wander through the wild backyard

The yard in spring

Spring is most definitely here: today I saw a postie on his bike being swooped by a magpie.

Some photos of the wild backyard taken today (with most of the wildness cropped out so it doesn't look as totally neglected as it really is):

Bringing in the spring

A house with daffodils in it is a house lit up,
whether or no the sun be shining outside.

~ A.A. Milne

Miss Tizz and the X-man came in after playing outside yesterday clutching a daffodil each. "Look what we found! And we left some in the garden!"

Oh the shame!

This blog started as record of the transformation of a suburban backyard. Well, that was the theory anyway. Then work got busier, I got distracted, and winter fell upon us with a thud. In case you hadn't noticed, there's been a distinct lack of backyard in this blog lately.

But today I was given a not-so-gentle prod by The Crone, and ventured out the back door for the first time in weeks. Blame illness, the demands of running a business from home, winter, the call of the internet in a nice heated house ... With trepidation in heart and camera in hand, I went to see if anything survived. Just. Maybe.

I did find some beetroot ...



... lots of potential in the form of small fuzzy buds on the fruit trees ...


... and a bright spot of gold in the flowers on one of the bolted greens.


There are a few things still holding on - artichokes and herbs mostly - and everything in pots could do with a good soaking. I pulled a few handfuls of grass out of the vege plots; they came out easily enough, and the soil beneath is looking dark and ready for planting again. A few solid hours should see it looking half reasonable, so not as dire as I predicted.

Just don't ask about the strawbales. I think they'll make very nice mulch.

I've put my winter colours on

We've had some grey & rainy days lately, but today was one of our beautiful crisp blue winter days. I wandered outside with the camera and took some photos of the backyard in winter ...