november blooms

OK so it's not November anymore but I took these snaps last week and I've been a bit slack.  The lavender in the west bed is blooming.  It's such a lovely shade of purple, the picture doesn't quite capture the shade.  For some reason I thought it blossomed a bit later, but when I checked, I posted about them blooming one year ago to the day!  I'm pretty sure they'll repeat bloom though, because I didn't clip them back until the autumn.  The gaura is still recovering from the haircut it got at planting time, but it's well on its way.

My oakleaf hydrangeas are thriving too.  Look at these flower spikes!  They're actually weighing down the branches they're so big.  I believe the flowers stay a long time, turning off-white and even pinkish before the end.  I think.

The bird bath corner is filling out well too.  The tequila blue salvia is even bigger than last year, although it is quite floppy and needs staking.  The magnolia is finally starting to sprout from where I chopped the top off last year, and the first beautiful flower has opened.  And now that the parsley's been pulled out the day lilies are actually getting a bit of sun.

I decided to take some cuttings from the salvia, it's meant to be very easy.  They're not dead yet anyway!

I'll probably put them along the fence in the east bed, we'll see how we go.  Oh and these aren't blooms, but I had a great little harvest of
rocket, parsley and radishes the other day.  The radishes obviously got
too much water all at once and two of them split.  At least they split
beautifully at the tip.

vegetables in october

October is a time to harvest the winter veggies and get ready for the summer veggies.  In June I planted this purple sprouting broccoli, but it didn't form a very big head.  Either I should have planted it earlier, or maybe the pot's too small.  Not sure, but the colour sure is fun and it tasted good.

I also picked the last of the French breakfast radishes.  I left them a bit too long so they were a bit hollow inside and lumpy.  And they get those weird nibbled marks on them.  They're never deep but they happen all the time, I think maybe earwigs?  In any case, I might try a different type next time, something round and not lumpy.

The broad beans are a pretty tragic story.  As seems to happen to everyone who grows broad beans, they make dozens of flowers that drop off.  I got tired of waiting and I wanted to plant the capsicums in that pot, so about a week ago I stopped watering the broad beans knowing I'd be pulling them out.  The poor plant shriveled up and when I went to pull it out, this what I found.  The poor abused thing had actually formed several pods.  I was amazed at how quickly they appeared, a bit like last year's soybeans.  One day there's nothing, the next there they are.  But still, I don't think I'll grow them next year.  I'd rather grow more snow peas, which I also slightly abused yet continued to make pods.

And finally, my tomatoes already have flowers!  Yay!

I've also planted qarabali zucchini, Minnesota midget melons, sugarbaby watermelons and a new parsley plant (the old one finally started to go to seed).  Once I harden them off I'll be planting out the capsicum and basil, and I hope to buy some rocket, a chili plant and maybe some more basil soon.  I love spring!