task at hand.  Thought I’d better start off by collecting my thoughts and making  a short term to-do list for this weekend:

1. Clean and oil tools
2. Prune and spray fruit trees (hiring someone, hah!)
3. Wash exterior windows
4. Rake lawn
5. Cut back ornamental grasses
6. Sweep for landmines (dog shit)
7. Make hubby do a dump run
8. Prep veggie garden beds
9. Dig out the few plants that didn’t survive the winter
10. Burn baby burn

Gah, I don’t know how much of this I can accomplish this weekend while at the same time amusing a two and a four year old, but here goes!

Haven’t been up to much these last few drab months, not even enough time was spent outside to finish the fall clean-up.  The challenge is finding the time in cooperation with the weather as the kids are not too fond of playing outside in the rain, well and neither am I.

Here’s a few pics from today:

and our total Christmasey things efforts thus far (my daughter made this advent wreath at church last week):

I think this picture is deceptive, the flower is only an inch wide.  It’s from one of the seeds my daughter planted into a clear cup in the spring either at preschool or Sunday School.  She asked me the other day what happened to all her sunflowers so we went out in the garden and were thrilled to find this little guy.

Don’t tell my daughter.  There was another sunflower but I cut it to add to a birthday bouquet for a friend.

What’s blooming in your garden this week?

Gardeners, Plant and Nature lovers can join in every Sunday, visit As the Garden Grows for more information.

Not THAT kind of grass!

I need to weed the pebble covered courtyard at the front of the house.  It’s covered in tiny little weeds … and also this lovely grass which seems to have seeded itself from a nearby decorative grass bed.  Mom suggested I pop them individually into small pots and baby them all winter then come next year I’ll have plenty of new plants.  Not that I’ll have any room to plant them.

Speaking of which, if someone is willing to come over and help dig out and split some overgrown grasses, you’re welcome to help yourself to a few clumps!

Yesterday I mowed the lawn in short sleeves and sat outside most of the afternoon.  Today was the first time I thought perhaps flip flops weren’t the most appropriate footwear and started to wonder about jackets, hats and mitts.

Malabar Climbing Spinach in bloom:

The cheap annuals I bought on sale are thriving.  I’m wondering if they might even survive the winter:

One sad little pumpkin not likely to make it.  I think I’ll be plotting a little pumpkin fairy visit for the kids:

My daughter positioned the stepping stones we made right next to our neighbour’s fence so that she can stand on them while chatting back and forth with her friend (note the playhouse broom, she’s out there every day sweeping off the dirt):

The pampas grass has returned with a vengeance:

and finally, the never ending rose bush at our front gate:

An hour or two today was spent up in our plum tree (after a quick review on calling 911 should mummy fall off the ladder).  Last week I picked what I could but I’m glad I waited to pick the bulk today as they are much nicer now.

After popping a basket full over the fence to a neighbour, we had 35 lbs of ripe plums and that’s only half the tree.  I’ll take the rest in a few days.  I bagged half for various friends and the others were halved and frozen as I just don’t have the time to do much else with them right now.

It seems that after a week or so of dreary weather and rain, summer has returned if only for a short revisit and it has done wonders for my beans.  There are hundreds of new flowers and baby beans so I am hoping that the warm weather sticks around for a few more weeks so we can enjoy them a little longer.

Here’s a random flower that popped up over the last few days: