I think perhaps ‘whirlwind’ may be the best descriptor for the first six months of this year! Certainly I seem to have been leaping from one event to the next, either here at Glenmore, or off-site….carting my kit about the countryside! As a result, blog posts have been a bit thin on the ground, but it’s been great fun and filled with delightful people.
It doesn’t mean though that there isn’t a day that goes by without wanting to upload a post. Given the exceptional amount of rain we’ve received (and despite some of the problems that in itself has caused), we’ve had an incredible season of prolonged colour, as well as growth, and there have been visions a-plenty to photograph. Especially these last few mornings of magical winter sunshine.
The dams are full (as I know I mentioned a couple of months ago) and make a compelling backdrop to the lush (especially for this time of the year!) garden, sparkling and glinting through the trees. Larry jokes it’s our ‘harbour view’!
There have been photo shoots and cooking days galore….days spent making soups and marmalade, cakes and ice cream, and last week I even had an encounter with the Gardening Australia crew! I’m not entirely sure I’m fit for television….much better to focus on the garden and leave you know who right out of the equation I reckon! It was terrific to have the opportunity to spend some time with Costa though. He’s quite a guy!
Then this weekend, we ended the season with a quite sublime Chamber Music performance, given by percussionist, drummer, composer and artist Bree van Reyk and violinist Veronique Serret. These highly regarded musicians held our audience spellbound….captivated at such close quarters with their beautiful notes striking the still winter air and escaping through half open doors….
And this year, our scrumptious Lunch in the Hayshed by Anna Simamora of The Floury Baker was bathed in glorious winter sunshine! Phew!!!
There are beautiful out-of-season roses dotting the garden… a new shell-pink Souvenir de la Malmaison has just unfurled her delicate petals and the spires of aloe make progress each day. The lemons are in blossom as well as fruit and I noticed the first Banksia roses on my evening walk….too early….what are they thinking?! I’ve done a big seed evaluation, taken delivery of next season’s seed potatoes, and the winter-growing spring veg are kicking along in the Kitchen Garden. Fat buds on climbing peas are just what I look forward to at this time of year, and they’re twirling their tendrils at speed now! We’ve instigated a winter pruning programme and I have a couple of new ideas brewing in the background……
But now I’m signing out for awhile. I’ve made a commitment to write, with a deadline on the ‘not-so-far’ horizon, so a new routine beckons and I’m going to try not to get distracted! In fact, if you see a blog post, you may know that I’m procrastinating! Let’s just hope I can find the words….it’s a bit of a daunting task!
Keep rugged up everyone and enjoy these glorious winter days. If not before…..I’ll catch you in the spring!