Well it's been a while again !!
(Gets out last year's diary)
We had a lot of rain Mid Dec which was good, and it got quite cold. The roses got lots of TLC in the shape of a spray made up of Charlie Carp, Eco Rose and Seagold. I've been trimming them back every time I deadhead or pick a bunch, some of them are taller than me. Charlws Austin must be 8ft at least.I got a Red Intuition from Bunnings for $10 - that was a good Chrissy present to myself! David bought me 2 lovely statues for Xmas, a birdbath supported by 3 cherubs with a 4th one on the top, and a fairy statue who lives under a treefern now.I planted a perennial Basil in a pot, the last one died in a bed, not very perennial!
We've put birdnetting on the Mulberry and Plum and Fig trees. All these are cropping heavier than last year I'm happy to say.The strawberries have been doing well too, but I'll grow some new plants for next year.
The weather turned warmer from Boxing day and I moved a lot of the rose pots under the twisted willow to save them from being burnt by the sun.
The blackbird who had built a nest in an orchid pot then built another in the Nodding Violet hanging basket. She raised 3 chicks and the two of the second clutch died and one survived. I moved the nest out of the hanging basket and into a wood basket!
I decided it was time to invest in a serious sprayer as I have to spray the roses frequently and the pear and cherry trees and the nectarine have to be done too. It's not a wonderful one but it holds 4 litres and has a shoulder strap and is much better than the little squirty bottle.
This brings me into Jan.
Once more the roses got a cocktail spray of Triflorine, Powerfeed, Charlie Carp and Algoflash. Gosh they're spoilt!
We had a few days of 38-40 which wasn't much fun. We extended one of the water lines to the fence along which the orchids live and put drippers in all of them. In theory we can do this with the hanging baskets on the patio too even tho I move them around sometimes, but that's on the "to do" list.
There are lots of cherry tomatoes ripening now, and a few Green Zebras, one bigger tomato variety and a black cherry one from the USA via Tasmania :)
The cucumbers weren't a raging success, maybe they don't get enough food & water in a pot.
Up to date now, with the roses having had another spray of Eco Rose, Cc and seagold. Then i gave them a feed of worm wee and manure tea.