The waiting is almost over with the long hot summer every now and then giving us a glimpse of cooler days. I'm full of anticipation and have been busy planning the autumn/winter garden. I even have a jacket ready, should the 5:30 start with the dog prove to be a tad cold. But for now, I need to wait just a little longer.
There is nothing quite like the joy of arriving at the garden centre, all primed to buy for the new season, consulting the list, seeking out the most handsome and sturdy of plants, indulging in impulse buying of other seedlings because like clothing, they looked pretty at the time, smiling as I pay a small fortune for them, all the while reminding myself that we will save money on grocery bills and they will taste so much earthier and nicer than store bought ones. Into the car they go, snug together like jigsaw pieces so they don't become damaged goods before even having a chance to procreate. Finally the seedling trays will be all lined up waiting to be........oh, that's right, realisation hits! I actually have to manually plant each and every one and that anticipated 1/2 hour it takes to get the new crop in, turns into more like 4 or 5 hours. The gin and tonic that was the 'carrot on the stick' , seemingly moves further away as I start to curse the earlier enthusiasm and question why this all had to happen in one day!
Thankfully for me, the above scenario is now a thing of the past as I have realised that a little at a time is the way to go when planting. I have waited and waited for the hot weather to bid farewell, so much so that the garden is looking rather bare as the last of the summer vegetables move into their twilight weeks and days. Last year, I couldn't wait to fill the garden up again and made the mistake of not allowing it to rest, recuperate and replenish. So this year, I have been patient. The beds have lain almost empty for some weeks now (month old crops of malabar stand centrally in two beds) and I've spent my time clearing them of old root systems (love the big pitchfork I bought), and given them a much needed boost of compost. My home compost pile is not ready yet so I bought an old favourite, Piggypost, from Dsatco and turned it over, letting the sun and worms do the rest.
 |
| Malabar transplanted last month after it self seeded in the 'wrong spot'. |
Meanwhile we still eat from the plants continuing to produce, such as eggplant (aubergine), malabar (climbing spinach), capsicum (peppers) and cucumber.
Newly planted lettuce resides in one of the two smaller beds which receives the least sun at this time of year.I removed our last lot of lettuce over 6 weeks ago when the heat here in
Perth became just too much (record 20 days straight over 37 degrees celcius is not fun
for anything). We are now eating beautiful baby lettuce leaves barely 2 weeks from when I planted it. Now that is quick! Our Cape Gooseberry, courtesy of friends John and Margaret, has adjusted well, doubling in size in the month it has been with us and this morning I spied a gooseberry forming!
 |
| One of our newest plants - a Cape Gooseberry |
I picked another basket of basil yesterday and now have 18 containers of pesto in the freezer. I'm looking forward to using it on toast, in pasta, baked onto chicken and numerous other ways. Such an easy plant to grow in warm weather and so versatile.
Yesterday was spent putting in the first of the Fordhook silverbeet and leeks (although I now realise the heat is back again with a vengeance and I might have 'jumped the gun'). However, the rock dust is helping the roots settle in, they were planted in the cooler evening and soon will be heavily mulched. So, what else is going in? The list isn't huge as we have made a few mistakes in the past, planting vegetables that are either impractical for the size of our garden or just not enjoyed as much. The main three gardens will contain runner and bush beans, lettuce, spinach, broad beans, garlic (using bulbs from last year's crop), carrots, onion, malabar (which is still growing from summer), broccoli, broccolini, kale and beetroot. The two smaller gardens will continue to have the basil and lettuce as well as some extra chard. The rest of the front garden area will stay as is with pots supplying various herbs (marjoram, sage, mint, coriander, parsley, thyme, tarragon, oregano, chives, rosemary), flowering plants to assist pollination, blueberries, gooseberries, chillies, curry and bay leaves.
 |
| Not a fan of chillies, I grow these for one daughter who uses them on everything |
Walking home from the dog park early yesterday, I spied these beautiful blossoms with a bee busily collecting nectar. This tree only seems to have the blossoms for a few weeks a year but when it decides to flower, it really is beautiful and I constantly want to take photos of it.
A little further on is a bee hive in the hole in the trunk of another street tree and I am reminded of our friends who have their own amazing bee hive, chooks and vege garden. We came home from their place on the weekend with half a watermelon and a papaya and some weeks ago, their own honey flavoured by a dozen fruit and native trees on their suburban block. Time for a guest spot on here I think! With the bee population in the world declining, perhaps a lesson on beekeeping is in order. For us unforunately, the hive will have to wait until we have our very own Winnie the Pooh style 'Hundred Acre Wood'. Which reminds me, I must go buy my Lotto ticket!
'It
is good to be alone in a garden at dawn or dark so that all its shy
presences may haunt you and possess you in a reverie of suspended
thought.'
~ James Douglas, Down Shoe Lane
