GBBD December 2010

I'm late. I went to post for GBBD yesterday, and as I was uploading photos, Google informed me that I had reached my free photo upload limit and that I would have to pay for more uploads to Picasa. I immediately paid and tried again, but was informed that it would take 24 hours to process.

"Better late than never" as they say. But they also say "Never judge a book by its cover" which left me hugely disappointed when I bought a book with a picture of Jamie Oliver on the front assuming it was a car manual.

And don't get me started on "You can't have your cake and eat it".

Anyway, here's what I started on yesterday.

The months just fly by. It's the 15th again and thanks to May dreams gardens it's time to look over what is blooming.

To be honest, blooms are a bit thin on the ground this month as summers heat turns the plants thoughts to survival rather than beauty, but I suppose the idea is to show the changing of the seasons rather than show off only in the good times. It's nice to look around the world each 15th and see where it's winter or summer, drought or flood, and what each of us grows and cherishes.

 I'm very fond of native violets. They are tender yet prolific.

 Plumbago

 Small flowers on my Maraya.

 The white Agapanthus is almost done

 Tiny flowers have started in the Bromeliads

 Cucumber

Welcome. (Not a gardening post)

Our friends and neighbours, (the garden gnome people), have a new addition. With  all the girls around, Declan is thankful that there is another little bloke around to be mates with. So welcome little Luke.

Here is a slightly blurred photo of the Dads being Dads.

Visitors.

My sister flew in from Hanoi on Sunday. She and her husband are bigwig hotel  management types, and some years ago after a holiday in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia where they fell in love with tropical south east Asia, they requested and were granted transfers to Hanoi. Since then Lachlan, my nephew, was born, and I see far too little of him. Although I feel sorry for my brother in law spending Christmas without his family, frankly he can suck it up 'cause it's my turn. (Sorry Mick)

And what a surprise I had waiting for them. Let me paint a photo picture.

 Imogen was so excited that Aunty Rabbit was coming.

 Lachlan was a little wary to begin with.

 Grandad, ( my dad) kept an eye on his boy.

And why had they come? The uninitiated might think that Christmas had something to do with it, but no. They came all this way just in time to see the the piece de resistance. My very first cucumber. I know you find it hard to believe that they travelled all this way for my humble first cucumber, but that's family.

I think I'm starting to morph into an Italian immigrant from the 40's. i.e. I'd like to turn my small block into a thriving market garden with rows of produce, chickens scurrying hither and thither and a long table for family lunches with plenty of good wine. I started with leafy veggies and found that they are are fairly easy to grow and maintain and tomatoes are not much harder, but I'm getting into a greater diversity of food plants. The cucumber is the first triumph, and the capsicum aren't far behind. I wonder if Alison would notice the lawn if it went missing.