The Vines...

After we got home from the park on Sunday evening I was on a bit of an energy buzz and decided to get some more plants into the yard. The plan here is that the vines will take over this section of the yard and kill off all the weeds over spring giving some new grass a chance in autumn before the frosts come in for winter.

Lebanese Cucumber

Jack Black Zucchini

Jap Pumpkin

Sweet Corn

Zucchini (more corn)

Overview of the space.

 Of course there are seeds to be grown in this space also; spaghetti squash, button squash, baby bear pumpkin and two types of watermelon.


This list was inspired by creeping, crawling vines...

Kindest Wishes,
AJ

Weather means more when you have a garden...

We have a bindi problem here, well that would be an understatement, everything with prickles, barbs or thorns grows in our lawn and wouldn't you know it, very little real grass. I'm sure it would literally take me WEEKS to hand pull all the weeds and I'd only be left with dirt once I got into it, being too fussy to leave ugly grass! So I took the decision to use a weed and feed spray, last year. I never did though because it wouldn't spray properly, the hose nozzle kept bursting off it. Fortunately, Dad to the rescue, I learned that it was just because the "o" ring on the bottle spout was ruined, unfortunately Dad left it until after the effective period to tell me about this so the majority of the bottle has been sitting there waiting for me to use it. Herein lays the importance of the weather; you need to have very little wind or something to guard the rest of the plants in the yard that you do not want to kill. The other requirement of the weather is that it not rain for 7 days. Wouldn't you know it, every day since the beginning of spring has either been too windy or forecast to be shortly followed by rain. It's enough to make a girl cry, not to mention the kids standing on the bindis! I'm running out of time; soon the bindis will be all set in, the other weeds I can probably deal with but please, let me deal with the spikey ones the only sensible way possible!

Other things that needs to be taken care of in the garden:

1. Plant vines; pumpkins and zucchini seedlings straight into the ground and (more) pumpkins, watermelon, spaghetti squash and button squash into pots to germinate.
2. Plant Maiden Hair Ferns, Begonias (border) and Devil's Ivy (probably in a pot with a trellis to prevent it taking over) in fernery.
3. Find something to plant under the pine trees in the front yard to prevent the "dust bowl" effect.
4. Learn more about Cyclamen to try to get them to grow outdoors (I have one plant and 3 seedlings in punnets.)
5. Transplant carrots from ex-vegie garden to box.
6. Finish planting Primulas in round bowl (project started by R.)
7. Plant Native Frangipani seeds in pots to germinate
8. Plant out ex-vegie garden with gazanias, pig faces (maybe these should go under the pine trees?) and shrubs.

There's more to be done, there's definitely more however my mind is coming to a standstill with the end of the night and there will always be another "to do list" with a garden to maintain.

This list was inspired by Marcelene Cox who said:
Weather means more when you have a garden. There's nothing like listening to a shower and thinking how it is soaking in around your green beans.

Kindest Wishes, AJ

Silverbells and Cockle Shells...

Today I have spent most of my day in the garden; the poor green family members have been quite neglected of late, with me having been injured for some time and then looking at what needed to be done imagining that it was just too much. This morning I went out to pull a few weeds and instead spent hours weeding, separating, moving, re-potting and replanting in the gardens.

I currently have three gardens; one contains succulents and a cactus (yes, just one cactus) another contains a hodge podge of pretty little things and a planned fernery and the third was my vegetable garden however it failed dismally over winter due to being too shaded for anything to grow successfully. Over the last month or so the vegetables have started growing again but I've moved them to the back yard where they will get more sun year round.

Today's gardening achievements...

1: Cleared out and levelled the fernery.

2: Planted Bromeliad (left and below Monstera.)
(This view from above the fernery on our little balcony/patio.)

3: Placed Buddha Statue, Agapanthus and mini Agapanthus.

4: Cleared out ex-Vegie Garden, showing the poor winter-dead Purple Capsicum
(and equally winter-dead pennywort and basil!)

5: Dramatically trimmed back Birdseye Chilli bush.
It has many new shoots so I have a lot of hope for it.

6: Spinach and Silverbeet moved into box with Tomato.

7: Silverbeet and Butter crunch Lettuce moved into box
with Sweet Grape Tomato.

8: Silverbeet moved into box with Honey Snap Peas.

Green Beans (planted previously.)

The Buddha statue which is creating a border between the front garden and the fernery is actually a lit fountain that D and the kids bought me as a gift about 5 years ago. It's shoulder was lightly damaged in our interstate move about 3 years ago and since then subsequent moves have seen it damaged further. I have ambitions towards converting it to solar power so I can run it in the garden, it would also require a leaf guard of some kind where the water runs through it. Right now, that's not in the budget (especially since it's BNNM) however I have seen some small solar powered fountain pumps on Ebay for around $25.00 so the idea definitely has potential.



This list was inspired by Katie.
Kindest Wishes, AJ

Buy Nothing New Month

Inspired by a friend committing to this challenge I have decided that I shall participate in it also. I have realised I have a couple of new items to pay for on Ebay (silly little fad things that R simply must have) but after those are paid for there will be nothing new this month.

Buying nothing new doesn’t mean going without. Make a Buy Nothing New Month pledge and you can beg, buy, barter and swap for whatever you need, as long as it is pre-loved, but with the exceptions of necessities (including food, drink, medications and hygiene products) you can’t buy anything new.

Further to this I have also decided that I am going to try harder than ever this year to take the commercialism out of our Christmas. Every year I say I'm not doing that again, not spending money in the toy sales, then a month before Christmas and then a week before Christmas, it's quite absurd really! Our children end up with more toys (or "things" as they get older) than they even look at generally and there always seems to be more packaging than gifts at the end of the day. The waste is hideous; not just financially but environmentally, so much unnecessary plastic, paper and cardboard, not to mention the wire and tape and the like.

Prior to the month starting (and totally unplanned) I purchased a large amount of vegetable seeds, unusual varieties and colours of vegetables (and fruits technically.) I'm proud to say they were all from home producers rather than commercial producers and will arrive with hand made labels and packages so I feel less like I've cheated the challenge by buying them just prior to it. Honestly, I didn't plan it that way in any case! Maybe they can be counted as food and none of that matters anyway?

More about Buy Nothing New Month (BNNM) here.

Kindest Wishes,
AJ