Autumn Clean Up

I do love this time of the year, for me it is the end of the growing season, and time to clean up the mess from the summer. Don't get me wrong, I still have things growing, but unlike our northern gardeners who have the luxury of 3 months off more or less over Christmas, here in Australia, autumn and winter is our time, to get ready, in the middle of the year.

Potting Bench now where Seedling Table was.

 Once our glasshouse/greenhouse went up a lot of things were moved around in the potting shed and John also dumped a heap of pots and soil and whatever he found "in the corner", I wasn't even able to get in, so in the past couple of weeks been madly digging and cleaning and filling up the green waste rubbish bin like there is no tomorrow.

Other Side with a Collection of Pots.

This week is a Council Cleanup and I have been putting old pots and trays out, wicker baskets, only to have them picked up by the neighbours as fast as I get them there.

The Very Last Pile of Rubbish for this Area

Cleaned up all of the pathways and under the back  Lemonade Tree, it is so full I am a bit worried the limbs will break. Will pick them off this week. Trouble is I still have frozen lemon juice from last year still in the freezer.

Lemonade Lemon

New Carrot Bed with Ranunculas in the Back Pots and Potatoes in the front.

I have dedicated the bed that had leeks to flowers this year and planted daffodils and ranunculas which I put into pots and buried,  so as not to lose them. Got a lot of bulbs from the Flower Show.
Still have to put in some more seedlings,  and by spring should look very nice.

From Leeks to a  Flower Bed

Walkway with Hyrdrangea, Bulbs and Geranium.

Last year the above bed had a very large Cape Gooseberry with the papery skin. I noticed this year it has come up in the Blueberry garden so hovering on moving it, but not here.

Meyer Lemon and Lime Trees

I noticed yesterday these two trees had nasty splits on the bark  on quite a few branches in all sizes,and looking that up discovered it was due to what is called Citrus Snow. Tiny insects that suck the goodness out of the bark which doesn't let it expand and thus causes the bark to split. They are not very visible until you actually go looking.

Showing Citrus Snow on a tiny Kafir Lime Tree in a Pot.

After a Scrubbing Split is a Hand long, on Lemon Tree

I took to both trees with a bucket of hot water in which I put detergent and some oil in it and scrubbed them with a brush till it came off. Lucky I keep my trees at my height roughly. The leaves still have this insect on and they travel from citrus tree to citrus tree by someone rubbing against it or picking fruit from the trees, and moving around.  I will now get a rag and make sure with white oil, every inch of this tree is covered. This blocks the breathing passages of insects. Will be watching them very closely. I noticed also some of the leaves are yellowing, due to these insects, so will give them a good dose of citrus fertilizer. Really hoping I won't lose them and the splits heal up and don't get infected with some other disease.

More Splits and Citrus Snow

On a brighter note the garlic is up in the 2nd bed at the back the other being at the front.

Garlic and Onion Bed.

The view of the clean back garden. I still would like to give the pavers the "Kacher" pressure clean but it is so messy, maybe another day.

Clean (ish) Garden.

Looking Left to Lemonade Tree. Madagascar Beans on Fence at Back.

Looking Right To Shed. Peas in Front, Broad Beans at Back

It has been quite an overcast day today. Could be rain coming. Certainly the nights are getting cold enough to light the fire.  I am sure I have told you before, that it is  heaven sitting by the fire.

Stay safe, till next time.