Go away winter!

It's been a long cold winter and everyone is wishing that spring would push winter out of the picture. Even the flowers are snubbing their noses at winter and saying go away it's our turn. Can you see the grey clouds in the background of my yellow daisies? Yes, it rained today. We still have our fire on every night to warm our home. Last weekend we even had hail. It's October for goodness sake! Over a month into spring!

This was not the post I was planning to write today. But this afternoon, despite the cold wind, I actually ventured out into the garden to do some weeding and what do you think I saw? Can you see it?

 A tiny bird nesting in my Port Wine Magnolia. She has picked a rather breezie walkway to build her nest, but she has laid two eggs.  She must have liked the pretty flowers. She even has flowers surrounding her nest.  My husband says she is a Brown Honey-Eater. It was lovely to see her sitting on her nest this afternoon. A few years ago we had some tiny birds nesting in one of my hanging baskets on our patio. They returned a few years running. I hope the Brown Honey-Eater does the same. 

Thank you to my husband for the close up photos of this tiny bird.

 Update 21 October - we now have two chicks! Don't worry, I won't disturb them too much. Just a quick pic. They're asleep at the moment.

Chick update 25 October 2016 - still asleep but you can see their wings! 

My Port Wine Magnolia - Michelia Figo

 What else is happening in my garden? Surely spring is just around the corner. The weather report tonight was predicting slightly warmer temperatures this week.

In my back garden the apricot tree has a few remaining flowers and the apricots are forming. Nearly time to net against the birds. The grape vines are shooting and we planted tomatoes yesterday - a little later this year due to the cold weather. The leaves on the lemon tree are looking a bit sad but there are loads of lemons (I must make marmalade) and the orange tree is a mass a sweet smelling flowers. We only finished picking the last crop in mid August. The little brown honey-eater has been dashing from her nest into our orange tree - so she is enjoying the nectar.

 My blackberry bush is fruiting, the sage looks better than it has for years and the gooseberry is flowering - I don't like them but my son and grandsons do.

There are flowers too in my back yard - clockwise from top left -  A little white daisy creeping border, a cacti flourishing in a hanging moss ball, my white Gardenia, the white native Chamelaucium species Walpole Wax, lavender, and a geranium - such a hardy garden plant.

 Out in my front garden my roses are starting to bloom. This yellow variety is a mass of buds. I brought a big bunch inside. The pink top right was there when we bought the house, and the orange was a plant my mother-in-law gave me.

Below clockwise from top left - pink and yellow daisies, native Hibiscus, native Hibertia, a tumble of border plants, and nasturtium. Do you ever put nasturtiums in salads? I know you can, but I have never tried it. My mother said in the Depression years they used to make nasturtium sandwiches. 

Meanwhile I hear that the farmers in our wheatbelt are suffering from the long cold, frosty winter. Frosts have all but ruined three-quarters of Western Australia's wheat crops that looked like was going to be a bumper season. Many growers will only break even or will make a loss from this year's harvest. Devastating for them financially, socially and emotionally. 

Last week I blogged about the wildflowers coming back after our devastating January 2016 bushfires. (If you missed it you can click here - Beauty from the ashes) Today I heard on the radio that because of the long wet winter the fire authorities haven't been able to do the spring burns that they usually do, and they are predicting many bushfires again this summer. I hope not. 

I think our community's collective wish "go away winter" must be working. Today it has been a beautiful spring day and I have been out in the garden weeding off and on between other things that I had to do today. It has been lovely being out in the sun. 
What is the season looking like in your corner of the world? Have you planted a summer vegetable garden? As we in the southern hemisphere are welcoming spring and looking forward to summer, the northern hemisphere are enjoying the fall colours and preparing for winter.


Thank you so much for stopping by. I value your comments and look forward to hearing from you. I will try to visit your blogs in return. Have a wonderful week.One of my roses for you.

You might also like - 
Harmony through flowers 
Allowing time to sit in my winter garden 
Spring is the time for tulips 

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Mosaic Monday 
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Lifestyle Fifty Monday Linkup 
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Through My Lens 
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Worth Casing Wednesday
Travel Photo Thursday
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