Sunday 18 March 2018

Spring 'Garden'

I really can't call this post, gardening.    It is not the conventional garden, as in flowers, vegetables and assorted orderly plantings.

This is what our 'garden' looks like at the end of winter.  Now we have three weeks to clean it up and prepare for our easter gathering of the clans.




Front entrance.  A fridge, a washing machine and a vaccum cleaner.  The fridge is going to be an extra as our fridge is over 35 years old, and still working I might add.  It is waiting for a young, strong lad to move it inside.  The washing machine is awaiting its owner and the vaccum cleaner?    I hope it disappears very soon

The generation of Greeks after WW11 never threw out anything.  They  collected old bits of timber, doors, windows, pieces of corrugated iron because, well, you just never know when it might come in handy.  My sis-in-law stores paper bags, plastic bags, bits of ribbon and string, boxes, odd bits of paper, tins, cupboards of jars and plastic bottles.  

My traditional person does the same.  Our back yard is full, at least around the edges, off -cuts of timber, lengths of piping, old washing machines in case we need a spare part,  tables of various size and condition, a clutter of digging tools and more, much more.  My part of the house is the front and when the electrical appliances disappear and the pile of wood is removed to the rear it will be an inviting and appealing entryway.  No rubbish or 'treasures' allowed



This is my winter garden.  Green everywhere.  The lemon trees are bursting with growth this year and beautiful in green and yellow.  Same goes for the clover/oxalis, whatever it is.  It has formed a forest of green under the trees and now is in full flower.  The nasturtiums are slowly taking hold and I hope one day may rival the clover.  On the right a grape vine trails along the railings.  This has been severely pruned but green shoots and leaves have already appeared.  My lettuces and rocket are  free of weeds but the rocket has taken off and is in full flower too, its white petals reaching up the wall.

In two months the clover will have dried up and I'll pile it around the lemon trees for mulch.  The grape vine will have formed a curtain of green, the lettuces will be replaced by tomatoes and the nasturtiums will be just surviving the aridity of summer





The back 'garden'.  Over grown with weeds 2 metres high (almost)


Our friend and neighbour the weed-whacker man arrived and those tall weeds have been hacked back.  By the beginning of May they'll need whacking again. At least the yard will be respectable for easter and we can whitewash the walls


Still a lot of work to be done


One bundle of grape vine prunings drying out so they can be used on the BBQ. 


Red anemones.  The fields are full of these now and soon they will die out and be replaced by the poppy




The 'flanders' poppy




13 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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    1. Ahhh sorry Amy, I accidently deleted your comment. This tablet keeps on freezing up.
      You were asking if I grew any herbs....

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  2. I love herbs. Most die out over the winter but the mint is coming back and I have oregano and thyme. I'll buy basil, parsley, fill and whatever else I can find. I have lavender too, rosemary and celery

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  3. We have an outdoor fridge. It lives on our covered terrace, and is specifically for Beer, White wine, and Champagne. Ours is silver!

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    1. That's what our second fridge will be for, except the champagne. It will be out by the wood oven

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  4. I am trying to clean up and throw out stuff. But the idea that I might need it, or, hang on to it in case the world goes to hell again, has been Implanted into my psych.
    Mainly from my grandmother who survived the war and poverty to come to Australia with her five children
    Not totally a bad thing I don’t think.

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    1. Ah, you have that hoarders bug! Take a deep breath. Think minimal!

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  5. You can't beat a good garden tidy up. Still too cold to hand weed here. Love the Flanders Poppy!

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    1. A month's time and I'll be posting photos of them covering the fields

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  6. I enjoyed this post (as I do all your posts). I was smiling at the part about not throwing out anything; my grandfather even kept, rusted nails!
    I love poppies and can't wait for their appearance in spring.
    Greetings Maria x

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    1. Yes, Maria. That's it, even rusty nails. And I'm not allowed to throw anything away. If I do he will find out and ask what I've done with it, one piece of wood or one rusty nail!
      I would clear the lot...if I could

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  7. It is like England after WW2; our parents kept everything as I found out when I cleared up when mother died a few years ago! My older brothers still do the same though. I don't!

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    1. I keep on apologising to my children and tell them its not my fault theyll have hire a dozen trucks to haul the stuff away!

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