Welcome to Life Images by Jill

Welcome to Life Images by Jill.........Stepping into the light and bringing together the images and stories of our world. I am a photographer, writer and multi-media artist.
Focussing mainly on Western Australia and Australia, I am seeking to preserve images and memories of the beautiful world in which we live and the people in it.

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Sunday 21 October 2018

October garden

Hi everyone, just a few photos from around my garden this week. It is spring here in Australia and it feels like, to me at least, that it has been a weird start to spring, cold and wet days, and then a burst of warm weather. But perhaps the change in seasons is always like this. We are into the last two weeks of October and tonight we have the fire on - it should be warming up by now. Though I know I shouldn't complain as I know the heat is coming. But I must say I think our garden is enjoying the rain, cooler days and sunshine.

In our back garden our apricot tree is rocketing away with new fruit - we've had to put the net up to keep the parrots off, we have blueberries ripening - so fantastic to eat straight off the bush, the lemon tree is flowering even though there is still some of last season's fruit on the tree, the tomatoes are putting out baby tomatoes, and the grape vine is forming grapes. 
 I made French Marmalade and Lemon Butter with some of those lemons. The marmalade has carrots in it and is delicious - not a sour marmalade like some of them can be.



My new quince tree has flowers! I adore quinces, so I am looking forward with anticipation to my first piece of fruit. I can even see the start of tiny quinces!


In my front garden there are flowers - the green kangaroo paws are reaching up their green heads on long stalks, the Bird of Paradise is putting out a couple of final flowers, the lavender is flowering, the pelargoniums are looking fantastic, new buds are bursting on my roses, and this yellow native is making a bright ground cover.
 The kangaroo paws are native to Western Australia.  The type I have is a tall green kangaroo paw - Anigozanthos flavidus 'Green' - which grows up to 2 metres tall. It flowers throughout the summer. 

Kangaroo paws belong to the genus Anigozanthos, which has 11 species. The closely related Black Kangaroo Paw is called Macropidia fulginosa. 
 Anigozanthos and Macropidia occur naturally only in the southwest of Western Australia. They occur in a variety of habitats and soil types    Australian National Herbarium


 
 My Port Wine Magnolia is looking beautiful, but the little birds haven't built there this year.


On Friday I was invited to photograph a beautiful garden in the Ferguson Valley for the coming Ferguson Valley Open Gardens weekend - 10-11th November. More on that in the next couple of weeks. 



And I met a baby lamb only 10 days old, one of a set of triplets kicked out by the other two, and still learning to suck. It was good to hear yesterday that she is now doing well.


Just a short post from me today - life has been hectic this last week and I need to catch up. But 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.  

Next week I will be back to share another photography project I've been working on. See you then! 
 
You might also like -
Oranges and lemons
Go away winter 
Wet weather street photography 

I am linking up to the link-ups below. Please click on the links to see fabulous contributions from around the world - virtual touring at its best!
Life in Reflection

Hello there! I love reading your comments. If you scroll down to the bottom you can comment too! I would love to hear from you.





30 comments:

  1. Wonderful images of your garden as it begins to come to life during these early spring days, I love (!) the image of the rose bud, love it! Meanwhile we're raking leaves and millions of conkers off the grass whilst the Virginia creeper which covers the front of the house displays a myriad of hues, so beautiful.
    Happy Mosaic Monday.

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    1. at least we don't have this leaf problem in autumn, since our Australian trees are evergreen, so not too much to rake up.

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  2. Never heared about french marmelade... but it looks delicious! Happy MosaicMonday!

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  3. Your garden is gorgeous. The port wine magnolia is stunning, love bird of paradise (mine is trying to recover from last winter) and the wonderful lavender. I think no garden is complete without lavender (and rosemary). I'm going to look at the French Marmalade link ... thanks!

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  4. Your garden looks so thriving. We can buy kangaroo paws at the florist’s here. Your marmalade looks so delicious and the baby lamb so cute <3 Happy MM.

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    1. I love my green kangaroo paws. They are so tall and make a lovely statement piece in my garden. Yes the marmalade is delicious!

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  5. It's so wonderful to see the emerging spring light in your photos and life in the garden. Your marmalade looks delicious and glows beautifully. Have a wonderful week, Jill.

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    1. it is a delicious marmalade. And yes, I love spring!

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  6. My favourite shot is the baby lamb...how tender!

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  7. Hello, your spring flowers are lovely. I love the little lamb, adorable. Wonderful post and photos. Enjoy your day, have a great new week!

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  8. Oh I love reading about the coming of spring; especially when I look outside at this gray blustery day in Greece. . .a reminder that even Greece has dreary winter days. My garden - now called Death Valley -- was melted by that Mediterranean sun and further destroyed by the Medicane (Mediterranean hurricane) aka a tropical storm, that hit while we were in the U.S. I was thinking this morning as I reconstructed a washed out gravel pathway in the garden that it seems I take one step forward horticulturally and a dozen steps back. It was a joy seeing your photos. . .keep 'em coming!

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    1. Sorry to hear about your garden. Perhaps it will pick up now you are back. Yes, we noticed some weather events in Greece over your summer. Enjoy the cooler days of autumn. Lovely to hear from you Jackie.

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  9. The lemons make my mouth water and the baby lamb is adorable. It's a busy week for me too! ENJOY!

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  10. Hi Jill, i am new here so read "About Me" first. I love what you do, partly i want to be like that, but i am not as capable. I have not been to WA, my former roommate finished her PhD there. Everything in Australia is beautiful, been to Sydney for a few months and Brisbane in 2014, wish to be back someday. Your pictures are great. I am curious about your new hobby "eco printing on cloth and paper", i think i have to search how it is done! Thanks much.

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    1. Thanks for visiting. One of these days I will blog about the eco-printing - such an absorbing craft!

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  11. Jill - so much beauty in your back garden. And 'productive' beauty - quince, lemons, apricots - oh my! Thanks for sharing your close to home photos!!!

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    1. it is amazing what you can squeeze into a small back yard!

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  12. Sounds like your Spring is beginning the same as ours in Ohio did with cool and rainy. I'll trade you though as we're beginning Fall and it is already in the 30's/20's at night and 50's during day. So not ready. Beautiful flowers. If I could, I'd hop on over to Australia and enjoy another Spring season. The frost has already done my flowers in. :)

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  13. Thanks for sharing your lovely garden mosaics. Have a good week

    much love...

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  14. Jesh - All Seasons25 October 2018 at 14:04

    You could be rich selling the lemons on your lemon tree here, Jill. We saw them here in Southern California - ONE lemon: $0.49 - $1.29 - am not kidding!
    You are the first one I actually see growing a blueberry bush! Interesting - never heard of a marmelade with carrots in it! I looked at the ingredients - how, hard to believe so simple! This definitely goes in my envelope for try outs - thank you for giving the link!
    The kangeroo paws are probably native to Australia -have never seen them here. Many thanks showing All Seasons such a variety, Jill!
    Have a lovely fall week, Jesh StG

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    1. Yes, the kangaroo paws are native to Western Australia. I've added a few more notes about them. And yes, the marmalade is very simple to make a delicious. I love being able to pick the blueberries straight off the bush and eat them. Lemons are a huge price here to, no idea why, when lots of people have a lemon tree in their backyard.

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  15. Very lovely images. Thanks for sharing. #Lovinlifelinky

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  16. Marmalade with carrots. I'm going over for a look at that... #teamlovinlife

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  17. Western Australia has its own beauty in nature we on the eastern seaboard do not experience. Thank you for sharing them. Denyse

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  18. What a magnificent tour of your spring garden. Must net against the parrots! Pretty thrilling to this Seattlite.

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