August 3, 2014
by The Opal Octopus
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Orelia is a newly-orphaned mountain girl arriving in Venice for the first time. She is taken in by her long-lost uncle – but only on the condition that she masquerades as his god-daughter from Rome. What is the secret of … Continue reading →
Today in winter non-gardening: a field of self-seeded coriander inĀ one of the raised beds.

We’ve been pretty busy this autumn/winter, and have done very little in the way of planting – a native hibiscus and a finger lime tree here, a Meyer lemon tree there, but not much else. We’re still eating from the garden, though: self-seeded coriander and cos lettuces mostly, the odd bit of random volunteer rocket coming through, plenty of herbs of course, and a profusion of limes.

In more decorative news, the grevilleas are flowering beautifully throughout. Here’s a Gingin Gem:

And a dry-climate boronia. You have to love the Perth winter: just look at that sky!

Anything growing where you are?
August 1, 2014
by The Opal Octopus
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There was a great setup for this book, hitting all my buttons: plague novel, set in Australia, young adult. Lena is a girl locked in an outback property with her Mum and two pet dingoes, and kept in by fear … Continue reading →