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Friday 8 July 2016

A winter walk around the garden July, 2016


There's not a lot going on around the garden at this cold and wintery time of the year. There is a bareness, a naked view of the bones and structure of the whole scene. I love to prune bare trees at this time, when I can see the structure and future shape of just the branches.


Im not going to ramble on much today - I just thought I'd take you around the yard to see what's going on in the dead of winter. We are fortunate that we don't actually get snow here, but frost and zero degrees at night is normal in our winters (we also get to 45 degrees celsius in summer!)

So we'll start from the front of the house which is normally lush with wisteria and roses



I need to get cracking on rose pruning - there are literally hundreds, many are large climbers and old fashioned shrubs, including an extensive display of David Austin's. If you want to see an array of some of our most beautiful roses, go to the Featured Post -It's Rose time at Bloomfield Cottage



The Camellia hedge is looking great after some good rain to perk it up. These blousy Sasanqua's are first to flower, then the more formal Japonica's follow.





The pond always looks nice, even in it's winter state. We don't feed the koi fish much at all at this time of the year.


I have been busy though, building a new raised garden with some sandstone my husband bought home some time ago, and of course I tidied up the whole pathway whilst down there. 



Looking back the other way. I love the hidden pathways around the garden :)


I've also been busy in the vegie beds. 



All the Broccoli, Kale and Brussel Sprouts are netted from the pesty cabbage moth - no sprays used here. The soils are all freshened up with lime, cow manure, horse manure, and organic seaweed.


I don't have a lot in the glasshouse at the moment, however the orchids are all starting to flower.


This patch of succulents seem to thrive on the cold. In fact, it's tips turn quite pink with the cold weather. We are going to use little florets of this succulent for my daughter's wedding tokens, done up in little glass terrariums!


And of course, winter is the beginning of bulb time here. These are the first to come up and flower in the middle of winter - Erlicheer jonquils, always a cheerie sight with a strong fragrance!


Daffodils and Tritella's coming up in clumps under deciduous trees.


I can't believe how much new growth some of the roses have already - much too soon. It makes it very difficult to spray with lime sulpher after pruning, as it will burn the new delicate foliage. It is an important step at rose pruning time as it cleans up any over-wintering blackspot and fungal spores.


And as you can see, I have loads of roses to prune in the diamond beds. These are the Hydrid Tea roses that I use for showing and cutting.


And because Cleo followed me around everywhere while I took photos I thought I,d put one in of her for good measure.


See you next time ..........