A mid-winter gardening weekend over in northern Oz.

I love this blog.

The first and second photos are great, the second looks like an area that i doubt i'd ever move from !!!
The verandah is just my 'cup-of-tea' .... and leading down to that paved area ..... just gorgeous :)

Your guests must have felt like they were in paradise Bernie !

Yes thanks Louise - I have to admit we do spend a awful lot of our time on the weekends on that verandah but our guests have been dividing their time between courtyard and verandah - they seem to love food and wine more than cups of tea!!!! (Not complaining!)

Fantastic garden. Whens the next sitting for breakfast?
I 'll be there.

Treesandthings - any time you're over here. We love having people to stay out here - we do get a bit ho-hum over the garden and the surrounds, but the guests are so appreciative that it makes us feel more grateful with what we've got.

Sitting on your verandah drinking wine at 25 degrees in the middle of winter? You just love to make us all jealous don't you Bernieh! It looks beautiful as ever even in winter.

Lily2 - I do so love the winters here (don't really want to make you jealous!). The summers however are another matter! We spend every minute of our short winter days out and about - it's the best time to visit!!

Yes Lily just what I was thinking ..25 degrees being described as mid winter ! Your summer temps of course something else so yes jealous of your winter temps but think I d fry in summer...can see why your guests reluctant to move.Beautiful.

Thanks BB - yes summer's are horrendous, winter's to die for!

Nice photos. What do you do re watering? (I am slightly obsessional about watering as I have such problems with water, being in Spain, in the summer months.) And you have a lot of pots which not only consume a lot of water but are pretty time consuming. All your plants and cuttings look very healthy. Good work!

Looks stunning Bernieh. I love those ferns. 11.30am here and I'm just about to go to Hampton Court Flower Show. Enjoy your evening and glass of wine maybe?

Hi Sorbus - the pots out in the courtyard are on a very tight watering regime. They get watered every second day and luckily they're plants that are quite hardy. Can't grow lots of things because I just can't keep up their need for water. I've become pretty good at knowing the plants that will survive on less water than others. The plants in the greenhouse and the hanging baskets in the courtyard (which you can't see in the photo) are on a timed watering system. We have quite strict water restrictions here - have had them for many years.

Thanks Ginelle - yes we are out in the courtyard (it's around 9.30 pm) having a few glasses after a huge Sunday evening roast! You're beginning to know me well!!!!

What lovely colour and very pretty planting. We have had so much rain here this week the fish are practically out of their pond LOl You seem to know what weather to expect we of course have a lucky dip every day. We had a wonderful week recently which probably rivalled your sunshine. of course although most of us enjoyed it there were many people who moaned!! never mind we are all different - loke liquorice allsorts, and I love them apart from the coconuts!

On my photos I have a liquorice allsorts man. Lol.
Stunning gardens.
How high are you above sea level ?

25 C ! - it struggles to get to that in the summer here very often. Mind you it suits me fine as it is.
I had a lavender nutmeg geranium once. It's a lovely one.
Hope your guests are enjoying their stay :o)

I Love your garden Berniah, I think your courtyard is my favourite, And your Greenhouse is Amazing.. Im so jealous....

Hope your guest enjoyed you Garden as much as I have looking at it simply stunning.

Your winters are better than our summers! Lol! No wonder we are all "green" ! Lol!

Your patio is outstanding! It really leaves me with my mouth hanging open in awe - winter? Are you sure you've not mixed up your seasons??? Nobody would believe you're not in the middle of summer like we are.

But then you've already explained what YOUR summers are like & very few of us would like to visit you then! :D But we'd all like to visit you at this time of year!

Thanks Grannysue - we actually have people here who complain it's too cold!!!! (hubbie!!!!) It takes all sorts doesn't it? Hope you get some lovely sunny weather over there.

TT - yes I've seen your liquorice allsorts man - handsome! I'm guessing we're around 200-300 metres above sea level out here as we live up in the hills around Mt. Elliott.

Hi Hywel - yes I'm looking forward to seeing what this lavender nutmeg geranium is going to be like. Guests have just left (it's 8.30 Monday morning) and it's another beautiful winter day.

Thanks Youngdaisydee - I am pleased with the colour I've got now in both the greenhouse (coolhouse) and the courtyard as they were both a bit too bland for many years.

Thanks so much Sueb - yes our guests had a great time. They both couldn't believe how fabulous the weather has been and both enjoyed our surrounds a great deal.

Hi Balcony - no this is our winter I'm sure about that! It is the best time to have visitors over here as the days are just glorious - although they are a bit short of course.

Terratoonie I have just had a look at your lovely liquorice man and I think he is great. :~)))

love your pictures everything looks tickety boo even the wildlife looks good my wildlife is of the feathered variety mostly pheasants buzzards magpies and woodpigeons then all the nice songbirds it is 9.30 and as i write a blackbird is singing away - beautiful
we had torrential rain this afternoon and it's our summer!! ah well perhaps the sun will shine again tomorrow
love your garden
if i get to see my cousin in melbourne one day i'll invite myself to see your garden and bring a bottle!!

regards

Thanks Neellan - I'd send over some of our winter sunshine if I could. Morning is one of my favourite times because of the birdsong - lots of birdsong around here too very early in the mornings and in the evenings. If you do make it over you're more than welcome!!

Your courtyard looks absolutely stunning Bernieh and the ferns are great!
Lovely photos!

Thanks Paulthegardener - there's a lot of the giant sword fern in my garden as you can see. It's certainly an outstanding type and needs little care to look great.

bernie that last pic of your garden wow! superb!

Thanks Davidp - that's my courtyard garden where I have most of my garden colour (along with my greenhouse garden). The rest of my property is mainly well-established, drought tolerant trees and shrubs - most of which are a rather boring green.

Hi Marguerite - good to catch up. I seem to miss you when you're on here - I haven't seen that much of you lately! Well we've been having the mildest winter ever. Most of the winter days we've had 27 degreesC and the nights have been around 17! It's been heavenly! I think I've worn a jumper for 3 mornings so far - this, of course, indicates it's going to be a hellish summer!

I am definitely in the dry tropics here - it's brown out here pretty much from the beginning of winter to mid-summer (that's if it rains in summertime!) We're lucky to see green grass out here for 2 or 3 months of the year - of course in town they put on their sprinklers and keep it green. My property is too huge to try to keep green - I did that the first year we moved out here and it cost me an absolute fortune in excess water!!

I haven't grown any grevilleas on this property - I have in other gardens, but lost interest in them a bit. The newer varieties are exceptional though - have seen some beauties! I've been trying lots of annuals this year, to provide some colour as I'm really over all the green!

Are you still trying to sell your house? How's that going? I though maybe you might be moving back to W.A. when it's done.