The Winter Palais....

Hello Dhaarlings...

It's Winter at "The Palais"...

 And the garden is looking rather drab and dreary...

We have had the most rain in 12 years and the ground is starting to get quite sodden with lots of runnoff for the creeks, the rivers, catchments and farmers dams. Which is a really good thing... and my water tanks are all overflowing... for the first time since putting them in..

.

My Seasonal Affective Disorder is suffering for the want of more sunshine as most days have been overcast cold and wet and very windy...

Did I mention Windy?

If the weather was better The Empress and I would be sitting here...catching a little ray of sunshine while it visits infrequently...over a nive cuppa..

Fortunately today we were not!

The big old gum tree that we usually sit under dropped a limb... well...

 half a tree really 

We are both safe and well but that corner of the garden needed some renovating... but this is not what I had in mind!

Due to the fact that we are having a real winter for a change...

I have found it difficult to get out into the garden without provoking a bout pneumonia or turning into an ice cube. The very few opportunities to get into the garden and prepare for the oncoming spring...have nor amounted to much as you will see..

The raised vegetable patch is suffering from the colder winter than past years but being an avid recycler when it comes to gardening Princess doesn't let much go to waste...

The old Bathtubs came from the Tip/Dump recycling centre. Last year I had only three, they kept us in beans, tomatoes, squash, zucchini, cabbage and capsicums during the summer and autumn.

 But, this year I have increased their number to seven.. and they were a steal at $20 each...I could hardly leave them there to become horse troughs!

Grass cuttings and mulch all go toward filling the baths and healthy servings of worm castings and worm wee from the worm farm and mulch go a long way in breaking down over winter into a rich compost fantastic for growing veges...

I add all the extra nutrients via, blood and bone, potash, chook poo and slow release fertiliser, and a seaweed based solution that gives the little seedling plants a good head start.

I follow that up with regular feeding throughout the growing season they are usually producing in no time (I Hope).

The chinese cabbage, sno peas and mini lettuce are planted and we have had a couple of meals from the Bok Choy. The red onions are starting to grow nicely. Cabbage and Broccoli have just gone in a week ago. But the rainbow chard, silverbeet and perpetual spinach have regularly graced "The Palais" table at mealtimes.

I manage to grow herbs throughout the garden. Some in pots, some sewn directly into the soil others as borders or stand alone plants or clumpings.

A wander around will find mint, apple mint, spearmint, bergamot, rosemary, curly and flat parsley, sage, marjoram, oregano, thyme, rue, peppermint, lavender, borage and basil. Mostly seasonal and all just awaiting spring for a new burst of growth.

The fruit trees...

 are starting to bud up and I'm looking forward to seeing their plump little buds burst forth in a rush of colour signaling that spring has arrived.

Plums, peaches and apricots all get eaten fresh and any extras go toward making Jam.

Oranges, of which there are plenty this year, if not eaten fresh or juiced, will miraculously be turned into marmalade or given away to friends.

 

There's a fig tree and passion fruit vines still waiting to be planted... they will have to wait

This year I am also planning to grow some potato and sweet potato in old car tyres.

I will keep you updated with their progress...

As for the roses... well that's a whole other story...
But for now...

I need to find a man with a chainsaw...

Or Two...