Today In The Backyard (Continued)

Raining has been here for the past few days, continue gardening is out of the question. But this morning the weather was somewhat promising, it's a dry day.
Catching up in the garden, the edgings have to be done, it is Rayner's job, clearing, tidy up the garden beds and pulling up the weeds are mine.  Gathering herbs for the kitchen is very pleasing, more so getting the edible flowers.

Edible Flowers

Flowers of radicchio are excellent to add in a salad.

Pumpkin flowers are delicious to add in pasta dishes, and stuffed with cheeses.

Fruit Trees
We had a crab apple tree one time when we lived in the Western district, my memory about it is so beautiful, It had abundant red apples every season, looked so gorgeous.  I did not do anything about those fruits, as far as I knew that they were not for eating.  Of course, I know now that they can be made to a lovely apple jelly.

It is a beautiful memory, so when I set my garden up, I decided to have those crab apple trees in my backyard.  I asked and ordered from the Grow Master one of the Nurseries in my town, to get the trees.  I wanted the weeping one instead of ordinary trees.  I got two of those, and with enthusiasm, I planted side by side as space divider which can be seen from my kitchen window.  What beautiful flowers and gorgeous fruits hanging, dripping down that we all could see, we would enjoy their beauty.  They were pictured in my mind, they were in my dream.

A crab apple hangs on the branch

A few years later the plants have grown, they always blossom well but never have fruits.  There are some, but never looking well, a bit of disappointment.  I settled for the blossom though, they are pretty pink.  In spring the two trees are blossoming, they look so beautiful, like curtains lace hanging to divide the next space.


Roses
The roses are there, but the flowers suffer from the rains, they don't look good at all, but my climbing iceberg flowering and almost undisturbed by the storms.

White and serene, the climbing iceberg, she is strong but sweet, it gives us so many flowers.  She earns the place in my garden, the white Iceberg rose I meant.









Strawberry Plants
Strawberry plants are everywhere, under the rose bushes, in patches, in pots and there are some ripe berries now.  I love to see the cute red strawberry hanging resting neatly on a stem of the rose bush.

Potted Strawberry  and The strawberry resting neatly on a stem roses

Today's fresh harvest - juicy strawberries.

It is time to bake sponge cakes.

Topiary

Before                           and                             After

My style of Topiary

Lili Pily Sits on Mondo Grass

The Vegetables

The vegetable patch needs to be organised, cleared up and the soil fixed up for planting in spring.  Potted mixed vegetables,  lamb lettuce, rocket and thyme are growing at the moment, in two weeks I will pick some of the leaves for salad. There are more self-sown lamb lettuces on the ground. The mix salad seeds are germinating,  they have been on the ground since two weeks ago.  I asked a friend-Irene, a good gardener about it, and her answer was maybe the soil is not warm enough, it has been raining, and there was not enough sunlight.  Well, we have to wait patiently.

It has been a good day in the garden, now we both earn our rest.

Inspirational Reading For Today

Pamper  Yourself

You can set an atmosphere of calm and peace for

yourself and your family by filling your home with the

 sounds of a nature tape or with beautiful relaxing music.

It really does have a calming effect.

April 20

Enjoy Your Weekend

Thank You For Stopping By

Until Next Post

Susy