The Courtyard at the Start of the Winter, West of Melbourne:

Well, our small courtyard garden has entered its 'Winter's Lock' now, and all is quiet and deeply asleep as the winds get colder, and the Great Sun dims. If one had to have a God, based upon realistic experiences, well, for me, personally, much like the Egyptians and the Mayans, it is the Sun God.

One remaining plant, in a pot, still producing 'fruit' is the Carolina Reaper Chilli, which, although it took a long time to grow and start, doesn't seem to know when to stop.

We've harvested about 18 chillies from it, & most went to friend Ayo's chilli oil bottle, and there are at least 18 more on the way.

We've firmly ordered the Lorikeets to stay away from the courtyard garden itself, and so now they are in the tree down the side yard where they can't do so much 'vicious destruction'. They took off one of the palings in the fence last week. And then, of cause, there is all the shiXXing everywhere.

I'm glad the Lorikeets are still hanging around in the ornamental and tall peach trees just over the fence, and on the side fence, as they are the most beautiful of creatures. Soon, all the leaves will go, and so will the birds, but they will know where to come back to in the Spring.

Our gardening growing plans for next Spring are quite simple. About 5 tomato bushes, 4 mini toms, and one Roma; and 5 chilli bushes, mostly jalapeño or Birds Eye Thai -semi hot ones, rather than the screaming heat of the Reapers. We may plant one Carolina Reaper plant for Ayo's next super chilli oil bottle, if she pays us a fortune in gold.

We will wait until the tomatoes and the chillies are available as small seedlings, rather than try seeds, and we won't plant them too early.

Anything else? Well, no. That's all we need. Perhaps one or two bean plants at the back. It is only a limited raised vegetable garden anyway, and we've tried, but too much planted just doesn't work.

We could have a few chickens down the side yard in a nice coop...but the chook-feed brings mice and rats, and the mice and rats bring snakes. Quite unlike Northern Queensland, where it's very tropical, it's kind of nice here to wander around the yard without the likelihood of stepping on creatures that can kill you, will kill you, and are happy to kill you; &, after all the years in Cairns and steamy Thailand etc, we like the cold. It's refreshing to have Seasons. Our house and its rooms are small and very easy to keep warm.

Not many spiders or cockroaches here at all either. We do get field mice sometimes, but if you don't make everything a perfect nest-full blessed home for them, then they move on.

So, just now, the perennial plants are doing fine, the deciduous plants are being deciduous, and everything is slowing down for Winter... except that Carolina Reaper.

I could plant some tulips now, for early Spring, and may do so. They are spectacular short blooming wonders of grace and form. Like us all. Well, like me, and my brothers (Thanks Mum!), more so than like you, of course. Not judging, just noticing.