In true Gardening Tips ‘n Ideas fashion I’ve turned up fashionably late to the Garden Blogger Bloom Day carnival held each month by Carol. But I have an excuse.

Firstly, the cat ate all my flowers – Oops, I don’t have a cat! Would you believe that next-doors cat ate all my flowers? Actually, they don’t have a cat either. Okay, how about my whole garden was wiped out in a freak storm that touched only my yard leaving everyone else’s unscathed? Still no?

Alright, you deserve the truth. My wife just got back after a week’s holiday in Melbourne and I missed her terribly. So the last few days has been sitting around the fire slurping hot chocolates and talking like it no longer cost us anything – because it didn’t. So the garden, and my blog, came off second best until I remembered that I was meant to snap a few pics of the blooms now on display.

So, here they are;
The daffodils are already starting to bloom turning the bleak understorey of our Silver Birches into a glow of yellow.
These are some of the potted tulip bulbs I received for my birthday last month. While they’re not open yet they are getting very close.
My faithful Hellebores keep flowering year after year with very little maintenance. This is this ones third season and every year it seems to be more bountiful than the last.
This is a new bromeliad that my Mum gave me last weekend. I haven’t planted it in the ground just yet but it will be destined for our tropical garden. This is my third bromeliad now – maybe it’s time to start collecting them?
One of the few red cabbages that survived the slater onslaught. The ones I planted in containers staved off the slaters only to be consumed by aphids. Oh the joy!
Someone obviously forgot to tell my strawberry plants that it was winter. These plants have been flowering their heads off for the past month or two but none have ripened. We’ll have to wait for summer for that – if they haven’t worn themselves out by then, that is!
If I had more space in my garden that enjoyed full-sun then leptospermums would rule. This time of the year when most of our plants lay dormant these natives go out of their way to colour the garden.
I’m starting to find greater beauty in the buds of many plants than in the actual flowers. These from my Kalanchoe “Quicksilver” are so dainty and intriguing.
The definition of HOPE: all the buds from my lime tree fell off before setting fruit last season so to see it in full bud again is quite exciting. Hopefully they will grow this year.
Finally, my little cumquat trees are setting fruit again. Ah, more marmalade…