I've made reference, a few times, to the pineapple plants that have been taking up space in the glass house for the past...oh... two years.
Brian planted the cut off ends that were in the buckets of food scraps that we collect from a restaurant to feed the poultry. They did nothing for all this time, just sat there asking for water!
Well this is what's happening now.
I know that the Queensland folks will be rolling their eyes at this sight that they will be very familiar with, but for we South Aussies this is all new to us. Such excitement!
The pineapple is a most intriguing fruit, as we are discovering as it develops. Does anyone know how long it might take before it grows big enough and ready to eat?
We, and all of South Australia, were prepared for Thursday night's "One in ten year storm" but thankfully it didn't eventuate. Some lovely rain fell though, and there was a break from the garden watering routine.
I don't know about you, but the severe heat saps the energy from me. I'm feeling for those in Queensland who are living with temperatures in the high 30's and into the 40's day after day. I'm also feeling grateful that we down south are having an easy time of it so far, this summer.
Today was a deliciously mild 24 degrees here in the Barossa, and perfect for catching up on some gardening.
This little fellow is one of a family who live in the enclosed vegetable garden up near the house where I keep their water bowl filled. We see them all around the gardens, and today this one was my constant companion. Well, I saw him under the daisy bushes, under the fruit trees, near the finger lime, on the lawn, and then up this stake. Was it just one lizard, or all of its siblings as well?
At one point he/she came rushing toward me, I wondered what was happening, then he caught and gulped the fly he was chasing.
He's the handsome silent type, but I chatted to him constantly as he kept me company. ;)
Thanks for dropping in,
Cheers!
Sally, I am glad you aren't having heatwaves like us...day after day of 35C/36C days and out west it is worse of course. If it keeps up we will have to invest in aircon I think as we are finding it harder and harder to cope with as we get older. I heard it takes two years for a pineapple to grow and ripen but don't quote me. DH did plant one down the back but I have no idea how it is getting on. I don't buy them very often.
ReplyDeleteChel our heat is arriving this week, but only up to 38 degrees which is not as bad as in the 40's which is what we're used to getting during our summers. So most folks have air-con here as it's just unbearable to live with the heat. Our old home keeps us cool for approx four days of constant high temps, if we keep it closed up during the day, and then we would need to turn on the air-con for a couple of hours. We rarely need use it, but it's nice to know it's there. You better go check on the progress of that pineapple the DH is growing. ;)
Deletetotally sapped, can barely move except to go douse myself under the cold shower for a few seconds, it got to 37`c in my kitchen, the humidity is the killer, it got extremely high here, sorry i don't have an outside temperature gauge, it's certainly heating up for storm weather here, just hope it's not a nasty one that these high temps bring in.
ReplyDeletelove your companion (lizard) they are such fun to watch, i talk all the time, so it's nice to see some wildlife staring at me wondering what the blazes is she on about :))
ahhh the humble pineapple takes approximately 2-2 & 1/2 years to reach fruiting stage, i've never had any success with them yet (frost keeps killing mine) yours looks good.
thanx for sharing
Oh Selina, you are really copping it there and it seems like most folks don't have air-con there either. I remember when living in Nepal during the hot summers before the start of monsoon, it was usually three or four showers a day.
DeleteI planted a pineapple top in my garden years ago, and it finally started fruiting this year, it looks like a full miniature pineapple ATM, I'm assuming (hoping) it will grow bigger, like you, I know little about them, so it's a watch and see thing for me.
ReplyDeleteSounds like your pineapple is at the same stage as ours Cheryl. I'll certainly be showing it off when the time comes to pick.
DeleteHi, Sally. How lovely to be growing pineapples way down there. I've had no luck with pineapples so far but I remain hopeful of one day growing my own. Lovely that you've had good rain, we are waiting for it to rain/storm today after high temperatures pretty well all week. Yesterday, we put the thermometer out on our back deck and it was 38C in the shade!I love your lizard companion. We have a blue-tongue here and the other day he frightened the life out of me when I was watering the pentas and he was pretending to be a snake! Cheeky! Meg:)
ReplyDeleteI hope you got that rain and cooler temps Meg. Oh yes, a Blue-tongue sighted from the corner of the eye, can sure make me jump.
DeleteCongratulations on the pineapple fruiting. It's great to see you try something which contradicts the normal climatic conditions. It will teach you a lot about what's possible in the right place.
ReplyDeleteFrom the time your pineapple fruits, it should be ready to eat in 6 months. Be wary of night marauders however. If you have possums or the like, you might want to put up some protection around it. Once it starts to ripen, everything will try to eat it before you do!
We've been melting with temps between 38-39 degrees over the past few days, and temps at night don't offer much reprieve, as they only drop to the early 20's. Sleeping has been challenging. We keep joking to turn the fan on, of course, they're running full pelt. ;)
Chris the pineapples are all in a row down one side of the glass house, which is always closed at night, so the fruits should be safe. Oh, wouldn't it be sad if, after all this time of waiting, a critter got it? Fans are the very best for keeping cool I reckon, and I hope you're getting some cooler nights by now.
DeleteSally is that a Goanna or a Frill Neck? He's a biggy that's for sure.
ReplyDeleteHe/she is a Bearded Dragon I think Merryl. Correct me if I'm wrong please someone. Maybe the photo made it look bigger than it really is, approx the length of my hand, and maybe half grown.
DeleteYour garden looks wonderful, its so nice to have a little friend to talk to. We have had a few blue tongue here, but we have to move them to the safety of a park, our dogs sadly kill them before we get a chance to see them. Thanks for sharing, enjoy your coolish summer, I'm praying for an early very cold winter. Guida
ReplyDeleteOh Guida, it's heartbreaking when our Alan (dog) finds a Blue Tongue. They are learning to stay out of harm's way, but occasionally I find one of Alan's victims. These little Bearded Dragons are able to camouflage perfectly into their surroundings, and by encouraging them into the safety of the fenced garden, by leaving a water container there, they seem to be breeding up in numbers.
Deleteapparently , up to a year for a fruit to ripen some times a little more, mine has flowered and fruited about 5 months ago, and still watching, youtube has some good vids on them,
ReplyDelete