Now It's Spring

gum blossoms in pale pink !

I have returned from business travel, and slowly recovering from more work and less rest than usual.  So blogging has not kept up, in light of this. But slowly but surely I feel more on top of things.  And, happily it is SPRING now.  It's hard not to smile or enjoy the signs of the new season unfolding in front of me.

I spent some time in the garden this past week and last weekend, planting things to give them a start before the weather gets super hot and dry like it can here.  And I am still learning things about this garden.  Like the colour of the gum nut flowers on the big tree at the top tier of the garden.  I was surprised to see they are a delicate pale pink, like little ballerina costumes hanging from the branches.  They are just beginning to open, and there are lots more buds to come, so they will be even more beautiful soon.

first roses to bloom, bella !

Up in the top tier or terrace of the of the garden are also some tough as nails (with thorns to match) roses along the fence line, that get a lot of sun and bloom earlier than the rest in the garden.  It was exciting to see the first flower just about to open, and it is a pretty pale shell hue, with a lovely perfume (and this noted before it is even fully open).

prone banksia in flower

Then in front the ground cover banksias I planted when we moved in are looking quite nice and one of them has put up two banksia flowers, russet red coloured cone shaped and like the deeply serrated leaves, quite sculptural.  And when I went to the middle upper terrace garden, I noticed that the first apple blossoms have opened, with more to come.  The bees that spend their time with the rosemary hedges (which now are covered with flowers) have found the first blossoms.  We now have one large and three small apple trees, and hopefully some good pollination partners among them.  The crabapple is supposed to help with that task too, but it hasn't bloomed quite yet, it seems a bit slower to flower.

apple blossoms on Pinkabelle (dwarf pink lady apple tree)

My neighbour's chooks are getting quite broody and letting everyone know they have eggs in the works (or in the nest).  They are a beautiful flock and seem to like the attention from the camera.

Amanda's Chooks, posing for the cam

Pookie, looking trimmer
(but still a big cat)

The cats are feeling spring in the air too.  Pookie has been wanting to run outside for a bit of a jog, perhaps taking to heart that the vet said he needs to be trimmer around his middle !  (he enjoys his kibble and his fish).  Maggie likes the beautiful middle eastern  carpet  covers for pillows I got not long ago.  These will be for the window ledges in the studio, when the enclosure is done.  But she likes them so much, she perches atop them and even let me photograph her (and usually she is shy around the camera).  The best pics I have gotten of her in a long time, maybe ever !

Maggie, serene on her new-old
carpet pillow

And last but not least, my birthday.  Growing up it was an autumn birthday  Here it is in spring.  Thanks to everyone who sent wishes.  It was a lovely day.

Another birthday, happy spring !

More soon, with more projects art, and a link to posts & pics on the Engineering & Construction Department's renovation work out back too.