30 Nov 2014

garden share collective: last for 2014

Time for the Garden Share Collective round-up, and after skipping a month because I felt there was very little movement in my garden, I am back. There is… little movement. Some things are taking their sweet time in growing, and I blame the inconsistent spring weather (snow, sunshine, wind, rain, heat — all in one day). We get a couple of sunny warm days, but then any growth is halted as we plunge back to winter conditions and temperatures.

Let’s start with the fantastic news. Look! A tomato, and a baby zucchini!  

 


The baby zuke is about the size of my pinky finger. I was so thrilled when I found it that I ran inside and phoned my parents. Dad found the tomato — and a couple of teeny weeny mates —when he came up on the weekend (on his way to the cricket) and went to work on thinning and sorting the plants out.
Let me say, tomatoes are a mystery. I get the laterals thingy, I can work that one out; but the breaking off of perfectly good branches to leave a get a stronger structure — I cannot get why one is better than the other. I watch and listen to dad but it’s like looking under the bonnet of a car. A complete mystery.

Let me also say, mum and dad were a little bit envious at how well my tomatoes are growing. As in, faster than theirs. That made me feel very chuffed, as you might imagine. Hey, I might not know what I’m doing, but I’m doing it!
Mum surveyed the beds of corn and zukes and tomatoes, the rows of peas and beans, and declared I could almost start a market garden. That’s when I stood back and went, yeah, I have got a lot going on! With the new beds I’m accommodating so much more than I’ve been able to previously. And everything looks so neat, and with the borders of carrot and beetroot, and corner clumps of companions plants such as marigolds, pyrethrum (the white daisy at the very bottom of this post), johnny-jump-ups and lobelia, my garden is now exactly as I had dreamed it would look like.

Let’s come crashing back to earth a bit. It’s not all hunky dory. The silverbeet is fast bolting to seed; I’m kinda okay letting it go, having eaten such a glut of it recently. I’m happy to have a break and enjoy some sweet crunchy sugarloaf cabbages from dad’s garden. Still getting my chlorophyll fix but in a new and exciting form!
Behind the silverbeet are two failed passionfruits. I’ve accepted that these struggled to flourish and indeed at some point rapidly went backwards. I’ll pull them out, and have another go later.
Also, my broad beans and other beans have decided to be dwarf varieties, and they’ve started curling their leaves up. Dad and I suspect it’s because of the soil. You may recall we brought loads in to fill the new beds, and even though I dug in mushroom compost and manures, and I have been burying kitchen scraps and silverbeet leaves to boost the organic levels of the soil, I do accept that this takes time — years. Dad’s quick fix was to throw some blood and bone around, so let’s hope that sorts them out (it certainly stinks the place out). But I accept that good soil is a work in progress.

A quick overview for you. Normal red beetroot and a new row of golden beetroot; I have in my mind a pretty roasted veg salad combining those two. Peas: sugar snap (ready to harvest a small handful!) and greenfeast, and new purple podded. Some decorated with tinsel to ward off the sparrows who have been snipping the tender tops off. Beans: borlotti (just in), yellow wax and another green bean; I have another row of lazy housewives I am yet to sow. Oh, and normal and scarlet broad beans. Carrots (perfect round baby ones). Corn and zucchini. Garlic in the grow bags — I reckon I will pull one soon to test it out. Oh, and some lettuce in a long pot (leftovers from mum), some lemon basil, and some marjoram and sage seeds freshly sown in pots, to bolster my herb garden.
It’s watering, feeding, weeding — enjoying being in my vegie garden. This will be my last official Garden Share Collective post for 2014. It's been a pleasure talking vegies and fruit with you, learning some new tricks but mostly being inspired by everyone (and just a teensy bit envious of those gardening in warmer climes). Be sure to check out other green thumbs in the Garden Share by clicking on the logo at right, and til next year, happy gardening, and let's hope we all get enough rain thru the summer months.

22 comments:

  1. I laughed when you said envious of those in warmer climates. I purposefully didn't take a photo of my garden over the last few days because they are covered in snow. And I wanted to show the beds covered in compost and ready for winter. Right now I'll be drinking tea and enjoying reading seed catalogs over the winter. Your garden looks very lovely and I'll be inspired by all you down under while I shiver.

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    1. i hope we do, daphne. and i would love to see the snow pics! thankfully we are not quite that cold here. drinking tea and perusing seed catalogs is very productive gardening time - enjoy!

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  2. Some lovely photos there, it's all looking very productive. Passion fruit is something I'd love to grow, but I'm not sure if they would do well for me. Your dad's cabbages sound delicious, I could do with something like that at the moment, my leaves are looking a bit tired now that winter is setting in. I'll look forward to seeing your next update in the New Year.

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    1. thanks CJ. i've come to terms with the loss of the passionfruit - not for want of trying, i did all i could, i'm sure!
      keep warm, and i shall think of you when i enjoy some sauteed cabbage tonight.

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  3. How exciting that you have babies on some of your plants, Elizabeth... your garden is looking a treat!

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    1. thank you lizzy! i am watching those babies like a mama bear. it's very exciting!

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  4. It's all looking good - you must have been busy. Sounds like you're at my favourite time of the gardening year, with the plants putting on plenty of growth and a good harvest promised. I love your tinsel bird scarer too - very festive!

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    1. yes, christmas has come to the peas and beans. the tinsel seems to have worked too - no more snipped off young tendrils! plus it looks pretty, sparkling in the sunshine.
      it is a good time of year right now GD, and i so enjoy being in my garden.

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  5. E, Your garden is doing well despite your weather. Really five seasons in one day - eek. I am happy to see you have a tomato growing, not bad for Tassie! Your garden has changed a bit since last time, those new raised beds?

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    1. yes, beautiful proper boxed up beds by my dad. makes a huge difference, I really feel like I have a proper garden now :-) the new tomatoes help too! thanks liz.

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  6. Hi e, well I'm envious! I too have trouble with the tomato thing. I can barely bring myself to remove a leaf, because I tend to just 'let things be', and consequently end up with falling over, bushy tomato plants. Perhaps you could get your dad to write a blog tutorial for us!
    Garden is looking great anyway, enjoy your summer bounty.

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    1. that's a great idea! maybe if I took written notes, i'd have it recorded for future reference. thanks Jacqui!
      thanks Jacqui - the appearance of little vegies is very exciting.

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  7. Snow! eek ...Your garden, despite the crazy weather is looking totally magnificent e and I loved reading this post, it is full of excitement, anticipation and pride. I love it :-) Congrats on the babies, it is a wonderful time of year in the garden. Have a lovely Christmas and see you in the new year. K

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    1. thank you kyrstie, and you too! i'm really in love with my vegie garden at the moment, it is such a positive, happy space. I so enjoy getting home, changing out of the office clothes, and heading out into my peas and beans.

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  8. Your vegetable garden is looking fantastic and hooray for the tiny zucchini and tomato. I'm not a gardener but when I have planted vegetables in the past there's nothing more satisfying than watching them grow and nurturing them.

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    1. 'watching them' is so right, Catherine - checking each day how many millimetres the zucchinis have grown is really exciting. which probably says a lot about my life ... :-)

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  9. Your garden is looking fabulous! And what about those tomatoes .. No wonder your parents are envious! Your garden is a credit to you .. :)

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    1. and to dad, frogpond, who built the beds for me. thank you!

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  10. Your garden is looking lovely E, I love the odd bits of colour and your idea of having carrot borders - I might adopt that.... I look forward to little round balls of carrots - they sound interesting.

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    1. thank you AA. the carrot and beetroot borders was suggested by a fellow garden sharer months ago; it's lovely to put their ideas into practice! the carrots are very teeny at the moment - I think soon I need to thin them out so they have space to expand.

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  11. Your garden has grown so much in such a quick time. I can appreciate your excitement at the first zucchini, the first one is always the best. Your tomatoes are divine and growing fast. Having the flowers mingling is so pretty and also great for deterring pests. I am really impressed with how your garden is looking E :D

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    1. thank you merryn! I had my second zuke for dinner last night, and it was delicious - they have been worth the wait! i'm really pleased with how everything is looking and yes, hopefully deterring the pests as well as being so pretty for me

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