Last week we asked readers to send us in pictures of their spring gardens.
Of course this spring is different and with Melburnians stuck at home into a third season many have poured their newly available time into planting, pruning, growing, landscaping and, yes, eating their gardens.
There was a very strong response to our call to readers for photos. Below are some of the contributions we were sent - we weren't able to publish them all as there were too many.
We hope you enjoy these as much as we have.
Blooming terrific
Many readers were proud of their flower gardens, colourful pots and blossom trees.
This is the first year in a long time that I actually got my act together to plant bulbs in our garden before the winter set in. Thanks to working from home throughout Covid-19, I was painfully aware of the winter setting in, and so was prompted to actually get the bulbs in the ground. We are now very much enjoying the daffodils and tulips that have come through. My mother, who passed away a couple of years ago, was born in Wales so the daffodils (the Welsh national flower), are a bit of a nice bright yellow tribute to her. - Michael Mazengarb
These are what keep us happy during these difficult and challenging times. Serenity in full bloom, Birds of Paradise standing tall and pretty. Mother Nature really inspires us and keep us motivated during the Covid crisis. It gives us hope for better days ahead. - Anonymous
Great spring for wisteria in Point Cook. - Anonymous
Mother Nature has been justifiably angry of late. But she has delivered some perfect recent seasons. My garden has been nurtured like never before and has flourished like never before. Seeds and seedlings and birds and bees and flowers and veg and fruit like never before! - John Whelan
The new leaves on our English oak tree and an abundance of pink blooms on our camellia have provided much enjoyment in our front garden this spring. - Jo Parkinson
I haven't worked since March 13, 2020 when the Grand Prix Robbie Williams concert was cancelled along with Shrek The Musical, another show I was working on. My job as a live entertainment publicist relies on large audiences, so I fear our industry will be one of the last to go back to work or to find a "covid normal" way of operating.
"However, I am trying to stay positive and in my lockdown time I have been keeping productive working in my garden. It brings me so much joy, I wake up each day with a little buzz of excitement to see the garden, especially in Spring when it really sings. - Kerry
Cherry Blossom - Closest I am going to get to Japan for some time I would think. - Sally
First blossoms from a pear tree gifted to me by a soccer team I coached last season - a cheerful reminder of when we were out playing sport. - David
My front garden in Elsternwick is what I look out onto from my new home office. I've been with my company for 14 years and have never had a window seat, so this has been like getting a promotion! - Seuna Bryne
We couldn't go to the annual tulip festival this year, so instead, l brought the tulip festival to my front driveway. I actually have gone a bit crazy with bulbs, with iris being the hit of spring this year. My daughter and l also took the bears into the garden. The bear loves tulips and crabapples. - Megan Anderson
Smile please! It's spring - Prem
I planted bulbs for the first time this year, in anticipation that our baby daughter (born in July) would be able to enjoy them in spring. Watching the bulbs emerge has been a great distraction for me during the interminable lockdown... and our baby is enjoying all the colourful flowers in vases around the house! - Brenna
I have been off work for two months and really enjoyed watching my Spring bulbs blossom! Normally I'd only get to see them on the weekend. - LC
The elm is budding. I watch every day and I’m drawing the buds too. - Alice White
My garden has been a great escape from lockdown, many projects on the go from planting seeds, doing some crazy paving (for crazy times) and tending to the grass and shrubs. - Lisa Christensen
The cherry blossom planted for my daughter's wedding always heralds a new beginning. This year its promise is more important than ever, when will I see her again? The flowers are luminous in the late afternoon light. - Jo
My Waratah has put on its best show ever this year! - Jenny
Love sitting on the front verandah to enjoy the afternoon spring sun, wisterias and a glass of Aperol Spritz! - Erryn
Good enough to eat
Many readers turned their hand to vegetable gardening, mostly with success.
My spring garden bursting into life after winter isolation and the same goes for me! Lots of winter veggies, am now preparing for the summer crop with seeds and seedlings. - Jo
Lavender ‘Avonview’ has brought the bees out of lockdown Our veggie patch is providing salad every day with tomatoes, capsicums and snowpeas all about to flower. - Katie Mumby
My snow peas plant has grown taller than me. I took a photo and asked my kids to find the snow peas. - Anonymous
My lockdown edible garden has not only filled my balcony but also my lovely neighbour has allowed me to use hers (she gets more sun!). My biggest sadness is that there is no Bunnings in my 5km radius! - Sarah Stewart
Our garden brings such solace - it nourishes our bodies, our minds, and our hearts. Everywhere is the blossom of spring - jasmine, cherry, quince, orange - and these subdued avocado, waiting for the flies to pollinate them so that we may eat smashed avo next winter and pay off the mortgage that little bit faster. - Kim
We planted peas. This is all we got. But plenty of bees when our cherry willow bloomed. - Anonymous
We've made a self-wicking herb garden in a barrel. - Lucy Anderson
Lockdown has given me the time to focus on the garden; herbs, veggies, and flowers are all thriving. I love foraging in the garden for dinner, watching the miracle as seeds shove their heads up and discovering flowers that I had forgotten about planting. The bonus is the birds that have come for the flowers. It has nourished my soul while I am separated by family and friends. - Marg D'Arcy
We have watched our bulbs flower, crows and spotted pardalotes building nests, and birds teaching their babies to fly. We have also planted some perennials and roses that we purchased between lockdowns. The roses now have foliage but sometimes they get eaten by a visiting possum. We noticed that broad beans are growing so looking forward to when we can eat them!! - Anita D'Angelo
Around the suburbs
Photos were sent in from all around Melbourne and beyond.
This is our largest Clivia in our backyard in Ascot Vale, Vic - Ben Bell
Green, blooming, secluded. Mont Albert North - Richard
"Full many a flower is born to blush unseen, And waste its sweetness on the desert air.” ― Thomas Gray, An Elegy Written In A Country Churchyard (From our garden in Hallam)
Spring time in Ferntree Gully, with raindrops on a flowering cherry, and Grevillea blooms. - Ross Chapman
Pear blossom, sweet pea and Geraldton wax in Caulfield. - Maggie
Tulips blooming in Bendigo! Love to Melbourne and especially Sheila Guilfoyle our beloved neighbour for 20 years.- Helen
Gardening in the front garden has let me say hello from a distance to all my passing neighbors going on their hourly exercise. - Shelley
Spring in Essendon. - Merrymood
This is my garden in Abbotsford. The section in the front of the photo was planted during lockdown. - Gabrielle
A regular visitor to our front yard. - Anushya
My brother who lives in the country holidaying in Barwon Heads. Our family in Coburg kids can play in the fish pond. - Jeremy
Our garden is our happy place, particularly with lockdown, home-schooling and our young kids needing an outlet - we put a picnic rug out there and work outside while our kids go out to the garden and munch on everything - from fresh peas, to broccoli to lettuce. They spend hours smelling each flower and comparing the scents! In lockdown we've managed to build a greenhouse, install water tanks and plant a lot of fruit trees and convert the remainder of the garden into our food forest - Melbourne Food Forest
I cannot complain about being locked up with this front yard. Spring has brought the weeds to keep me busy. - Yvonne
Springtime all under control here on the island. - Anonymous
My garage roof garden is my retreat. Above the world and covered in Australian natives. It's only been planted six months, but everything is flowering like crazy. Bees, hover flies, spiders, birds, and lizards already call it home. Annual pink, white and yellow paper daisies are mixed in with small perennials like Flannel flowers, Trigger plants, Albany daisies, Goodenias, Chocolate lilies and Billy buttons. - David Lightfoot
A social pursuit
We also had quite a few people respond to us on social media. Here are some of the posts.
Mathew Dunckley is digital editor at The Age. Based in our Melbourne newsroom, he was previously business editor for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age and Melbourne bureau chief for the Australian Financial Review.
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMijQFodHRwczovL3d3dy50aGVhZ2UuY29tLmF1L25hdGlvbmFsL3ZpY3RvcmlhL2J1bGJzLWJsb29tcy1mbG93ZXJzLWFuZC1mcnVpdHMtbWVsYnVybmlhbnMtc2Vlay1jb21mb3J0LWluLWxvY2tkb3duLWdhcmRlbnMtMjAyMDEwMDQtcDU2MXhwLmh0bWzSAY0BaHR0cHM6Ly9hbXAudGhlYWdlLmNvbS5hdS9uYXRpb25hbC92aWN0b3JpYS9idWxicy1ibG9vbXMtZmxvd2Vycy1hbmQtZnJ1aXRzLW1lbGJ1cm5pYW5zLXNlZWstY29tZm9ydC1pbi1sb2NrZG93bi1nYXJkZW5zLTIwMjAxMDA0LXA1NjF4cC5odG1s?oc=5
2020-10-04 21:31:00Z
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