Spring is coming. I discovered a random Jasmine plant in the back yard today. I guess it's thriving again after Rohan slashed all the vegetation along the back fence. I really love the smell of this jasmine. I think I might create some fake jasmine out of cotton with the tips dyed pink for my hair. I could probably drip some jasmine essence on them as well so I get the same effect as wearing real flowers. I'm really happy spring is coming. I'm getting sick of days of intermittent rain.

Sprouting III

The sprouted carrots have been planted. This pot holds four purple carrots. The sweet potato is planted next to the pot and the parsnip is about half a meter away. I don't think the parsnip will succeed as the shoots are very small. Carrots are beginning to look very leafy and will hopefully produce alot of seeds for the coming year.

Hardenbergia violacea

A beautiful Hardenbergia violacea.which Dash acquired in trade at the market this weekend. It's a native Australian pea plant. It has purple flowers throughout winter and should become a nice compact climbing vine. We've planted it near the front of the house so it'll get enough light and hopfully cover up some of the ugly.

Sprouting II

Purple carrots have started sprouting. The sweet potato is trundling along. I've added some more purple carrots and some parsnips. Interestingly, the carrots where I left an inch of frond seem to have produced the largest fronds, where those that were cut to the quick (?) have sprouted in three or four places.

I do wonder if I'll get viable vegetables from these plants. I suspect they'll be somewhat mutated looking and probably best as seeding plants.

Some sort of native lily?

Random Australian ? native on the path to Uni.

Flowers are >1cm across. Leaves remind me of kangaroo paw. Flowers can have four, five or six petals, typically five. Quite pretty.

Wattle-ling along

It's wattle season again. These trees are always so bright and cheery at the end of a grey winter. This year they remind me that it's Pennsic season and I'm missing out. Ah well, perhaps next year.

Sprouting

During last weeks trip to the supermarket I found Dutch purple carrots! Anecdotaly (i.e. I can't find a reference and haven't tried all that much) the first orange carrots are said to come from the Netherlands in the 17th century. I was aware it was possible to buy purple carrots in the heirloom mix from the Diggers club (http://www.diggers.com.au/) but to have these things common enough to enter the supermarket?
The carrots are a rich purple on the outside and a creamy yellow on the inside. They're not as sweet as orange carrots and will make a nice turnip replacement I think.
Of interest is the purple stain the juice leaves on my fingers. I may juice a bunch and see if I can use them to dye thread.

So, having used them for some delicious soup, I'm attempting to sprout the carrots. I didn't do this as a child so I'm not sure I'm doing it right... They don't appear to be shrivling and the sweet potato next to them is sprouting so with luck I'll have purple carrot and sweet potato casserole in a few months.