Monday, August 24, 2009

An Australian country farm in winter

A few weeks back we spent the weekend at my mother's farm in north east Victoria. They breed racehorses and have some cows there on about 500 hectares (or acres, I always get confused).

She has lived there for more than 10 years and certainly had her share of droughts and flooding rains. And bushfires. And frosts. But here are the first spring daffodils.



As I mentioned in a previous post, the garden is full of European trees, which I really prefer around a house, and also lots of trees you can eat. Like avocadoes and mulberries.



Here is a lovely spot under the verandah which catches the afternoon sun.


There is also a cat called Fred who thinks he is a dog. And a new little puppy called Nellie who knows she is a dog but still needs lots of cuddles because she is only young.




Just to the left of this picture is the pomegranate tree. Each October a whole tribe of King parrots flies down from the mountains and devours every single fruit on the tree in three days and then flies away. Their genetic memory must be very good.





My mother is 100 times the gardener I will ever be. Here is her herb garden, looking a bit straggly, but I love its overgrownness.


And here is a little table form which one can admire two very Australian things - the little water tanks and the (partly obscured) back of the ute which is used to deliver hay to the horses.

I am not really a country person (and my husband sometimes has mini panic attacks that he might get stuck in the country For Ever). When we visit we always have to rush into the nearest town on Saturday morning to get the newspaper and drink a not very adequate caffe latte. But I do love visiting this magical place. And I wish we could do it more often.

1 comment:

Laura said...

What an idyllic spot! I love that herb garden, and am very jealous of all of your fruit producing trees. When I look at the price of avocados at the moment ($2.50 for one!) I really desire my own tree. But I do share that city-person-in-the-country panic attack when I'm away from the hustle and bustle for too long.

Related Posts with Thumbnails