Spring Has Sprung
Interesting weather we've been having. It was a warm start to spring, hitting 30°C at one point! Then we had almost a solid week of winds which seems to have brought in a sudden drop in temperature, giving us rains in Adelaide and, quite shockingly, snow in the north! This is uncommon even mid-winter, but practically unheard of in spring; the snow that is.
The plants and animals are certainly expressing spring. The plum tree has flowered and it was heartwarming to see bees busily collecting the pollen and nectar from them. We now have little plums growing.
The new cherry tree has flowered and is producing fruits too. This must mean that it was cold enough this winter for it to fruit.
Most of the chilli plants certainly decided it got too cold to survive. We didn't get much frost, but obviously it was enough.
Unfortunately, I think the plum is on its way out, because the new growth is not looking healthy. The branches have been rotting a bit these past few years, too. The tree is probably well over 20 years old, though, and I gather stone fruit trees don't live very long. I gather they can be rooted from cuttings, so I'm going to try doing that, because satsuma plums aren't easy to come by and they are lovely plums.
The chickens are laying again and going broody and the quails have started laying too. The boys have also started their trilling crows and we may have a few too many, so I'll need to balance that out before the females get injuries.
The white pigeon we rescued earlier this year has been confirmed to be a male. Besides trying to romance all the quails, who run in fear, he and Pigel have hatched two eggs. No, not my idea; I was going to remove the eggs when they were first laid, but hubby and daughter wanted me to leave them be and see what happened…just what you'd expect to happen really, more animals!
One of each colour, mini mum and mini dad.
Talking of more animals, we have three baby bunnies which are now 6 weeks old. They are the offspring of our original pair, PolarBear and Fern, after a brief encounter where I was seeing if they would room together under the theory that maybe she was getting to old to carry a pregnancy at 4. This theory arose because I'd tried to mate her a couple of times with the new, broken patterned male, Sunny, and both times she pulled fur out to nest halfway through the gestation period, but failed to produce a litter. So it seems it wasn't Fern that was the issue, but Sunny. It’s a puzzle, really, because if he was infertile, that would have caused a bleed (like a period) in Fern and that didn't happen. It could be just that he hasn't yet figured out what he's doing properly. He's currently now in with his intended girlfriend, Noot, and we'll have to see whether he figures it out. It's been a couple of months and no signs of babies yet, but Noot has been particularly hormonal recently. It's a bit like PMT in human women!
Baby bunny photos courtesy of @izzydawn
I've moved the first planter down from the lawn, next to the patio and put some of the rooted pepino offshoots in it. As they grow they should fall down the sides of the planter and shade the metal from the summer sun. Two more planters and a lot more weeding to go.
As usual, I am behind with planting for the summer. The garden has been rather far down on my priorities list recently. I have a few volunteer tomato plants to transplant, then I might get some seedlings in, but first I need to prepare the ground for them. At least the rabbits are well fed on all the weeds that need to come out.
https://twitter.com/minismallholdi1/status/1311661208894795776
Satsuma plums are just one of my favourite fruits, and always make me think of Australian summers. I grew up on plum cordial, which my mother faithfully made from every last freaking plum, every summer. I used to love making molded plum jellies too, with raspberries and red currants set inside. Oh yum! with fresh King Island cream or home made custard.
Lovely to see growth, and fruiting and that GOREGOUS LIL GREY BUNNY!!! 😍
So many people seen to love the satsuma plums! They're so hard to find in the supermarkets and never as sweet as from the tree anyway. I used to take them into gymnastics and the mums would be polishing them off while they spectated.
We have two darker bunnies too, but they are so much harder to photograph.
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tokens.SPRING...??? We've gotten into the Fall season on this side of the world and hemisphere. I will miss holding baby animals and plants. The bears are still out and about fattening up for their winter sleep, yet some people already seem to have gone into hibernation...😎… (fortunately)
Wouldn't mind going into hibernation myself. Wake me when it's all over! 😆
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I'll give you a buzz when it's "over"...IF I survive such calamity. Leave a telephone number, so I might reach you within your den😎
😆 I'd appreciate it!!
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tokens.Nice update on your springtime! I prefer spring over autumn, so am enjoying yours. :))
I'm never quite sure which I prefer. Autumn is usually a relief after a scorching summer, but spying brings the eggs back and new growth, but it's a reminder that the heat is on its way again.
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tokens.AAAHHH TEENIBUNS AND CHICKLETS SO CUTE.
Everything is going warmer weather here too except the bloody weather. We had moments of glorious warmth just before term ended and today I'm rugged up again so I don't freeze to death XD
I'm kind of glad I'm just the human lawnmower around here (literally, I didn't even realise we had a whippersnipper but wouldn't use it anyway, I just wander through and fill up buckets of grass which then get chucked into the chook pen as our nod to deep litter system, they were bokking in annoyance at me when I didn't do it for a few days because rain and all their fresh grass had dried out and was being scratched back through the mud I've been trying to cover XD). J gets to do all the hard stuff about figuring out what to plant when and when to get the fish XD
I wish anyone else would even take an interest around here! The novelty wore off fast with them, but they like three idea of getting food from the garden. As long as it's all done for them, including bringing it in.
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If it's any consolation, the kids aren't that interested either XD though they will at least go out and get their own vegetables for instant noodle soup when said vegetables are available.
The eldest has left home and NOW she grows things in pots on her balcony, which she harvests herself!
See you instilled some good things ;D
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tokens.