Nectarine Blossomfest 2012

The nectarine tree is always the first to blossom on the balcony. I guess you could argue that the lemon and the lime both really take that honour as they had blossoms well before the nectarine, but given they don't seem to ever stop blossoming I thought I'd take them out of the competition.

The first hint of flowers came a few week's back and I posted about it in GBBD. I'm still surprised this guy stands up to the conditions, I mean he lives so close to the airconditioning unit! Then again it blows out, not sideways, so he is actually pretty sheltered.

More and more blossoms joined the bloomfest, and even leaves began to poke through.

 

Now only two things remain, and both of them waiting games:

1. Will any of the blossoms turn to fruit?
2/ Will curly leaf strike again (highly likely)

Culry leaf is a major problem in Melbourne with certain stonefruit. It can be somewhat combatted with spraying but the timing has to be right and half the time curly leaf hits anyway. It weakens the tree a bit, and there may be less fruit, but I find it rights itself most of the time. Last year the plant got curly leaf early in the season, then shed those leaves and grew new, non-visibly infected ones. It went on to produce 3 lovely nectarines (one was a surprise) and seemed relatively happy and healthy.

The tree has way more blossom than last year, but that doesn't always translate into more fruit. So many factors are at play here, weather, pollinators, and luck. Fingers crossed I get a few goodies.

What's blossoming in your garden?

Ooopss I missed garden bloggers blooms day

Life has been pretty cluttered lately, some unfavourable, but all the rest in a very good way. The side effect of this though is that life itself seems to be getting on top of me these days, there are people I need to see/email/ring/or all of the aforementioned and before I know it, it gets too late at night and I haven't managed to accomplish any of those things. Thesis, gardening, storms, a funeral and general activities seem to be getting in the way. I even missed garden bloggers blooms day and I never miss garden bloggers blooms day! I couldn't even get outside to take the requisite photographs because of a serious day-long downpour! So instead of simply waiting until the next time, I am taking advantage of recent photographic expeditions to the land of the balcony garden and showing you a small sample of what has been flowering on the balcony garden this Springtime. From pansies to broccoli and rocket gone to seed, apple blossom to violas the garden is an array of colours and shapes and sized. My favourites would have to be the orchids and the boronia flowers.

Sunnier Shades

It may still be cold and gloomy and wet but there are some sunny things going on in the garden. Finally another colour in the garden besides purple - we have yellow primroses. What I can't work out is why there are two yellow ones in the same plant (then again it is highly likely there might be two plants in one pot.)

Another yellow one hiding amongst the lettuce and purple primrose.

For a bit of pinky, orangey yellow the snapdragons are just stunning.

And for another hint of colour, the nectarine blossoms are coming.

It is always good to look on the sunnier side of life :)