Spring

I have a series of deep thoughts percolating in my head that may be vented in a blog post once they have matured. In the meantime, pretty Spring pictures of the garden. Above are broad beans, only a few have progressed to edible as yet but there are plenty of baby beans coming on. I hope they manage to beat the mildew: once the weather warms up, broad beans are horribly prone to diseases of damp.

Apple blossom on my ballerina apple tree. Last year the possums beat me to the few apples to appear. Perhaps this season I'll net them and beat the little boogers to the fruit.

The bees love the apple blossom and were happily about their work as I took this. I also managed to scare at least six months growth off the gas meter man when I popped suddenly out of the side gate on my photography expedition as he was taking a reading beside the apple trees.

This rose was a sorry sight when I moved into this house twelve years ago, gnarled and in sore need of serious pruning. It got a hard prune at the start of last winter, and is absolutely covered in flowers, with lots of buds developing. The aphids are just beginning to take an interest, so I must spray soon. The blooms are scented, but don't last well as cut flowers, tending to shed petals almost immediately. I just enjoy them in the garden. Besides, the cats try to eat the petals given half a chance. Don't know if roses are poisonous to felines, but cleaning up petal barf is just icky.