Gardening

[Stanley]

Plus the benefit of a visit from a nice lady! My cup overfloweth....

[Stanley]

I'm happy to report that the front garden has recovered well. The blood, fish and bone seems to have worked well. I must have done a better job of cutting the Ladslove back, it's a lovely tight healthy bush this year. I have been keeping the hoe going and Susan congratulated me the other day on having less weeds than her! All I want now is some well rotted manure to further improve the soil.

[Wendyf]

I will bring you a bag next week Stanley. Will Monday morning be OK?

[Stanley]

What a good woman. Of course it will be OK! I nearly rang you yesterday, I was worried because I've seen so little of you on the site lately. How's Colin?

[Wendyf]

I'm still around, just distracted by other things! Col is making slow progress thanks.

[Stanley]

[Wendyf]

I'll call at about 10am with your bag of muck if that is OK with you Stanley.

[Stanley]

Lovely. I'll bring it down the front path so give me a shout to open the front door! Another light hoeing last night so it will mulch in well....

[Stanley]

Wendy delivered some lovely well rotted FYM yesterday and it was soon scattered and hoed in. Wonderful stuff, no wonder she can grow good veggies! (Now I want rain!)

[Wendyf]

There's plenty more where that came from!
You and Susan are both right about your herb plant Stanley, it is definitely Lemon Balm, which is a member of the mint family.

[Stanley]

More of that lovely stuff any time it suits you Wendy. I found an article on the web, "12 things to do with lemon balm" (LINK)) I think I fancy the apple cider vinegar with lemon balm....

[Stanley]

Keeping the hoe going.... An old gardener once told me that in dry weather the hoe was the best watering can, it lets the dew get into the soil....

[Wendyf]

I picked 2lbs of blackcurrants yesterday and spent the afternoon making jam. It's been a good year for soft fruit. I haven't been looking after my garden very well this year and missed the best of my raspberries, but the insects are having a party on overripe berries.

[Stanley]

You've had a lot on your plate this last year Wendy....

[LizG]

I'm not sure if this is the right place for this, but I did bring it in from the garden. It's an amazing plant that flowers like this every year. The only downfall is that it has a very strong smell.

Sydney Rock Orchid.jpg

Sydney Rock Orchid 2.jpg

[Sue]

image.jpg

Last pickings from the garden before the ferry tomorrow

[LizG]

Are you allowed to transport those fruit and veg home? In Aus we can't take anything interstate, in fact there are big quarantine checkpoints at the borders where all fruit and veg is confiscated. In Victoria we can't transport into or out of certain areas of the state either.

[Stanley]

Nice basket Sue....
My garden is in good nick, nothing exciting but the herbs are doing well, all is weed free and it has had a bit of feeding with Wendy's muck! Paths are clean and moss free after the Daz treatment so things could be worse!

[Sue]

I have brought them home Liz. A lot of the fruit and veg in England comes from Europe anyway.

[Stanley]

The mint is past its best now but the Ladslove and Lemon Balm are still going strong. The Lemon Balm has tiny flowers on it.

[Sue]

Ah the lemon balm will start to go woody now it is flowering, to keep soft growth and more aromatic leaves cut it back, there is still time for it to re grow this year.

[Sue]

Same for the mint Stanley. You can keep cutting these down to the ground ad infinitude during the year, it stops the leggy growth and keeps nice round humps of growth

[Stanley]

Noted, Thanks......

[LizG]

Stanhopea Boileau.jpg

A few years ago a friend gave me a slice of this orchid. It started to flower last year but fried in 40 degree heat. I looked after it a bit better this year and it has produced well - 3 spikes. Its a really unusual orchid in that it flowers on vertical spikes that hang below the plant; it's also highly fragrant. Unfortunately the flowers only last a few days, unlike all the other orchids I have that last for months.

[Stanley]

It would not be happy here at the moment......