October

October was an eventful month. The azaleas are out and looking gorgeous.  Once the ones near the back deck are finished flowering I will cut them back as ‘Phil the Builder’ who has been knocking out a wall and making changes to the inside of the house, will be putting up some more railing on the deck.

Sis came for a week.  We put in the star pickets and wire for the climbing beans to grow on.  Seeds for small corn was planted (never to be seen or heard from again – oh well - sigh). We also planted butter beans – the blackbirds wondered why we had put them in the ground instead of just handing them to them and at times I wondered the same!!!!  Eventually they got sick of eating the seeds and I managed to get half a dozen plants growing.  I put in a row of carrots (these were a great success – came up before the beans and the birds left them alone).  I made sure to plant them very thinly as I hate having to thin a crop.  How can I decide who lives and who dies??  Last time I grew carrots they just twisted around one another so we ate cuddily carrots.  They tasted good although were very difficult to wash and impossible to peel.  Some capsicum, mixed and plain were planted and some chillies in pots.  More coriander, italian parsley and snow peas of course were added.

Sis and I also planted a ‘Jonagold’ apple in the circular bed and surrounded it with azaleas.  These were all in whites pale pinks through to bright pink so they should compliment the apple blossom really well.

Our neighbors are putting their house on the market and so it is a good time to put up some fence toppers.  Pop and a friend  got this job done in less time than it took to decide how to do it.  They put up some more lattice on the fence where I plan to espailier some more fruit trees.

While Pop and I were away we saw so many beautiful window boxes we decided that when we got back we would put some up on the deck.  This was a dual purpose – firstly they look pretty – secondly they add a bit of privacy.  So this was the next task for Pop and his friend to put some screws in to hold the planters.

I picked and cooked some of the broad beans.  Neither Pop or I like them but had been told that if you pick them young enough they are yummy – no they are not!!!!  I cut of the rest of the plants the next day.  My original purpose for planting them was for the nitrogen that their roots add to the soil and I hope the soil enjoys the broad beans more than Pop and I did.

These azaleas will be cut back so that the railings around the deck can be completed, but I'll wait until after they have finished looking so beautiful

Everything is starting to grow and look happy

The fence toppers are going up

The original vege patch

The new vege patch with the newly constructed frame for the climbing beans

and the 'Jonagold' apple tree in with azaleas around it