Here we are again with Six on Saturday. Both Thursday and Friday were lovely, sunny days, and I was finally able to get outside and do some trimming, tidying and checking up on things.(Thursday was Anzac Day, and so a public holiday, and I also took Friday off work for a second four day weekend). Thanks once again to The Propagator for allowing us to share what is going on in our gardens.
First up…bulbs. Another bowl is showing signs of life already. I think I will wait until next week before I plant the rest. We’ll see how this lot fair over the coming weeks.
Second up, as I said above, I was out trimming, dead heading and tidying up. Gloves and my new secateurs were much in evidence.
I picked off the last of the basil and oregano flowers and made some more flavoured vinegar. The last batch of basil vinegar was excellent.
Now, strictly speaking, the roots of this camellia are in our neighbours garden, but the tree forms part of the ‘boundary’ between our houses, so we get to enjoy it as well. I spotted the first flower and these buds already.
Yes it really is autumn. It really is time to get out the rake and broom and sweep up a bit, so we don’t end up with a big pile of soggy leaves in one corner of the steps that go up beside the house.
And so to number 6…it is not cold, but really windy out there today, Saturday, so more of an afternoon of drinking tea and watching Monty Don’s Italian Gardens than pottering about outside.
You can find Thistles and Kiwis on Facebook, and also on Instagram@thistleandkiwis. As for Twitter….am totally inactive these days. If you want to get in touch, email me on thistlesandkiwis@gmail.com
It’s good when you get to enjoy the benefits of a neighbour’s plants – so long as the plants are nice like that camellia!
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Exactly!
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Good idea this flavoured vinegar ! I will try in the late summer for sure
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So simple, so effective.
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Now the wait on the camellia buds. Good time to feed them. I’m benefitting from next doors clematis. It’s flowering wonderfully on my side of the fence. They were upset that I cut my climbing rose back as they were getting lots of flowers their side. It needed training though to get more flowers so had a hard prune. But I have planted another to add to the one.
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Yes looking forward to those flowers, and then the ones in our garden which come out a bit later. Hope your new climbing rose does well.
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It seems to be doing well. Planted last year but just getting framework going now. Tied in lots last week. I had a handful of flowers in the first year. I’m hopeful for a good display this year and gradually it will cover a good fence section.
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Look forward to seeing the pictures in weeks to come.
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Funny to read about someone thinking of clearing up leaves. just one everlasting cycle isn’t it.
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It really is!
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Flowers are lovely, wherever they spread. Wonderful idea about the vinegar. How long do you leave the herbs in? How long does the vinegar keep? Do you use the flavored vinegar as a salad dressing? Sorry for all the questions!
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You need to leave them in for a couple of weeks (I would suggest just trying it – some people suggest up to 4 weeks). It keeps as long as vinegar keeps if you strain and remove the flowers. And yes I use it in salad dressings!
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Thanks for the tips!
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🙂
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Your blue sky in that first photo is stunning. A gorgeous fall day there! I have eaten my (delicious) share of Anzac cookies. Mmmmmm
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Sorry to be out of the loop, but what bulbs are you planting in the bowls? They look shallow, so are they for indoor or outdoor?
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Mini daffodils – I planted them as deep as the instructions on the packet. I should say that there are often daffodils in the Botanic Gardens in July (which is in the middle of winter here).
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Ah, my terrible use of English. I didn’t mean the bulbs looked planted too shallow but that the dish looked like something that might fit on a window sill, thus the indoor/outdoor question. Yes, I’m often intrigued by how sometimes a northern hemisphere spring plant will be a southern hemisphere autumn plant. And of course, when we’re in the dead of winter, you bring us such joy w/your summer planting.
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Ah it is a bit too big for a window sill, and I have put them outside. I find that plants don’t always flower in corresponding seasons as well eg spring flowers in our spring. It may be as I spent most of my life in colder regions of Europe of course!
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Hello, my daffs are just finishing, yours are just starting! Funny old world.
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It is!
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I am intrigued by your herb vinegar. I have made basil and rosemary flavoured oil, but not thought about vinegar I see yours is clear so what do you use? White wine? Cider? I have tons of golden marjoram that I end up composting so making use of it would be good. And how odd to see your daffs coming through when ours are just ending! They are very early aren’t they?
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Yes I used white wine vinegar I’m a bit worried about the daffs…will leave planting the rest of the bulbs a couple of weeks I think! We don’t get frost (well, we did once….) where we are, though they are bound to get a battering from rain and wind.
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It has never crossed my mind to make my own flavored vinegars. I have always purchased them through “O Olive Oil” albeit, I may try my hand at making them this spring/summer. Thanks
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It is always nice to use things you have made yourself as well!
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