Getting ready for summer

I use a great little application on my phone called Gardenate. There is also a website. It gives you a list of vegetables to plant each month, based on the area you live in. I've been hanging out for August and September! I can at last plant some seeds that will hopefully carry us through December, January and February. Although it was cold and wet on Tuesday, I set up my planting station outside the chook shed and got to work sorting out my seeds.

A little while later I was done. I did get side tracked (easily done!) and went inside. I forgot to put the newly seeded punnets into the greenhouse. They spent the night on the bench where I'd left them. The next day, Frans pointed out that Spike the Rooster, was happily walking all over my seed punnets! I managed to smooth over the tops, but now I have no idea if I have capsicum seeds mixed in with tomatoes! I'll just have to wait and see. Jolly bird can obviously fly!  

 I must just share my groovy wire chook with you. My lovely sister in law Jayne, gave this egg holder to me for my birthday earlier this year. Isn't it fabulous?!

 

 Tomorrow is Fathers Day in Australia. Sara and Stephen are hosting a picnic in the park near their new home in Melbourne. One of my contributions to the picnic is hummus. It is so easy to make, and the taste is far superior to any little tub you can buy from the supermarket. Here is the recipe. I picked a basket of lemons this morning. The smell of the lemon tree is just delicious! It cries out for a G&T!

 Today is the 1st of September. The unofficial first day of Spring. There is no rain today! Yay! So this morning I've been outside planting a few punnets of flowers. I bought a measly six punnets. They hardly made a dent in one garden bed. I'm going to have to start raising flower seeds if I'm to turn this garden into a floral oasis. I then took my new pair of branch cutters and started trimming a few stray branches on the mulberry tree. Once I start, I just can't stop! I've cut plenty of low hanging branches and twiggy stems from the old tree. It has opened up that spot in the garden. We will now be able to see who is coming down the driveway! There are no leaves on the tree at the moment, and it is easy to see to the far edge of the garden through the emply branches. But once the tree is covered in leaves, the far side of the garden gets hidden from the house.  Another reason for cutting back low hanging branches is that this tree provides the most beautiful shade on a hot day. The daffodils will die down soon and leave the area under the tree bare. I will be able to plonk my lazy chair underneath the tree and easily while away an hour or two with a good book. Well, that's the intention. We'll see if it actually happens.....

Ha! Look at the beautiful blossoms on the nectarine and peach trees! It's as if they exploded overnight!  

 I did manage to finish a knitting project this week. My friend Norma guided me through the challenge of knitting my first pair of socks and helped me navigate the mystery of 'turning a heel'. Well, they fit. That's good. Took me almost a month to knit! 2mm needles are pretty small! I didn't quite match the stripes, but who cares right? I'm not too sure if there will be too many of these babies coming off my needles.

Instead I'm now finishing a little jumper for myself before I start on another jumper for Frans. I picked up the old pattern at an op shop this week. It has the perfect pattern in it. The pattern I'm going to use is actually on the reverse side of this pattern. (I photographed the wrong side.... duh!). I'll post a photo once I get going on it. Frans approved and said the pattern needed no modifactions. Well, almost none....

 

Have a happy weekend!