It’s the first week of autumn here but spring is definitely in the air. The days are cooling off, we’ve had a good amount of rain and the garden is bursting into life.
Even the animals are going for it. The poor whistling doves are exhausting themselves: him dancing with his beautiful tail fully displayed; her flying away as soon as he gets near her. I wish she’d stop playing hard to get and just get it over with because they’re wearing me out with their antics.
Yesterday I spotted this pair of…. moths I guess but I prefer to call them butterflies (I don’t get why one is creepy and one pretty, but that’s the way it is). The are obviously deeply in love and attached at the hip – literally. I looked them up on the internet and they’re the “common” (I find it so rude to use that term as a descriptor) wasp moth. I think they are lovely.
Backyard love affair between wasp moths
I expect to hear the pitter patter of little feet soon.
I took advantage of the forecast of a week of partially cloudy, mild weather (mid 20s C) with intermittent showers to do some planting. While I was out there, the clouds burnt off and it hit 31 C which wilted my seedlings (darn that weather man) but I’m hopeful they’ll pull through. I sowed radishes and onions right in the ground and lettuce, Brussels sprouts and fennel (attempt #3) in planters. I planted out Asian greens, broccoli, silverbeet and thyme seedlings. As long as the weather hovers in the mid to high 20s this week, I should be in with a real chance.
I planted out some veggies in rows and some I sort of stuck in where space allowed. I kind of tried to pay attention to what had been in the ground over summer to do some crop rotation but it was more about what space was available than anything scientific.
Below is my new favourite bed. It’s my favourite because of how it’s evolved. I sowed a bazillion kohlrabi seeds here in late January and the bandicoot returned several times to work the bed over. It now has a few surviving kohlrabi plus bok choi and kale which are volunteer plants. I’ve snuck in some silverbeet to complete the bed. A very nice little combination courtesy of me and nature working in harmony (even when it feels like it’s working against me). It’s a good example of what gardening is like in my back yard. In the end, in spite of the obstacles, I get a lot of food and so I’m learning how to relinquish control. A great little lesson for this control freak.
I also did a fair bit of weeding and general maintenance including getting rid of a bunch of old flowers and weeds from a pot. This pot is earmarked for some of the marigolds that have done so well in my veggie beds, but first the chickens got to eat the best bits.
Yep, spring is in the air and everyone is out and enjoying it. What difference does it make if the calendar says it’s autumn? Well, I’m thinking a big difference to my mulberries that are actually turning pink – I prophecy they’ll be shocked when it dawns on them it might feel like spring but it really, truly is autumn.
Laura Rittenhouse's Gardening Journal 
Unfortunately drought still grips our country. The lawns and gardens are suffering but at least the chooks have lots of fresh water.
This summer started out looking like it was going to be really dry then the rains came. This year we dodged that bullet but it’s always hanging there as a real possibility again. We installed rain water tanks in the last drought but that sure didn’t make up for the lack of rain. Nothing does.
I bet spring in your garden is like heaven! xx
Spring is even better than autumn. Winter ain’t so bad either. It’s those hot summer days that knock my garden (and me, my chickens and bees) about.
yes spring is my favourite. x
We have had some really warm days here lately, up in the 60s F and sunny, but I hear a storm is on it’s way and we will have snow by the end of the week. Soon, spring will actually be in the air here! I am enjoying living vicariously through your pictures though. Makes me feel warm and sunny.
SNOW! EEEK!
Fabulous moth photo!!! Nice work catching that moment. Do you get a lot of pretty leaves there in the Autumn?
We get almost zero pretty leaves here in Autumn. None of the native trees are deciduous which means no colour, no naked tress and pretty much leaf drop all year long. There are some imports that lose their leaves but we don’t get the cold snaps trees really like if they are going to put on a display. Is console myself with the fact that my bird of paradise is in flower (again, still, seems to be all year) which gives me autumn colours right out my window 🙂