Sunday, February 4, 2018

The Garden in February

On Sunday, a little after noon, I took a walk around the garden.  Obviously, not the best time of the day to take pictures, but, I had gone out to cut a few flowers for the altar and the mantel, so that's when I took the pictures. 



Backyard from the back steps


It really needs some work and lots of water; we haven't had a lot of rain this winter and I am afraid we will be having a drought, again.

Oranges Ripening

  
Rosemary Bush


The rosemary bush is in flower and the bees were enjoying the flowers

Bee on the Rosemary Bush


 One of the grape vines is showing signs of life:

Grape Vine 1

The other one looks dead:

Maybe I saved too much water and didn't water it enough?
 

The rose (before I cut it!)



Crocosmia


The lemon trees are producing lime sized lemons, once again, due to a lack of water:



Lemons on the tree

 Frontyard looks worse than the backyard:
 

Frontyard from the driveway



Lantana


 
The succulents are doing well


 
The flower bed along the walkway - the osteospermum (African Daisies) are flowering

I am grateful for the lemons and the oranges and for whatever plants that continue to grow even with only a minimal amount of water.

16 comments:

  1. How lovely to see photos of oranges and lemons and that marvelous rose! I have been enjoying seeing the orchids, large and miniature in the local grocery store, but I won't buy one as the temperature of the house can drop overnight in the middle of winter if it is extremely cold outside, and I would be sad to lose such a lovely plant. I did have one when we lived in Europe. I set it on the kitchen windowsill in the apartment and it was between the counter tops and above the level of where the kettle boiled. It thrived on the steam.

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    1. Thank you, Bushlady. I have no luck with orchids, myself. My house is too hot and dry for them! Or, I drown them with too much water!

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  2. Oh i envy your orange and lemon tree. They can't survive the winters here even though we have a fairly warm winter we do get 3 or 4 hard freezes a year.
    Your lantana is my favorite. My grandmother had it all along the side of her house.

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    1. Anne, could you grow the citrus in a pot and bring it indoors in the winter? I've read that lemons, at least, can be grown as a houseplant, but I haven't tried it.

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  3. Wow! It's lovely to see photos of things growing. I am getting a little tired of snow - another round of snow last night. Can't see my garden at all. I think everything in it is dead or at least dormant. Roll on spring.

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    1. Sharon, I hope spring comes early for you and your garden greens up, nicely. Do you plant bulbs in the fall so that they bloom in the spring? Or have any houseplants to tend to when there is snow outside?

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  4. Your garden makes me dream of summer. This morning, there is ice over everything. Of course, even in the summer, I won't have lovely orange and lemon trees.

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    1. I guess I have begun to take the lemon trees for granted! They are having buds, now, and they perfume the entire garden! The orange tree is still relatively young, so I appreciate it, more. But, you know, I haven't bought a single lemon in the past 25 or so years, since I moved to this house!

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  5. Your garden never really stops growing does it? Are the succulents from your previous supervisor? Does your beautiful rose perfume your house?

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    1. Yes, the garden grows year round, at least, when I water it! :D The really hot days of late summer/early fall is our dormant period; spring is the best time - before it gets too hot.

      Some of the succulents in the photo are from my previous supervisor; others are from my gardener friend M. He brings me cuttings from his garden!

      The rose looks pretty but it doesn't have a very strong perfume. Just enough for Dancer to look longingly at it and wonder how he can jump up onto the mantel so he can "smell the roses" (but then, he tries to eat them, as well!)

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  6. It's always a pleasure to see the Orange and lemon trees. X

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    1. Thank you, Jules. I tend to take the lemons for granted, but the orange tree hasn't been producing long enough, yet, for me to take it for granted!

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  7. Even in drought conditions, your garden always has hits of colour, whether from fruit trees or your native flowers. Besides that, I think I am in love with your succulents. They show colour and texture both, and adds so much to your yard.

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    1. Thank you, Susan. I think I will be growing more succulents as they are one of the things that will grow!

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  8. I envy your citrus!

    And your rosemary is gorgeous! Do you fertilize it at all? Mine has only ever had 2 little flowers :(

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    1. Thank you, Nathalie. No, I don't fertilize the rosemary. I'm not sure if the cats fertilize it for me! :o

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