10. Moving Into Winter

It’s Now June 2009, and things are really winding down as the trees lose their leaves, the annuals start to die down and yield their seed (which, incidentally, is a very busy time for seed collection activity) and the few winter plants begin to grow and prepare to soldier on through the colder seasons.

The potatoes in the pots of surplus soils are growing well, some of the ones recently harvested have been replanted. The water chestnuts are dying down in the container on the right, they will be ready to harvest soon.

 
The grapevine is losing its leaves, mulching the under-planting of strawberries as planned in the design.

 
The water garden has been cleared of many pots holding aquatics, will reconsider the design after losing one fish who must have got jammed between pots and perished, possibly after a windy day where the pots could have been pushed around. The remaining big fish has two little new companions, left over pets who were outgrowing their tiny goldfish bowl, left behind by a friend who went to live interstate and forgot about them…

 
Mandarines ripening and ready to eat! All that vitamin C,  just in time for the cold weather, it’s pretty amazing how nature work this all out for us! This is the smaller tree, which is actually a graft on a grapefruit tree.

 
Garden slowly winding down…

 
The climbing peas are really taking off since last month, they’re on their way up now.

 
A stray lettuce found in a pot of a curry tree transplanted and growing.

 
Eggplant ripening – it’s one of those exclusive pink/white varieties, never grown these before, apparently they taste much better than the dark ones.

 
The Pepino cutting is really taking hold and has doubled in size.

 
The Aloe Vera has multiplied like crazy. The three original plants have grown to around twenty-five. Unfortunately, the overly moist environment is causing them to take up too much water, which is bursting their tissues ans causing the black patches that are evident. It’s a bit too rich for them, this growing environment. They need free draining soil, so I now have 25 plants to divide up and transplant into the garden.

 
The Loofah sponges are stil growing bigger and bigger…

 
The mandarine tree is heavily laden, and it’s time to pick the produce and share it with friends!

 
It’s really a time to cut back old plants, remove dead annuals, harvest remaining produce, gather seeds, and plant seeds for all those winter plants. I’m really having trouble keeping up with all the tasks, it’s surprising how busy the colder part of the year can be!

Next Page – 11. The Count So Far