I have been trying to get into the garden since the beginning of Spring to get a few happy Spring shots for you but alas, life and weather both got in the way so when the sun shone and the temperature was a wonderfully warm 25°C day a about a week ago, I flew out the door with vigour followed very closely by all three fur babies who were also rejoicing in the warmth of the sun. Sadly they were all moving about too quickly for me to get shots of them – all I managed was fuzzy blurs moving in front of the lens. I did however manage to get a few shots of things in the garden waking up from a winter slumber.

I never realised how lemon blossoms smell like jasmine. I had treated to the most lovely scent while taking this shot.

Our plum tree is in the most peculiar spot in the garden and for the most part looks dead for the better part of the year and then every Spring we get excited when we see the blossoms. Sadly we never seem to get any fruit. Must be due to where it is.

I am hoping that our “lollipop” pruned peach tree will still produce fruit this year – worm free would be a bonus too.

We have 2 strelitzias in the garden – one which gets for the most part full sun and the other which gets no sun and both do very well producing multiple flowers at one time.

I don’t remember this from previous years but with the new leaves has come figs, lots and lots of figs! How exciting, although I am not entirely convinced we will see any of these mature and ripen. Not to worry, there will be plenty more figs to follow.

A large part of the garden is abuzz with bees busily buzzing around collecting pollen – I would love for them to share where their hive is for a bit of lavender honey.

Can’t say I was thrilled to see the aphids all over this little rose bush – seems it’s time to spray the bushes with a solution of dish washing liquid.

Not that this is only a Spring occurrence but I just love the way a new tree fern leaf (is that what you would call it) presents itself to the world – from a tightly wound ball to an exquisite branch which provides our fur babies shade to lay under during the warm summer afternoons.

Now, for those in the know, I am petrified of spiders – a true arachnophobic! I was extremely proud of myself to get close enough to get this shot – I probably shouldn’t share that I ran around screaming like a little girl after I bravely took the pic because when I looked again it was gone! How can a spider just vanish! Sorry if this gave you the shivers John!
Glorious, Mandy! Sounds like your fig tree is going to have a bumper crop this year! Lovely sunny photos – isn’t this just the best time of year? I grew up with bird of paradise in our front yard (strelitzia) – I never knew they were the national flower of SA!
Celia, crossing fingers for that bumper fig crop. The other name we use for the strelitia is crane flower, I think bird of paradise sounds much nicer. Have a super day. 🙂
Delightful spring photos! Am writing this from the Southern Highlands of NSW, just south os Sydney. Most of our fruit trees have stopped flowering, but my Meyer lemon of 18 years has suddenly taken off for a second time this year and is coloured white all over? Fruit? Looking at your lovely strelizia, really have to get one myself . . . regards and good gardening 🙂 !
Thanks for stopping by Eha. Spring really is a lovely time of year, everything is always so fresh and colourful. Hope you find a strelizia soon. Have a happy day. 🙂
Gorgeous flower shots and I glad that you risked life and limb to get that last shot. I swear we have some of the biggest freaking spiders you have ever seen in Hong Kong. We even knick named Lamma Island, spider island because it just crawling with these huge colorful black and orange scary things. Even my teenage boys squeal like girls when they see them… Take care, BAM
*Scream* Hmm, rethinking my visit to Hong Kong Bam – I would probably be in the foetal position in a corner most of the time if I had to see those scary spiders! Have a happy day. 🙂
Mandy,
FYI: Fern ‘leaves’ (like those of palm trees), are called fronds.
Also, the National flower of South Africa is the (King) Protea – see http://www.info.gov.za/aboutgovt/symbols/flower.htm – The strelitzia (bird of paradise flower) used to be significant to Rhodesia, is apparently the national flower of Madeira, and the ‘city’ flower of San Fransisco. It is also endemic to the Eastern Cape, its beauty providing another reason to be proud of the area.
Do you give lessons in photography, and if you are at a loss about what to do with any figs, my mom would love to have them to make jam – green fig preserve, ripe fig jam, etc.
Love the website, glad to have you back in Colchester.
Vince (tweet: @addolover)
Hi Vince, thanks for stopping by. I always thought that each separate “arm” on a fern “leaf” was called a frond, so thanks for clearing that up and for correcting me on our national flower.
I am still very much a novice with photography and trying to learn myself so sadly I don’t give lessons. The chances of being at a loss with the figs is minimal but promise to keep your mom in mind. 😀 Seems our days in Cannonville may once again be interrupted with another contract – Namibia this round but still waiting to find out. Have a super day. 🙂
I am shocked! Shocked, I tell you! In a wonderful post containing stunning photos of a beautiful garden re-awakened, you have to go and show off your new-found bravery by posting a spider photo — and without warning, I might add.
I thought you were one of us.
Oh John, I AM SO SORRY!!! I feel like I have betrayed our friendship and trust and no-spider bond policy! Oh please forgive me!
That spider looks gross! Lovely pics and it looks as if you will have an abundance in your garden this summer – if it ever arrives 🙂
I tell you Tandy, I am seriously losing my sense of humour with this weather. have a super day. 🙂
Lovely snaps, and it gives me much to look forward to as we slowly fall into autumn here…. although the cold months coming up means lots of time playing in the kitchen!! Yeah!
Love looking at the bright side Misky. Have a beautiful day. 🙂
Simply beautiful!
Thank you so much Lizzy. Have a super day. 🙂
I’m so proud of you getting up close and personal – though I’m with you, I start crying whenever I see a spider!
Beautiful garden shots!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Seems our “do not like spider” club gets new memebers every day. Have a super day CCU and hope your first week of school is going well. 🙂
Mandy, I always admire your fig tree 🙂 I want one , too, when I owned a land one day 🙂
It really is a treat having a fig tree in the garden Tes. I will enjoy the first figs just for you. Have a super day. 🙂
I love the birds of paradise. I used to grow them in the garden of the house we lived in prior to this one. They are so majestic and magnificent and they last amazingly well. Love the bees buzzing about the pollen xx
I have just thrown out the strelitzias that were in a vase for just short of a month! Incredible how long they last. Have a happy day Charlie. 🙂 xo
LOL Mandy … I’ve seen two spiders in Nunavut, and one almost certainly arrived in a grocery shipment 🙂
Ooh, maybe I could come and live in your cold temperatures then John, seeing that spiders don’t really reside there. Have a super day. 🙂
You have a huge garden, haven’t you!
I look forward to your creations with all the figs!
Our garden isn’t very big at all, promise. Hope to get adventurous with the figs this year. Have a super day Angie. 🙂
Absolutely beautiful and I still find it amazing that autumn is going on this side of the world while new life is beginning over your way!
Thanks Tanya! Have a happy day. 🙂
Absolutely beautiful Mandy! You are so lucky to have that fig tree. I wish I had one, figs are one of my fave fruits and I love to cook with them. I hope we see some fig recipes to come soon? 🙂
Thanks Karista! Figs are my favourite favourite! We are going to have to wait a few months yet as we usually harvest in early January! Still so far away… Have a super day and I will post some recipes as soon as I can. 🙂
My finger scrolled so fast over your spider photo, lol, and lingered over the rest! What a joy to have a “blast” of spring in my drab fall morning!! I’m so glad you posted these.. they will carry me through my day, Mandy!! xxx
What a lovely compliment Smidge, thank you. Have an awesome day. 🙂
So beautiful!!!
Thanks so much Jen! Have a great day. 🙂
Beautiful photos and the spider is fitting for the month of October:) Have a Great Day!
Thanks Renee. Is October spider month? Have a super day. 🙂
Beautiful photos, You will be getting lots and lots of figs, how exciting. I am getting my fig tree ready for overwintering in the garage.
Thanks Norma. Our tree has to fend for itself during winter. I should try root a branch in a pot too. Have a super day. 🙂
We call those uncurled fern fronds fiddle heads. We steam them and eat them with butter, S&P – they’re delicious. Though the ones we eat are all green. I don’t know what a tree fern is..
Hi Heidi, thanks for stopping by. I have often heard of fiddle heads, but don’t anticipate I will be trying them from our tree any time soon – don’t anticipate the ones from the tree will be very tender – they are really quite large. Have a lovely day. 🙂
we just turned the heat on and not-so-happy waiting for winder but looking at your pictures puts a smile on my face. Now I’m looking forward to spring
I hope you have a mild and short winter Roxana. Have a super day. 🙂
strelitzias? I have never seen anything so unusual and beautiful in my life, Mandy. What are they? Can you get a full picture? AMAZING….just like YOUuuuuuuuuuuu. XXXX
They are the most amazing flowers Kim. Wish I could send one over to you! I will get a full shot and send it to you. Have a beautiful day friend. 🙂 xo
What great pictures Mandy! Those jasmine flowers are just beautiful. Love the macro shots too. I think it’s so cool that it’s spring in other parts of the world. Fun to think about. 🙂
Thanks Kristy – I was amazed at how the lemon blossom had a jasmine scent to it. Spring is the prettiest of seasons. Have a super day. 🙂
Love your flower photos! “Fiddleheads” are the furled fronds of a young fern.
Thanks Michael! It was lovely to see a post on your blog again. 🙂
Thanks Mandy. I wish I had your energy! I will say that you may have inspired me to write a post of my favorite flower photos that I have taken over the past year. I like that nature, unlike food, requires little styling!
– Michael
Thanks Michael. I would love to see your post on your flower photography! Have a super weekend. 🙂
It’s so nice to see spring since we’re heading into a fall that feels like winter this past week. Rain plus cold. Beautiful photos but if you don’t have a super zoom lens, don’t go taking any more spider shots! Did you check your camera. I’m horrible about spiders, especially if they have fat fuzzy legs, but if I see a snake I’m barricade myself in the house for a week. Even my dog is
horrified.
Oh no Diane, I didn’t check my camera – think I will excuse myself to go and run around in circles screaming again, just in case the spider jumped onto my lens! We get a few snakes in our garden – poisonous ones too but thankfully I can control myself around them. Have a super week ahead and here’s hoping your winter is a short and “warm” one. 🙂
Beautiful pics!! I just love spring!!
Thanks Pink! I too love the look and feel of Spring. 🙂
Mr T LOVES figs!
Right, will have to keep a secret stash away from myself and my mom to bring to Mr T. 🙂 xo