a few recent garden experiences

It feels like an extra leafy autumn. I collected some of the oak leaves that blanket the verges and roadsides.

With the gathered leaves I covered the earth wherever there was space between plants.  Now the garden's all tucked in cosily ready for winter.

Some of the trees in the street are oak and some are plane trees. The oak leaves are smaller and finer and much better for the garden than the coarse strong plane leaves. Plane leaves take much longer to break down and if you're not careful can form a water repellant mat.

The wooden steps on the verandah finally rotted and split and had to be replaced. I placed the wood in the garden. Hopefully fungi will grow on it and insects shelter under it and in it. And it will rot down slowly and enrich the soil.

There are a few flowers: reliable correas, a few golden Acacia iteaphylla balls, year round blooming seaside daisies and showy Lavatera. The greens and greys are broken up by the black seeds on the garlic chives.

I never get bored or sick of the mysterious secretive leaf curling spiders lurking in their
carefully rolled up leaves.

I was lucky to see this stick mantid. They are usually very well camouflaged.

Every so often I find labels like this in the garden. Whatever discarded item of clothing it was, it's all turned to compost except the non biodegradable label.

The front garden is currently dominated by Smoke Bush 'Grace', the glowing foliage echoed by orange wallflowers.

A Feijoa has kindly seeded itself in a perfect position in the back garden.  It struggled a bit a bit at first but it's doing well now.

So that's it for now - a sharing of a few recent garden experiences.