A long and slender visitor

Visiting me the other day was this stick insect. It stayed motionless for hours just doing what stick insects do.

There has been some nice rain since the last post and a storm last night which delivered 30mm.

Where’s The Rain?

The SOI is at 7.6 and the dams have been emptied in preparation for the expected wet season but there is no sign of it here.

The garden needs watering daily and is still looking good but some heavy downpours would work wonders. There is supposed to be some storms over the next few days so here’s hoping….

The Tree Dahlia has produced its first flower, last year it was spectacular:

Some nice flowers on the Tibochina as well, I can see them out of the corner of my eye as I write this.

The sweet corn has set some cobs, the variety (Honey & Cream) is a lot shorter than others I have seen but as long as the taste is there, that’s all that matters.

Some nice looking tomatoes on the way as well, I think I gave the bushes too much fertiliser and they produced lots of leaf but there will still be some yummy produce. I will plant a second crop soon.

Lush new growth.

I fertilised this Hydrangea last year and it grew so much that it completely blocked access down the side of the house. At the start of winter I pruned it severely cutting all the old wood off back to just above ground level, I even wondered if it would survive but it is now if full growth with rich green leaves, the pruning has worked wonders but there will be no fertiliser this year.

A Floral Delight

Sitting on the back veranda having a coffee and a slice of home-made fruit cake is a delightful experience. As I look to the left there is a wall of white jasmine flowers, it even takes me away from the fruit cake:

Further up the side fence the jasmine mingles with the honeysuckle. In the early morning the perfume from the honeysuckle is heavy in the air, it is the first experience of the senses when I walk out the back first thing.

The side fence is actually full of color, a mixture of honeysuckle, nasturtium, jasmine and another one whose name I constantly forget. I also have some rather pleasant conversations over this fence with my neighbour, Betty.

The tibochina in the back yard continues to produce hundreds of buds and this year it looks like there will be white as well as pink flowers. Look closely and see all the buds on the picture:

Hely’s Rose

The new moon is in Scorpio and this climbing rose always flowers for Hely’s birthday the 26th October and once again it is in full bloom. This one comes from a cutting from Hely’s which came from Shirley.