Winter

Is it just me or is time flying? Or is it because it's such a beautiful time of the year? I love autumn and winter in Queensland. With daytime temperatures of up to 25 deg C and overnight lows of around 7 deg C, it is the most beautiful time of the year. You can wear jeans with t-shirt and a jumper for the cold mornings/evenings and take the jumper off during the day. Just perfect! I've changed my working hours as it's still dark until about 6.20 am. So now I start at 7 am and finish at 4 pm to enjoy a bit of daylight at the end of the day. Everything is growing well too. Let's have a walk around the garden:

None of the plants in this gardenbed were planted by me. the one on the right is a cucumber or a Loofa, the others look like roses. I just let them grow, they obviously like it there.

Mint - I just never seem to have enough of it...

Beautiful colour on the entertainment area.

I decided to put these yellow and red succulents in the hanging baskets as they're colourful and don't mind a bit of neglect.

I've been sitting in the Patio a lot. I love the view and I'm protected from bugs.

There is a stupid amount of Passionfruit growing at this time of the year. i really have to watch the Sulphur Crested Cockatoos, so they don't steal them all. I really want to make some Passionfruit butter.

The 'wet' gardenbed is growing well - chives, parsley, basil and lemongrass are planted here.

The 'dry' gardenbed with more parsley, sage, tarragon, curry, chillies, marjoram, oregano, thyme and rosemary is doing well too.

I've started to use cut lemongrass in the chookpen. It makes it smell nice and is a good use material I already have available. It also deters flies and other insects.

The Bauhinia is in full flower as always around this time of the year.

Bauhinia's common name is Orchid Tree - it's obvious to see why.

Mr S is cleaning up the front gardenbed after I had an unfortunate incident with a snake there. Stay tuned, this will be a great new front entry - even so nobody ever uses it...

Silverbeet, beetroot, potatoes, chia and red cabbage is growing here and it looks like a good crop!

Butternut pumpkin and garlic in this one - Janus checking me out in the back.

My mum's hibiscus is flowering like crazy! I now can see it from the bedroom window and from the front.

This mushroom has been growing. I'm not convinced if it's edible or not, so it doesn't come into my kitchen.

Pumpkins are growing...

... chooks and rooster are enjoying scraps...

Kiiikerikiiiiii

Mr S has been busy. After our trip around Australia our desert garden turned into a weed garden and there really was only one option: start again. So here he has taken our Euphorbia down.

Lettuce and Broccoli - the lettuce is ready to eat, let's have some lunch.

The sweet potatoes keep growing and producing as well.

Mr S decided on a new layout to make it easier for him to mow.

To get to this was/is quite a bit of work...

This was our Euphorbia. Let's see if it does come back, it not I wouldn't be sad at all.

He's started on a pathway.

This little tree doubled in size since I returned - nice to see!

Recently, I purchased a Cooktown Orchid - the national floral emblem for QLD. Now I'm a very proud Queenslander!

LOVE that colour!!!

I have started to make a bit more time for myself and part of it is to stick to my Sunday "Kaffee & Kuchen" (coffee & cake) tradition. this one was freshly brewed peppermint tea (with peppermint out of the garden) and an amazing Marzipancake. Nice Sunday afternoon!

Last month was Mother's Day and I made some cushion covers and coasters for my grandparents.

My aunty did get a new bathroom, so I embroidered some handtowels for her and her family.

And my Mum got cushioncovers and coasters as well.

She loves wolves so I did a mammoth embroidery of a wolf and a pup. Took an entire day - 55,183 stitches, 39 colour changes! But it was worth while as it turned out really nice. And best of all - Mumsy loves it too!

The sunsets and -rises in autumn/winter are the most magnificent I've ever seen. See in the pic below? In a few minutes the sun will rise behind this mountain and it will look spectacular!

Despite the awesome weather, I have spent some time on my sewing machine. This time to make a grooming bag for Janus.

Janus loves it!

My pretty boy with his own grooming bag - very happy - both of us of course!

I'm really getting into sourdough bread baking - it's science! But I'm starting to understand how the dough reacts and am getting some great results. Pretty proud!

How yummy does that look?

It's a great time of the year with loads of fresh fruit and veg available. I love to eat a mandarin a day and made heaps of Applestudel for Mr S.

Loads of tomatoes too!

The stockpile from Aldi's will last us for the rest of the year.

The pumpkin on the vine keeps growing and growing - it's going to be used for a nice pumpkin curry.

Everything is flowering - here in blue/purple...

... and here in a nice red-pink...

... and of course yellow!

We're enjoying ourselves with nice platters on the weekend. Nice food with a bottle of red - how good is that?!

Janus is enjoying the cooler months as well. No wonder with all this fur!

He's just beautiful and has such a good nature! He just makes me very happy.

It's cold, so I'm wearing my sisters penguin socks. They keep my cold feet nice and warm.

This is my favourite homemade bread so far - a rye bread which took nearly 3 days to prepare.

Hmmmmm.

I had so many tomatoes, so I made some relish.

This is a bit older but I don't think I showed these on here yet: birthday presents for my sister - a bag for her camera and one for her mobile phone.

I love the colours!

The yellow flower further up is from the Golden Penda - one of the first trees we planted here. Every winter, it looks magnificent in full flower!

I'm not just baking bread, I'm also trying out a few more recipes. These are Koenigsberger Klopse - a boiled meatball in a white sauce with capers. Turned out well.

I bake a different sourdough bread each week.

Here's my tomato relish. I think I made about 6-8 glasses - enough until the next harvest.

My study is too small for all my sewing, So every Sunday I sit in the Patio and sew. Here I have plenty of light, space and it feels like sitting in the garden.

I'm making an Australian Table runner.

It turned out beautiful!

Eucalyptus and wattle fabric,

Cooktown orchid, wattle fabric and a wattle.

And the other side:

Kangaroo Paw, Kangaroo Paw fabric, Eucalyptus,

more Kangaroo Paw fabric and another wattle. Love the colours!!!

Janus must be feeling the cooler weather as well as he sits much more often in his bed instead of the concrete - understandable.

The Pool area looks great as well. Pitty it's to cold for a swim.

Mr S and his son completed the pathway. This garden is going to look amazing! He put so much work into it!

Janus was at the groomer and is all fluffed up.

Janus approves of the new garden path.

And we will get a nice relaxing meditation area...

Our beautiful view...

Janus is nearly 1 year old. I will take a pic in front of this hibiscus every year.

As you can see, we're enjoying this time of the year - cooking, baking, sewing, gardening and relaxing. We're happy and very, very contend!

Til next time!