What's in flower this week

My New Year Blog resolution was to document what is flowering when

This will help me organise planting for the year and reduce uncertainty.

The different coloured sunflowers have been great.

They do not continue to produce like the wild ones 

but do have strong straight stems

for cut flowers.

 I continue to underestimate size requirements when planting things like Zucchini

This year my Zuc has completely overgrown a basil patch.

I should have known better but when the ground is bare it is had to imagine

just how much space is required for this large leafed plant.

I am curious as to what I have to do to get my Gerbras to be long stemmed.

They had long stems on flowers when I bought them but ever since 

they have been producing like dwarfs. No good for cut flowers.

I will continue to experiment.

Shasta Daisy having a strong second flush of flowers.

This has been a great performer for cut flowers.

Zinnias continue to be my summer favourite

This red Verbeena is also a strong performer.

I regularly add these flowers to my bunches.

I was late planting my Asters this year. As a result they are short.

Good for the table posies but lost in the bunches.

Better planning required next season.

Stella, one of my faithful followers

Multi coloured sunflowers. Stunning and a favourite with the bees.

Wild self sown sunflowers. Almost like a forest. The meat ants are busy

on these plants. It is a bit of a challenge to cut a bunch or two 

from here with out attracting the wrath of the meat ant.

They are farming something...

not aphids this time but maybe they milking the seeds for sunflower oil?

My Lizianthus were great this year. They are a fab cut flower and 

add a touch of class to any bunch of flowers.

Here is a collection of Shasta, Aster, Zinnia, Verbeena.

Its been a while since my last post.
That series of heat waves made this the worst summer in ages.
I had to stay inside during the day....just too hot to venture out but

I did some study and got side tracked with an op shop dress

I just had to have despite it being too small.

I have renovated it to fit with a panel front and centre.

Its a double dress so there needed to be an inner panel as well.

I love it.

I always did but now it fits!

I also found myself being interviewed by the local paper.

Not sure how this came about but is wasn't too bad.

http://www.sunraysiadaily.com.au/story/2093860/jaynes-garden-her-rehab-centre/
It hasn't turned blue like a link but
cut and paste this into you browser to read the story if you are interested.

The basil in the photo has responded well to the rain and has doubled in size.
All the summer plants have coped well with the heat.
Amazing!

 Our series of heat waves broke with a 60 ml deluge,
tail end of a low that started in Western Australia and rained it's way across the country.
I am always on the look out for those weather patterns.

You guessed it the weeds just took off!

I had an audience while weeding the other day.

Now we are experiencing the first signs of Autumn,
I have had to put a jumper on in the mornings to walk the dogs.
I am not so sad to see the end of this extreme Summer.