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After a month on the road, we returned home on Monday, having had a wonderful trip.

Whenever we return home after having been away for a while, we look to see what has changed while we have been away.  Usually, it is very little.  However, this time there seemed to be so much.

Firstly, the earthworks on the new housing subdivision to the west of town had progressed a lot, as had the earthworks on the new car parks at the football fields.  Also, a new concrete footpath is being installed on a road near us.  You can tell that the muddy conditions have now abated.  Most of all, when we did the groceries this morning, everything has been rearranged in the supermarket.  After navigating supermarkets in other towns and trying to find things, now we have to do the same back home.  Such a first world problem.

The other main change is that spring has definitely sprung.  The willows are now green and many other trees are either in flower, bud or leaf.  

Let’s take a little walk around our garden to see where things are up to.  We were lucky enough to receive 40mm of rain in the time we were away, which was very welcome.

Our street trees are just starting to show their leaves.  I imagine they will be green in the next week or so.

We did some very early planting in in our vege garden during the latter part of winter and things were just sitting there, doing very little. Mick had made little wire mesh covers to stop the blackbirds from digging things up, and they now had to be removed, as everything had grown so much.  We have silverbeet left over from last season and onions in the left bed.  In the right bed there are beetroot and under the mesh cover is some rocket.  I had planted the seeds and they had not emerged when we left.  Now they are up and about to rocket away, pardon the pun.

In the new back bed we have more onions and spring onions.  The spring onions look just about ready to start using.  Under the mesh are two asparagus plants, which should emerge fairly soon.  There are two dwarf plum trees, which are just starting to get their leaves.  Around the bases of the trees and the bird bath are our much reduced strawberry plants.  In the corner near the potting shed is a bed of broad beans and two feijoa trees being espaliered.  In front of the potting shed is our rhubarb, which should be ready to pick very soon.  

We have already been and bought some tomato plants and they are potted up int he potting shed, as we can still get frost here up until November.  We won’t do much more planting for another month or so.

Lots has been happening in the flower gardens as well.

The flowering cherry has nearly finished its blooms for this year, but at least we were able to see a part of it.  The daffodils are halfway through blooming.  It is always fun to see where they pop up, as we can never remember where we have planted bulbs.  They are all over the place.

The hellebores had started to bloom before we left, but are really putting on a show at present.  I love the spots on some of them.  All these were bought at church fetes and the like, so a mystery at the time.  We have a few more younger plants that will start to put on a show in the next few years.

Both daphnes are in flower now.  You should smell them.  Just divine.  The polyanthus are leftover from being in a pot last year and are a nice little pop of colour.  The grevillea will be covered in red flowers in the next few weeks.

Our little cow pot was sitting empty…or so we thought.  Now a self sown heartsease and oregano have popped up.  The chives have sent up nice fresh shoots, so plenty to use in scrambled eggs.  Yum!

Further north, wisteria is is full bloom, but ours still has a way to go.  We had a few flowers on it last year, so hope there will be many more this year.  The buds look promising, anyway.  The plant is four years old, so starting to get settled in.

Of course, not only did the veges and flowers get a spurt on, so did the lawn and the weeds.  That is keeping Mick busy for a few days.

The weather this week is forecast to be quite summery, so that should help things move along.  It is such a nice time of the year.

Now, back to telling you about our trip……