All through the winter we had good rain and some sun. The dill, coriander, kale and chard flourished and in spring, the poppies burst into happiness.

Now, as I wait for the zucchini, corn and cucumbers to grow and flourish, I am also waiting for the second harvest of those winter and spring crops…seeds.

I am waiting for kale seeds to ripen for collecting and resowing.

I am waiting for dill seeds to dry for the spice cupboard.

I am waiting for coriander seeds also.

And I am waiting for poppy seeds for my first ever, home grown, poppyseed cake.

While South Australia, Western Australia, New South Wales and Queensland are parched and burning far too early, in the Central Highlands of Victoria we’ve been lucky enough to have what locals are calling an old-fashioned winter, a winter of rain and drear. Gardens and paddocks are lush and green as fire unrelentingly consumes parts of our country that have never burned before. Amid all this green, it’s hard not to feel that luck and time are running out.