28.1.2013 Memories of Australia xmas and NY

It is cold and nasty in England so I am going to delight us all with some reminiscences or our trip down under just 3 weeks ago now and show you


Lovely garden Nr. 1 PERTH  - AUSTRALIA

We spent Xmas till NewYear  in Australia - very hot - and lovely walk through King's Park and Botanic Garden in Perth. Abundance of wild flowers planted to delight the walkers who come up onto the hill

Looking from King's Park down onto Perth and the Swan River which are actually not on the sea but a bit inland

This plant is called something like 'Camels's Claw'

And this is a beautiful white blossomy tree, but what is it called I wonder?

And one more picture of the wild flowers, which apparently in spring are even more sensational 

New Year Resolution for 2013: This is the beginning of a year in which I will write many more blogs, even if no one reads them...it will be a kind of dairy through the year. I always write one in my head as I hack or weed or sow. I will also post some photos of nice gardens I see or have seen just for the fun and because they are so moral-raising. In a an article about happiness the highest percentage of happy people in England are 'horticulturalists' and let's all keep that in mind after such a horried wet slugg-infested summer in 2012.

This is John and Yuko. John boisterously flattens the land while Yuko carefully goes round the edges, neatening and perfecting after John.

Rose bed looking neat and presentable for croquet on the lawn.

Quactuar sniffing the roses.

Monday Cissy and I de-weeded the veg patches discovering a host of hidden salads choking in the pansies.

Nice little red berries climbing up the arches. I'd like to do a welding course and make some really sturdy arches myself.

Juicy artichokes

Juicy artichokes gone highland

Pear drops

Last year I said to myself if, 'if that pear tree doesn't make any pears next year again 

i'll pull it out.' It must have heard me as this year it's  produces plenty.

Borage Johnson taking over the garden

Nasturtium

Dark red nasturtium - by far the most beautiful of their species. The stems are small and the whole plant easier to control. It sits neat and I think looks more elegant around the centre pots.

Tom in the garden

Pathway

Today Andrew cleared the back area of the annex. It used to have a flower bed, which makes no sense at all as it's dark and dingy, shadowed on one side by the house and outside loo and on the other side by a huge cherry tree. next we need to lay some paving stones.