An abundance of avocados

Avocados would have to be one of my favourite fruits and I have been so lucky this year because both daughter M and sister-in-law J have lovely big avocado trees in their gardens. 

J's tree in particular is literally dripping with fruit and every couple of weeks we visit her to fill a bucket full of the delicious green orbs. 

  

It is not easy work as her trees are very tall, but it is so worth the effort when you can bring home bounty like this.

I am not looking forward to the time when we have stripped the trees and I have to start paying for avocados again. Ouch!

Bountiful blueberries

It has been a wonderful season for blueberries.  Every couple of days I pick a bowlful like this and John and I enjoy them with our nightly fruit salad.

I'm not sure whether this  bounty is the result of Mother Nature, the fact that after several years growth my bush is bigger and more productive or, as I suspect, because the little people have to spend more time at kindergartens and schools, they have less time to visit me and, therefore, are not here to pick the berries before I can.   I really miss their visits and would gladly sacrifice a few berries if they could continue.

Whatever the reason, we are really enjoying these little bursts of sweetness,

and there is the promise on the bush of many more to come.

More spring prettiness

Wouldn't it be lovely if we could enjoy spring flowers all year round.  The flowers last so much longer when they are not faced with searing heat and long hot dry days, no matter I hard I try to keep the water up to them.  Many of these flowers will be finished  in the next few weeks so I am making the most of them.

 

I love the little pinwheels of the Chinese star jasmine.  I had never noticed their similarity to a pinwheel before.  It is amazing what you notice when you look through the lens of a camera.

And now for my favourite - baby roses.  How beautiful are these.  When I saw them in the garden, (and this is going to sound incredibly wet and soppy) they brought tears to my eyes.

Sigh!!!!!

The roses are back!

I know that every gardener says it, but spring really has to be my favourite time of the year.  The roses are back and, both inside and outside, they are spreading their beautiful perfume everywhere.

I seem to be picking fresh blooms almost every day, mixing them with other flowers, and popping them on every available surface so that I can enjoy them in every room of the house.

In my humble opinion, the rose really is the queen of flowers.

Bucket list

Poor neglected and under-nourished little blog.  It has been so long since you have been fed.  I have been away ticking a few things off my bucket list (not that I intend kicking said bucket anytime soon!)  Recent tests and scans have shown that all is well after last year's brush with the Big C and I am hoping that this will continue.

Getting back to that bucket list, the first item I ticked off (apart from actually being in England) was a visit to Petersham Nurseries in Richmond and it did not disappoint.  I was so excited to finally be there that I ran around like a madwoman taking pictures of everything in sight.  In retrospect I wish I had calmed down a little and just soaked up the ambience, but at least I now have plenty of photographic memories.  I did get to relax a little as we enjoyed a  lovely afternoon tea in one of the many greenhouses.  I had no idea there were so many of them.

How wonderful it would be to have all this on one's doorstep.  I would be there every week.  I imagined myself tucked away in a quiet corner with a good book and a pot of tea.  Heaven.

Such a pity that one is restricted by luggage allowances when travelling.  I could have done serious damage in the shop here.

The river at Richmond was so pretty.  Very Wind in the Willows.  I'm sure I spotted Ratty and Mole among the boats.