Africanaussie

At some stage I talked about how a bit more white in the garden would be nice.  I think that was before I put in the path, and the garden had seemed rather deep and dark.   I saw these lovely white and green caladiums  at the market and popped them into the garden.  Then I forgot about them - well it seems they were just having a little rest,  because they are back.  I love how you see the veins, and how the white seems to pop right out at you. .    One of the reasons that I started this blog in the first place was to be able to look back and see when things flowered or fruited.  All the caladiums are looking so lovely right now, so they must like the wet season.   Oh!  it is all a guessing game.  Like this bush that I purchased to attract Ulysses butterflies.  I have never noticed it flowering before, and look how the flowers come right out of the branch.  Isn't that lovely?  I am continually amazed and awed by nature.  Another thing I never tire of in the garden is the

I did manage to spend a full afternoon out in the garden, weeding, cutting back and unearthing hidden treasure!  This little area is so colorful, and deep under the branches there were hippeastrums flowering!  This little one is the first to flower and I hope will soon be followed by the huge, blowsy, over the top, striped ones that were so pretty last year.  Who needs to live in a country with "seasons" when I get fall colour throughout the year? This croton is really colorful, throughout the year. I also noticed that  the ground orchids have buds peeping up - oh great - I have not had any flowers since the lychee tree was pruned. Once the sprawling tomato plants were staked up I discovered lots and lots of anthiriums just waiting to show their pretty colors.  These are the backbone of my garden, and just keep re-producing - the flowers last so long. Gingers are shooting up from the ground  and there is a bud on the sexy pink lady heleconia, so I thin

When I returned from my holiday I noticed that my hubby had left any and all volunteer cherry tomato bushes to take hold wherever they came up.  Then I was busy with my afternoon tea for Habitat for Humanity and what with one thing and another I hadn't noticed how much of a jungle it has become out there...   Not only tomatoes running wild, but quite a few pawpaw trees, and of course lots of weeds.  Once the wet season starts the weeds can only get worse so I need to get out there....  You can hardly see the path, but honestly we are grateful for the tomatoes with tomatoes in the supermarket being 8.00 a kg! so this weekend I hope to get around to some serious trimming and weeding in this area...  Last weekend I cleared out a lot of weeds and excess in the veggie garden, and I think there is another pumpkin starting to get a little bigger.... anxiously watching. I am also going to pick one of my pumpkins and have been researching recipes.   So far I am going

I just watched a film that Kate at vegetable vagabond  posted.  You can view it here -  Seeds of Freedom. I have always been worried about genetically modified seeds, and this answered a lot of my questions. Seed is nature's gift, not an invention.  Nobody should be allowed to patent seeds as far as I am concerned. This amaranth that adds lovely color to my salads pops up regularly in my garden.  It was first planted by a packet of seeds that Kate sent me about 3 years ago.  It adds diversity to my garden and diet and amaranth is one of the oldest heirloom seeds in the world.  I think we as gardeners have a responsibility to make sure that seeds like this never die out. Listening to the dates of when genetically modified seeds were first patented ties in so tightly with the advent of the current globesity and diabetes epidemic I can't help thinking that this is all interconnected. Dill is lovely in the garden - it attracts bees and other pollinators, and you can ea

I was admiring my garden outside the study window on Saturday, and then I peered a little closer at a dark spot half way up the happy plant....  there is a passionfruit vine and the rampant pumpkin vine Wow I have a pumpkin, and another, and another. :)   I don't think any of my fiddling around trying to hand pollinate the pumpkin resulted in a  single hit, but I must have real natural pollinators. How wonderful - to me that means the garden must be in the healthy range.  Most of my neighbours (who use pesticides and fertilizers I might add) told me I would have to hand pollinate. The vine is really going gangbusters taking over the whole garden.  It must grow a couple of feet every day.  I had already decided it could grow over the middle veggie bed as I wasn't planning on planting anything there this wet season. (well maybe winged beans)  There are still lettuces and kale and carrots that I am enjoying but the pumpkin will have to share for now until those are done.  

The Afternoon tea for Habitat for Humanity  in my garden was a huge success thanks to your participation!   Thanks so much for attending and for your donations.   $325.00 was the final tally raised.  You will be receiving your receipts in the mail. The little habitat origami houses filled with a chocolate date truffle were most popular so here is the recipe for those interested, along with the scone recipe.   Chocolate Date Truffles                                   Scones ¾ cup sultanas                                                                        2 cups self raising flour 1 cup pitted dates                                                                  80g butter 3Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder                          ¾ cup non fat greek yoghurt 1 Tablespoon boiling water                                                   2 Tablespoons lemonade (diet is fine) ½ cup skim milk powder