Planting time

For the last eight years spring has always been planting time, with seedlings being planted indoors in early August, and then hardened off and planted as things warm up. September through December I am alway battling to keep ahead on writing and the planting (and weeding and netting the fruit trees). This year, of course we're packing rather than planting. I find planting time good for the writing, packing bad. I've netted the cherries, but alas I was too late for the apricots and peaches. The monkeys and mousebirds had wreaked havoc. The fieldmice got most of asparagus too :-( I am sure that wallabies, possums and doubtless some of the local birds will be just as destructive on cultivated crops. I reckon I have quintupled the carrying capacity of wild beasts around here, drat them. But I am itching already to plant again. I am not sure what I'll be able to get, what'll grow and what I can afford... Olive trees, I hope. Plant an olive, plant a piece of your heart. A bay tree I hope. I have kept one alive here against the odds for about 6 years. Lemons... can't have fish and no lemon! We'll just have to see. Why someone of my undeniable gifted horticultural talent (I can make one plant grow badly and then die where four flourished before) would want to do this is something of a mystery. Put it down to obstinacy ;-)