Scarecrow's Garden Journal Notes: May 2011

The Sunflower seeds planted at the community garden
back in January have survived locusts,
birds and caterpillar attack and have started to flower.

Temperatures this month:
Lowest Min -3C
Highest Min 12C
Lowest Max 10.5C
Highest Max 22.1C
40mm Rain

Weather Highlights
The first icy frost occurred on Tuesday 10 May which was 2 days earlier than in 2010.
The following week saw more frosty mornings and it was clear that the warm growing season had come to a close.
After the Full Moon we had a wet and windy week followed by the final week of frost again.

Rain Comparison
May 2010 55.8mm
May 2009 11.5mm
May 2008 43mm
May 2007 30.2mm


Propagation:
Seeds:
Pea Climbing Sugar Snap Pisum sativum 4Seasons Seeds in Bed 6 MVG*
Broad Bean Coles Early Dwarf Vicia faba DT Brown in Bed 4 MVG
Broad Beans Scarlett Cambridge Vicia faba Southern Harvest Seeds in New Wicking Bed 7 MVG

Potting up/on:
Jasmine White Jasminum officinale - cuttings taken in Jan
Golden Daisy Bush Euryops pectinatus - cuttings taken in April
Pink Flowering Strawberries (new purchase)
Primula - seedlings (purchased)
Polyanthus - seedlings (purchased)
Cineraria - seedlings (purchased)
Sweet William - seedlings started in February

Seedlings/Plants planted out:
Broccoli Nutri bud
Broccoli Purple Sprouting
Parcel
Tree Onions
Daisies
Pigface
Rosemary
Lavender
Melaleuca
Acacia
At the Community Garden
Parcel
Broccoli Nutri bud into Wicking Bed 2 in the Old Chook Run
Strawberries in Tank d MVG*
Cabbage Early Jersey Wakefield into re-built Wicking Bed 7 MVG
Cauliflower Purple Sicilian
Parsley Affro
Primula
into and around the base of Wicking Bed 6 MVG
Sweet William Mixed Dianthus barbatus around the base of Wicking Bed 7 MVG

Cuttings/Division:
Lavender
False Mallow Anisodontea capensis
Pig Face Carpobrotus glaucescens info link
Grandfather Sage Salivia apiana

Around the Garden

The Green's Bed in the Kitchen Garden Wicking Bed 2
is very productive
for our salads.

Doc fixed up my old plant bench...
...just before the legs rotted away completely.

I managed to tidy up the hot house just in time
to put the frost sensitive plants away
for the coming cold season.

The shade cloth covers are off for this year

Harvest Tally:
Doesn't include Greens fed to the chooks and our salads on a daily basis or herbs picked for use in the kitchen for cooking or tea making.
Apples Golden Delicious 3574g
Apples Jonathon 991g
Apples Red Fuji 750g
Beetroot 121g
Capsicum California Wonder 398g
Kohl Rabi Purple Vienna 148g
Perpetual Spinach 146g
Potatoes Bintji 269g
Spinach Bloomsdale Long Standing 175g
Strawberries not weighed
Tomato Red Cherry 306g
Watermelon Blacktail Mountain 875g

Eggs
39 From the 5 Farmyard Ferals
18 From the 3 Barnevelders
2 From the 5 Faverolles

May of Previous Years:
2010
2009
2008
2007


To see how the various Garden areas fit on our half acre block check out the newest Map of our place HERE

* MVG = The Main Vegetable Garden