Winter around the Farm

Winter around the Farm

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The road up to the farm on a misty day

 Winter is beautiful season in Tasmania.  Each season has its own characteristics, its own activities and its own beauty.  Misty wintery days can be magical.  And the dark days make you really appreciate the blue-sky days when they come.  The Wedgetailed eagles that live in the tree tops on the slopes behind our farm seem to be more common companions in winter.  Maybe they need to work harder for their winter meals.

Wedgetailed Eagle

I am often asked if winter is a quiet time around the farm … I guess in a temperate climate the main growing times are the warmer months.  But with natives, there is always something flowering.  Always!
And it's not just the harvesting that we're busy with in winter.  There are plenty of other activities going on.

This year, we've been clearing and there are lots of piles of rubbish needing to be burned.  A clear winters day with a slight breeze is a brilliant time for a burn off. 

We are working our way through piles large and small, looking forward to having some new fences and more areas for planting soon.

New Protea Varieties

Planting is another common winter activity for us.  We have planted something new every year since we have been here at Swallows Nest Farm.  This year is our 7th planting season.  Proteas and plants from the protea family prefer to be planted out in winter, providing they can be given a little shelter from the harsher winds and frosts.  Having planted in both summer and winter, I am convinced that winter planting gives the plants a better start in life.  Our summer plantings required much more irrigation and have taken much longer to establish.  

Brunia Stokoeii

This year we have 2 new varieties of proteas, and 3 new varieties of Leucadendron going in.  We also have a new variety of Brunia and more Berzelia being planted.  

Brunia Stokoeii

The new variety of Brunia is Stokoeii.  I had planted some a few years ago but we lost them all (except  2) during the summer of 2012-13 when we had bush fires.  I was so excited about having this gorgeous pink flowering variety of Brunia and really disappointed to have lost them.  So we're giving them another go.  We bag each plant as we go, to protect from Rabbits, wind and harsh frost.  It seems to work well for us here, until the plants are bigger and can fend for themselves.

The newly cleared areas have really opened up our possibilities for planting.  It's a challenge figuring out straight rows with all the hills though!

Leucadendrons Jubilee Crown and Safari Goldstrike

And of course, there are the winter flowering plants that make winter a colourful and satisfying harvest season too.  The Safari Goldstrike that we planted in our first year at Swallows Nest are now mature and productive.  They have a rich golden green flower head in July and then bright intense yellow in August. 

Phylica Plumosa and Leucadendron Inca Gold

The Phylica Plumosa are almost ready to flower.  They seem to be straining towards the sun at this time of year.  Behind them, the lime green of the Inca Gold Leucadendron is rapidly changing into its colourful winter yellow.

Leucadendron Galpinii

Leucadenron Galpinii is commonly called Purple Haze.  It winter, you can see why.  It is delicate and softly purple with leaves that spiral around the stem.  Our Galpinii plants have taken a long time to establish but we are starting to see some harvestable stems this year which is exciting.

Banksia Brownii

A few years ago I planted a handful of Banksia Brownii which has beautiful feathery leaves that are a joy to use as cut foliage.  But this year, they are flowering too!  A delicate creamy yellow, they aren't the most attention-seeking flowers but they are beautiful in their own way.

Berzelia Lanuguinosa

The Berzelia or Button Bush is getting ready to flower, making lots of little clusters of flowers heads.  I sometimes cut it at this early stage to use in arrangements.

Protea Repens

Protea Repens start flowering in late Autumn here and carry on throughout the winter months. 

Protea Pink Ice

Winter is also a great time for Protea Pink Ice.  We have Pink Ice in good supply almost all year round.

Leucdendron Safari Sunset

Safari Sunset have a long harvest time from autumn, through winter and spring and into the early part of summer.   It's only at the end of summer that they are scarce.  When I think winter, I think Leucadendrons.  They really are the winter stars here.

Leucadendron Red Gem

 The Red Gem have gone through their glowing red phase and are starting to get a yellow tinge.  In a few weeks I'll be harvesting creamy yellow and apricot flowers by the trailer load!

So no, winter is not the quiet season on a protea and native flower farm.  Winter encompasses the full range of activities from clearing, to planting to harvesting.  There's always something to do and something to enjoy.  And then of course, there's spring to look forward to.

Spring!

Spring!

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Well spring is definitely here at Swallows Nest Farm.  In fact, it arrived a few days before the end of August with some very warm, beautiful blue-sky days and lots of spring colour in the flowers.  And of course the swallows are back for the summer.  They seem to be having such fun dipping and diving and reclaiming their nests left abandoned over the winter.

We've been in full swing preparing for the warmer months with lots of pruning and reclaiming areas that were let go over the last few years.  (We've been busy with our baby girl who has major health issues and this has meant the farm has been a little neglected in areas.)  Whilst doing some heavy duty pruning during the week I came across this gorgeous little nest.  It's tiny with the eggs being around the size of the end of my thumb.  So cute!! And definitely a sign of spring.

And there has been no shortage of gorgeous weather over the last few weeks.  Wow!  It makes your heart skip a beat sometimes.

Of course, the bulbs are blooming madly.  While we were out driving the other day, we came across this incredible field of daffodils.  Spring!! With a capital S!!

Yellow is such a "springy" colour.  And set against those clear blue skies, it just sings.  The Leucadendron Safari Goldstrikes are glowing and gorgeous.

I've been madly picking them.  They're so much bigger and more productive than last year.

And the stem length has been fantastic!  1.4 metres tall, some of them are.  And they've been generously snipped leaving plenty on the plant.  I think they're almost too tall to use ... maybe!

Our local school hosts a flower show just as spring starts and we love to donate flowers.  It's just another indicator that the seasons are turning - lots of fresh new spring colours!

And that amazing, glowing yellow!

The flower show is always a feast for the eyes.  These little beauties were done by the kids at the school.  

The huge variety of daffodils are truly mind blowing!!

The variety of natives available in spring is fantastic too, and makes it a delight to create bouquets and bunches.  I'm going to soak up the blue-sky days and the riot of colour while I can, because I know that spring can also bring cruel winds, and freezing weather.  It snowed here in September last year!  There's so much to be done around the farm in spring and in the business of harvesting, time will fly and before I know it, summer will arrive.  But I'm intent on savouring the sweet moments of spring this year!

What's in the Basket?

What's in the Basket?

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Wow!  What a busy month its been.  Harvesting of autumn and winter flowers has been in full swing.  We are still catching up on clearing and particularly pruning some of the plants that got away from us during the break we had with our baby (who is now 3!!).  

I love pruning!  I am working on a blog post about pruning proteas and leucadendrons.  Its such a satisfying activity.  Yesterday I did a small burst of pruning, and came back with a basket of early winter flowers.  Pruning large Protea Pink Ice can be hard work.  Some branches need more than my Felco shears can manage.  But the flowers are beautiful at this time of year and I salvage any I can.  

Small Protea Repens have been in the ground for 4 years.  They need a different type of pruning and shaping, encouraging lots of new straight stemmed flowers for next year.  I'm looking forward to having the first good harvest nest year.  The flowers from this year are lovely and you can see some of them in the basket.  

There are also some Banksia Occidentalis in the mix.  They are nearly at the end of their flowering for the year and even though they're only 3-4 years old, they need heavy pruning.  I'm trying to keep them at a manageable height because they are such vigorous growers.  

Some Leucadendron Safari Goldstrike are in the basket.  They are getting ready to flower and I'll be harvesting them in a couple of months.  This will be 5 years since they were planted and we are so happy with them.  A few wayward shoots too good to waste made it into the basket of pruning pickings.  The flower heads have properly formed and won't wilt, but I'll wait until they colour up before I pick them in earnest.  

The first few branches of Thryptomene are just starting to bloom.  By the end of winter, these will be covered in white blooms.  The excitement of seeing the first flowers of the year always encourages a bit of early picking!

The last little flower in the basket is a wild yellow Banksia Marginata.  I have a few of these Banksias growing along the path to the flowers and they are flowering profusely at the moment.  The bushes are really large - 6 to 8 metres tall and full of flowers, but most of them are growing at odd angles with shoots sticking out.  Every so often, one or two make their way into my basket and usually end up in a vase in the kitchen!