Cool Days of July

Garden Log 6 July 08:

"People don't notice whether it's winter
or summer when they're happy."
- Anton Chekhov

Things are really cooling down now!
Lowest min temp -1.5C
Highest max 14C
3mm of rain.

It's been very windy this week
and the Rooster really got a work out but he survived!

Light rain fell early in the week. I took cuttings of Lavender for someone at Garden Club and Rosemary for our son, who has requested potted herbs for Xmas this year. He likes to use fresh herbs in his cooking but lives up north in the outback and supplies are not very fresh.

The new path has been dug and the Rosemary hedge trimmed back, I even moved 2 of the plants to allow entry to the pathway. More pathside edge beds to plant up. These will mostly wait until spring now.

Planted 3 Pink Ladyfinger Grapevines
(from last year's cuttings) along the new chookrun fenceline.

I went seeking seeds, found these
and soon had a handful of Calendula seeds.

This Ringneck Parrot has been scavenging
the last of this year's Almond crop...

...just as Doc noticed this year's first Almond blossom flower
and under the tree...
yes some volunteer Almond seedlings to pot up!

The Tagasastes are beginning to flower too!

I think I'll have hurry up and remove these volunteer Celpars to allow the French Tarragon to survive in it's pot (it hasn't died back yet this winter)

Rain is forecast for the coming week!!!

The End Of June

Garden Log 29 Jun 08:

The end of June...

Three mornings of below zero temps.
Max temp 18.9C.
Now we're set for some very windy weather.
If it doesn't rain we'll be covered in dust!

We picked our first Mini Cauliflower
from the Wicking Box on Sunday.
It tasted superb and had NO BUGS at all on it!

I've never been able to grow Brassicas here like this! There are NO APHIDS in the garden. One reason for this I believe is the fact that the last year has been so dry. There was nothing growing for the aphids to continue their life cycle.

There seems to be a lot less Cabbage Moth Caterpillars as well...one or two, here and there but they aren't doing much damage and the plants are growing strongly despite their attack.

This winter is strange...while we are starting to get frosts there is so much growing in the garden. Potatoes, Chillis and Capsicums are surviving, Peas are setting and seedling plants are popping up everywhere! It's wonderful.

I've used 'free' Parsley, Coriander and Silverbeet seedlings in more Tubs around the Main Vegetable Garden and in the Pergola Garden opposite the new Pathside Edge Bed. I'm starting to work in this area so there is plenty of work to keep me warm in this coming month...July...our coldest month!

All the same it's the time of year to start dreaming about the seeds we shall be growing in the coming Spring!

Spudz In June!

Garden Log 22 Jun 08:

We celebrated the Winter Solstice
with a chilly but sunny day in the garden.

The last 2 weeks have been damp,
No temps below zero just (0.1C)
Highest max has been 16.4C
About 7mm of rain...drizzle really!

Despite the cooler weather I've just harvested some lovely Potatoes
including some of the purple fleshed Sapphires...
these spuds grew up when I started to water Bed 2
back in February and they survived the March Heatwave.

More potatoes decided to sprout on Bed 6 a month or so ago and have been enjoying the rain so much they looked to good to leave for the frost to get them so I built a mini tunnel over the bed. Last summer's Capsicum crop is still going strong in that bed so they will appreciate the warmth too. I planted 2 rows of dwarf broad beans in the empty side of the row...they don't really need the extra warmth but I have left their planting a bit late so they might do well in there.

I've potted up a few of the Acacias, Tagasaste and Carobs
that were planted earlier
and as I had a couple of spare pots
I popped some Warrigal Greens in too.

I think there is a couple of Purple Asparagus seedlings in there too.

Last week I potted up 8 punnets of Flat Leaved Parsley

that was growing at the end of Bed 6.
Then I found another clump under one of the plum trees!

When I was tidying up under one of the Apricot trees I noticed 6 small seedling trees growing.
So guess what? I potted those up too.
It's OK I won't be planting all of these plants out they will go to the Garden Club trading table...someone will buy them!!

The best news of the week.........

....we have our first Roi de Carouby Snow Pea! Ya!
There are others setting too.

A Mild Start to Winter

Garden Log 1 Jun 08

I've been a dweller on the plains,
have sighed when summer days were gone;
No more I'll sigh; for winter here
Hath gladsome gardens of his own.
- Dorothy Wordsworth

Winter is here today.
There's ice on the car most mornings.
No rain during the last 2 weeks.

That doesn't matter because there's 0% evaporation for the next 2 months. Whatever water gets put on the garden is available to the plants.

And don't they love that idea! Parsley on Bed 10

On Bed 6 the Capsicums are hanging in there,
some potatoes have decided to pop up with the rain
and I thought I'd dug them all out!
I've bought some plastic to make a mini tunnel for them.

I'm already picking Kale from Bed 2 for the chooks!

Bed 10's wicking bed is powering away!

The experimental Leeks are loving the wicking bed.
On the other bed the rain has brought up lots of Coriander
from the seeds I sprinkled around!
Lots of Coriander!


Over in the Dog Pen Garden the wicking bed is great too
BUT the rain there has reminded me
how seedy that pea straw mulch was...
...peas are popping up everywhere.

During our tour (see here) of The Food Forest last month Graham Brookman said that buying in pea straw might not be a good idea because of the chance of importing insect eggs and disease into our home gardens.
Of course I heard this just after I'd covered my garden with pea straw!
Something to consider for next time...


Almost forgot to add that we harvested the yummiest Broccoli from one of the wicking boxes last weekend and there's lots more coming on in the Pathside Edge Picking Bed.

After The Rain

Two things have recently happened in Scarecrow's Garden...
Firstly the old girl chooks have been moved back to their 'winter' run and the fence in the Main Vegetable Garden is being removed.
The second thing of importance is that it has rained, just enough to bring up some volunteer plants.

A few of these are 'weeds' - meaning I don't wish to encourage their growth as their later removal becomes very difficult (like marshmallows left) or they provide insect pests a home to overwinter, ready to pounce on my new seedlings in spring (like thistles right).

During the summer months the chook run area under the fruit trees became the dumping ground for many spent vegetables and plants, usually having gone to seed. This has meant that I'm now finding all sorts of things sprouting through the mulch layer. This morning I went searching to see just what was braving the cold weather.

Just inside the gate I found this little collection.
On closer inspection I found:

Warrigal Greens (Tetragonia tetragonoides) and Silverbeet

A Brassica?? and Sunflowers

Further along I found
Hollyhocks and Alexanders (Smyrnium olusatrum)

French Marigolds and Basil

It is doubtful that these will survive
the coming frosts
but we shall see what happens!

Further out of the old 'run' area on the edge beds there are many Tagasastes popping up including this little collection...

I can see why this plant can be a major pest in wet areas of our country. We rarely have reliable enough rains to keep all these little seedlings growing to maturity here. Some of these volunteers will be allowed to grow in-situ, but I will need to mark were they are and water them to establish them.

Most of these plants will be allowed to stay where they are...some will be dug and potted up...some mainly the 'weeds' will be removed. When more chooks are allowed back to this area there will be plenty of forage plants waiting for them and I didn't even have to plant them!

One Word Rain!

Garden Log 18 May 08

Anyone who says sunshine brings happiness
has never danced in the rain.
~Author Unknown

Friday night's forecasted snow didn't happen here...
Just beautiful rain falling all weekend.
Since Friday we've had 29mm and rather chilly temps
Saturdays temps were: min 2.7C and max 11.2C Brr.

Was a bit wet to be doing too much in the garden...
however I did manage to plant
out some Roi de Carouby Snow Peas
near the back gate before the rain started.

Earlier in the week I discovered a Mistletoe
fruiting in the canopy of one of the Tagasastes
in the old chook run...
...never noticed any of these in the garden before.

The Golden Beetroot and Telephone peas
have settled into their new home on Bed 10.

And in the Edge Bed this week the Broccoli is starting to
...er...broccol?? well flower I suppose.

The Carob seedlings are showing their heads!
So are the Acacia victoriae and the Tagasastes.

Things are moving...

Garden Log 4 May 08:

The greens in the pathside bed
have doubled their growth
with some welcome rain this week.

At last we've had an almost wet week
Total rain for the week 20mm
The garden loved it!
Hints of more to come look promising.

Cooler weather meant we really felt like getting out in the garden this weekend.

We started by taking down the shade cloth covers from all the veg beds, they had a nice rinse in the rain and now look white again instead of the red dust tinge they'd acquired. They were all folded and put into storage in the caravan.

As we removed the shadecloth we discovered some healthy Rhubarb ready to pick.

Bed 2 was full of surprises too...the Kale was well grown, the Goldfinger Zucchini had fruit on it and some volunteer potatoes are well grown and have small new potatoes under them! I'll see how long we can keep them growing before a frost gets them.

The other wicking bed on bed 10 has only been slightly raised as this is mainly for root crops and didn't need the extra compost etc that I've used in the higher beds.
It will be interesting to see how the Beetroot, Onions and Kohlrabi go here. Some Telephone climbing pea seedlings from the shadehouse were planted along the trellis.

We sorted where the new fence was to go, dug the holes and the posts are in!! Doc's measuring up for a gate for the entrance and we're hoping to re-use the mesh from the existing fenceline on this new fence. The new design will have it's own post very soon...

While Doc was off being busy in the garden I connected up the fittings for the new tank. I have run a 19mm hose along the side of the workshop to a tap for easy access.

Granny Smith Apples

I picked these Granny Smith Apples this morning...
...enough for a Crumble and Cobbler I reckon!
Interesting...
...not one damaged by codling moth...

Total rain for the weekend was 16mm
all caught in that new tank!
Also got the house tank flowing again
for the first time in 4 months.
This morning's temp dipped below zero.

The best thing one can do when it's raining...

...is to let it rain. ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Garden Log 27 Apr 08

The asparagus is changing colour
and is nearly ready to be cut down for winter

Saturday night it actually started raining!
6mm overnight and more on Sunday.
With a cold blast of air on Sunday.
Winter is on it's way.

Despite the recent lack of rainfall the garden has come to life. The sun has lost it's summer force. Evaporation rates are dropping. The Autumn growth flush. The garden is surviving on it's once weekly dripper sessions and little additional hand watering is needed.

I'm grateful again for the wicking beds and boxes I took the time to build. They are growing away and only requiring topping up every two or three weeks.

I've raised two of the outside wicking-beds to give a deeper growing area.

The first one at the end of March has settled down well and the brassicas etc are loving it...minor grasshopper damage but still going strong.

A new one built up on Bed 10 this week has been planted up...

In the Pathside Picking Bed the warmer weather has kept the Cabbage white butterflies and grasshoppers active...hopefully this weekend's weather change will discourage these beasties.

I've soaked and planted a collection of legume tree seeds:

• Tagasaste - Chamaecytisus palmensis,
• Acacia - acinacea, A. saligna and A. victoriae
• Siberian Pea tree - Caragana arborescens
• Carob - Ceratonia siliqua which although a legume doesn't fix nitrogen here.

That new tank is all connected and filling up with this rain...
...we got it connected just in time!
Thanks Doc!

More on those Wicking Beds and Boxes:
Making the Wicking Boxes
Update on Wicking Boxes
Building that first wicking bed

Ready to Plant

Garden Log: 6 Apr 08

Much cooler this week.
With a dribble of rain on Thursday 1.5mm...
...hopefully there's more to come!
Time to think about more planting

Preparation continues on the path edge-picking bed with some pelletised manure added and a quick hoe over. Added some of the in-line dripper hose and I'm ready to plant in it!

A tidy up under the back pergola to enable easier access to a table for some salad/greens pots and boxes. The table doubles as a favourite sleeping spot for Lucky Dog on hot days.
3 of the Wicking Boxes have been put here, as these contain Kale which can be picked leaf by leaf when required. With the Celpar seedlings in these boxes taking off they will provide tasty greens
Other boxes here contain Parsley and French Sorrel and other potted herbs Thyme, Mint and Tarragon.
At the end of the table (to catch any run-off water) I've placed some long tubs with Welsh Onions, Celpar and Corn Salad.

The recently planted seeds are germinating quickly...
...but cooler days are coming.

I've cleaned out the old hot house and renewed the plastic on the sides in preparation for winter. The shadecloth remains on the front because we are still having daytime temperatures around 30C (86F)

Next week should see some serious planting happening...
...with or without rain!

Dry But Chilly

Garden Log: 30 Mar 08

It's been dry all week (again!! or should that be still!)
So much cooler now though.
Touch of Ice on Thursday
a gentle reminder of what's to come.
Since Monday the temperature hasn't gone above 20C (68F)

With two extra days last weekend (for Easter) I got Doc out in the garden to help tidy up some branches that had come off the gum trees out the front. We've salvaged the bigger branches and I noticed him eyeing them off for some future projects. I wonder what he has in mind???

This has meant the garden has more light now and also that I need to get planting a lower growing bush/shrub layer of plants to fill the gaps...no more gum trees though!
Possibly some acacias, eremophilas and melaleucas as these are tough and water-wise.

I've collected some Carob (Ceratonia siliqua) seeds from the large trees that line our main street. These aren't natives but they are very drought tolerant once established, together with some of my home saved Tagasaste (Chamaecytisus palmensis) seeds, these will be planted in the chook runs for extra shade and fodder.

I finally managed to get the oldest Wicking Bed re-built and have planted it up with some Brussels Sprout, January King and Red Cabbage seedlings that were way over-due their planting out time but I'll see how they go...the chooks will like the greens if they don't come to much.
Some Silverbeet seedlings went into the bed too for some picking and over-the-fence-food for the chooks.

I'm slowly developing the pathside beds in the Pergola Garden as a path-side-picking-bed as it's a frequently used path...it leads to the clothes line and is just outside the backdoor.
It's part of my permaculture upgrade for zone 1. I'm developing this area as part of my homework for the design course I'm studying through Permaculture Visions.

Part of this upgrade has included a new wicking tub made from an old washing machine tub.
This was made in a similar way to these wicking boxes.
It seems to be working well and I planted a rescued parsley plant into it the other day.

I've planted some greens seed into larger plastic containers with the intention of planting the whole lot into this (and another one I have yet to build) for salad clipping beds!

Seeds planted were:

• Beetroot - Cylindra and Heirloom Mixed (for beet greens)
• (Kate's) Giant Red Mustard
• Kohlrabi - Purple
• Asian Greens - Pak Choi and Wong Bok
• Mesclun Mild Mix - a mixture of Letuces - Cos/Purple Oakleaf/Red Coral, Red Orach, Red Radicchio, Tatsio and Mizuna.

I would really like some rain soon to make all this garden grow.
Please!

ICE!!

While many areas of our state have had rain this week we are still waiting...

BUT just look what was on the car roof this morning!

ICE!

Not quite a killing frost but a gentle reminder of what's just around the corner!

A Cool Change...Now A Frost Risk!

With the cool change I have to wonder if these will ripen!

Garden Log: 23 March 08

From last weekend's heatwave temps of 38C (100.4F)
the cool change has brought the temps down
considerably to 20C (68F) this weekend.
Friday's minimum of 5C (41F) was even chilly.
Being Easter weekend it was a chance
to get some work done outside for the first time in quite a while!

However the weather hasn't been quite as cold
as up in the North World
Lottie - Allotment Lady in UK - posted some wonderful photos
of her back garden during their White Easter. Brrr!

At last we've had a chance to get some more seeds in as some earlier ones either frizzled in the heat or just refused to germinate:

• Dill: Anethum graveolens
• Alpine Strawberries: Fragaria vesca
• Coriander: Coriandrum sativum
• Perennial Alyssum - Evergold: Aurinia saxatilis
• Siberian Pea Tree: Caragana arborescens
• Phacelia tanacetifoli (for beneficial insect attraction)
• Angelica archangelica

And seeds for some more...

• Motherwort: Leonuris cardiaca
• Corn Salad: Valerianella locusta
• Onions: Mini Purplette and Creamgold

• Lady's Mantle: Alchemilla xanthochlora - needs to be planted in Autumn and left outside through Winter to germinate in Spring...I hope!

And into some LooRoll tubes (because the beds aren't ready just yet...)

• Peas: Telephone
  
• Peas: Roi de Carouby Snow
  

A chance to pot up some seedlings long outgrown their cell trays...
Celpar (Parcel Apium graveolens var. Secalinum) and Silverbeet

To also see the new planting of Lucerne doing well
and catch up on the ones braving the heat on Bed 8.

To check up on Bed 2 plantings of Kale
and also note that the Peanut on this bed has survived the summer
but I fear there won't be enough warm weather left for it to mature
(I'll have to try again next year)

That little pumpkin I hand pollinated on bed 4 isn't so little anymore
and (just for Kate) the Kale next to the Clay Pot Waterer
hardly noticed the heat at all.

This week we have temps predicted in the low 20Cs
and even a chance of rain...
...but I'll believe that when my head gets wet!!!
That's all very well BUT
they even have us down for a slight Frost Risk already.
Gardening certainly is challenging these days!

Just One Word...HOT...

Hot Chillies...just like the weather!

Garden Log: 10 Mar 08

With temperatures of more than 35C predicted
for the rest of this week it looks like this summer
just doesn't want to let go.
Just when we thought we were heading into winter
this last blast of heat will certainly spell the end
for most summer crops in the garden.

Or will it?

The Capsicum in the Dog Pen Tank Beds is thriving
but hasn't fruited much with the cooler summer
maybe this autumn heatwave will bring on some fruit.
The Ginger that's been growing slowly in a large pot
has decided to take off...
it will be moved into the houthouse before the cold sets in.

Last week I noted that Bed 8 was being visited by the birds
and the mulch was scratched up
so I cleared the tiny Lucerne plants
and placed a cut down juice bottle around them.
This should stop them being dug up.

In the main Vegetable Garden the volunteer Pumpkins on Bed 4
are deciding to fruit...normally I wouldn't bother
but who knows how long this heat will last.
The Cox's Orange Pippin apples are ripening quickly in the heat.
That Kale in the wicking boxes hasn't been watered for ten days
through this heatwave and I'm picking leaves already.
The Celpar's still growing strong.

Excitement in the shadehouse
with some Royal Leek bulblets I found in one of the tank beds
and potted up are sprouting just 5 days later...
...and some Mini Purplette and Red Stem Welsh Onions
have germinated in that time too.

BUT

The biggest surprise of all
is the fact that the second planting
of Lucerne Sequel seeds I planted on Sunday
were already germinating 24 hours later!!!!!!

That was February; That was Summer

Garden Log: 2 Mar 08

That was February

That was Summer
Roll on Autumn

The average max temperature for Feb was 28.5C
our average is 30C so it was a bit cooler than normal.
Lowest minimum was 7.5C and lowest max 17.5C
Total rainfall for the 3 months of summer was 27.6mm
Our average for summer is 63.8mm.
The weather is already showing signs of Autumn
with much cooler nights.

Planting:
No seed planting during this busy week.
Trimmed back an Elderberry and took some cuttings;
tidied around its base and cleared and planted the area next to it.

Observing:
Spent some time just observing the garden this week:

Increase in Bee activity

Strawberries are sending out runners
- these are my 'stock' plants that are not allowed to flower.
Aphids are attracted to the flowers and aphids spread diseases.

Larger clay pots are working well
- 2 of the smaller ones in the tank beds
don't appear to be 'leaking' enough...

William Pears are ripening
- a treat whilst wandering round the garden!

Something (Blackbirds??) is scratching the mulch
on bed 8 around the newly planted Lucerne;
no damage to the plants yet.

The end Cherry tree I moved in bed 8 has sprouted new leaves
- I only moved it because when I pulled it up I saw new growth
on what I thought was a dead twig!

San Marzano Tomatoes from the late planting slowly ripening!

A tiny lettuce seedling has volunteered
in one of the potted Thymes.
Another freebie!

A few Vine Moth Caterpillars are on the Grapevines
- unless the numbers build up I shall just remove these by hand.
At this time of the year they don't do much damage
and the leaves will soon fall.

Garden Log: 17 Feb 08

As I said last week the temps are on the rise...
...around 35C all weekend
and until Wednesday this week.
We also have the best chance for rain this week,
that we have had for 8 weeks now.
Fingers crossed.

Doc has had enough of the birds (including the pretty Ring Necked Parrots) stealing his fruit so one night we spent wrapping fruit trees up in net curtains. Only to have the wind pick up over the following few days and blow all the curtains off!
They are being replaced now and more securely attached.

Fruit harvesting is coming along well...early apples are being tested...sometimes a little too early! Figs under the curtains are nearly there, and buckets of Almonds have been collected from under the big tree, smaller than normal this year but plentiful.

The Wicking Boxes are looking good but the surface is very dry...this is ok but some of the plants I put in still have shallow roots systems so these I have minimally watered from the surface. I shouldn't need to do this once their roots have grown further into the growing mix.

Last weeks planting of Lucerne Sequel has germinated well and I've begun preparations of the bed (8) to plant this out soon. I've replaced the in-line dripper hose to the bed and moved the surviving 3 cherry trees (still small) onto this bed.

I intend to keep this bed fenced, from the chooks and grow Lucerne under the Cherry trees which hopefully will survive long enough to be grafted next spring and then trained as per the Spanish Bush method.

The Lucerne can be cut for chicken feeding or for mulching around the garden. Once established it only requires light watering hopefully from rainfall!

This is part of a major re-organisation of the main vegetable garden area.

More about this later...

Garden Log: 3 Feb 08