Autumn Sunshine 18 April 2012

this is my hotspot corner.

Rochetti, Valerian and Chives all looking lively

Pumpkin Vine

When I grow up I want to be soup

After a bad start the passionfruit has rallied!

with three good branches now i have hopes this vine will flourish

more groovy pumpkin vine

Chillies ripening

I mean really this IS late april in a cold temperate autumn...hmmm

beautiful warm mild sunlight

Parsley in bloom

This is my no-dig experiment, it is a layer of paper, one of manure (horse), straw (a mix of cane and radish/rochetti) ... its a bit rough  but im curious to see what it will do. there are some nasturiums in there and a lot of the radish/rochetti had seed on it so hopefully there will be salad!

From garden to table 22 Dec 2011

 

today i harvested my little potato patch. I have never grown spuds before but the plants thrived.  kipffler is a small potato at the best of times and i think i may have jumped the gun harvesting, but the heat has set in and its humid, with flowers on them i was uncertain if the tubers would continue to develop so i bit the bullet.

i did a little research on crop rotation, my garden is minute, and i need to tend to my soil's health with vigilance, that being said a lot of that can be achieved with research and planning.

i was going to put pumpkins in here, because they did well in that site in summer 2009 but i read today that alliums should follow solanums which are tomatoes, capsicums, egglants in all their varieties as well as potatoes. I grow a lot of tomatoes for the space i have, so adding potatoes to the mix may be difficult but i think id like to give it a go. so i am following the convention and putting in spring onions, which i bought on a whim..i get excited by the prospect of growing everything in the universe and sometimes i misjudge what i can actually fit into a few square metres of garden.  anyway I can use them so in they will go, plus   i have an alternate spot for some late pumpkins, so i can try yet again.

i havent had a good rate from the pumpkin seed this year but i do use pumpkin in winter, its great in soups, so even a tiny late crop would be fun ..and besides their mad giant leaves and climbing habit just rock my aesthetics lever..if i get some nice ones this year i might take my inskstone and brushes out there....anyway.

 I was not brought up to garden, its is not in the culture from which i come. I do however have the blessing of an outstanding man as a teacher, his grandmother grew more food than you can imagine until she was over 90, his father was a fine gentle man who also gardened and learned the skills of australian soils and conditions.  Pete is also an outstanding gardener, he gardens with patience and great skill and knowledge.....when we get out into his magnificent crazy garden we share a little secret of contemplation and patience. My contribution is mainly harvesting and viewing,  whilst listening and watching very very carefully because this man teaches me at least 10 things an hour and it is to him, and his gardening antecedents, i owe an awful lot of the knowledge i already have. also teaching by example is never to be underestimated.  So i am able to do some things but im a such a beginner at this it almost hurts..but learning as just the best fun..so my mad experiments in an unsuitable space are a joy and i get to eat it too!  im going to add some links etc below because accessing information is very handy when u dont have a solution , and then i amm putting on my chefs hat to cook up this brilliant harvest

 

i posted this on facebook but i dont want it to disappear so im linking it here. a handy page of clear info on crop rotation  http://www.growveg.com/growguides.aspx

this link is a nifty little site with a basic drop down menu and one can find individual plants requirements for a fair number of varieties. the information is clear and very informative http://www.thevegetablepatch.com

Summer Solstice 2011

the beautiful flowers of the kipffler potato. seeded from my healthiest sprouter,. these plants will be harvested tomorrow and some pumpkins planted in the area after it has been dug over well and fed.

this was bought for mothers day it seems much at home with the sage and is flowering beautifully. dear Mum loved crysanthemums and red flowers and she always wore reds beautifully, it cheers my heart that this plant has done well.

The elegant comfrey continues to grace the garden. I am hoping i can introduce this to the worms successfully

these spent cascades will have to be removed tomorrow. the seeds are setting in and will drop soon. i am unwilling to let this get too much space. it seems a shame to lose the delightful shape of this plant, but in a garden of small scale i must plan carefully.

this delicate allium is a happy accident.    i think it is a shallot, i had some in last year and one seems to have naturalised.   they do unfortunately encourage cabbage moth, i have to keep my brassicas away from these and it is amongst my fragrant herbs like sage and oregano.

my borage has sprung into action.
this plant cleanses soil very gently
they are about a foot tall now and i cant wait until its amazing blue flowers open.
in my ideal garden this will grow amongst my strawberries, i am vaguely considering adding in strawberry plants as a border, i struggle with strawberries in pots and always have more runners than i can find homes for so i think i just might.

my sage has just exploded this year, i might use it with the kipflers.
it needs a decent prune, but the flowers of the salvia are brilliant and im reluctant to lose them.    
of woody inclination, you can get good height with this plant and i hope to convince it to sit above some of the herbs of lower habit.
in such a small space height can provide good illusion of space. this plant sits about a metre in front of my fenceline.
i have yet to convince anything to grow up the fence but i think a passionfruit might be happy... i should start working on the soil to that end. passionfruit dont like their roots disturbed, usually a grafted plant the rootstock can be finnicky and hungry.

 a flurry of rochetti blooms

 

huge broccolini leaves provide bold texture in a small garden

second round flowers and fruit from one of my mature strawberry plants, the appear to enjoy the hanging bag planter i have for them, but keeping enough water up to them is an issue, they are thirsty plants. i might layer a damp mulch and something coarse to buffer in the base of the next planter bag i start

the grape vine from next door is snaking its way across again. i think this is a white, maybe sultana.
it lives neglected and in duress amongst weeds, i have offerered it supports and a light prune and its seems to want to come over for a party.   at the moment it is just a shade plant i cant care for it sufficiently to get viable fruit. although it tried hard last year it is a susceptible plant and the humidity spoiled is best efforts.  
i am considering ask my neighbours, who are really rather nice folk, if they would like me to do a little work in their garden.   
clearing the weeds away from the fencline and feeding this determined vine can only be to everyones benefit.    
nice folk, they seem a little lost with their garden maintenance, and if it gets behind it can be a daunting task...speaking of which i must have some very stern words with the my newzealand spinach, it is invasive and has to be removed...i have some busy days ahead.

 Spent an hour or so in the garden today, did a lot of weeding (theres still more of course), and fed everything with seaweed extract. Planted on a few parsley seedlings into one of the cooler spots, hoping to get more parsley before the heats makes it all bolt. tomorrow i plant out the last of the summer veg seeds and mulch everything up under the assumption it will suddenly get summery and hot..although today feels like spring

s

Brocollini, sheltering baby zucchini plant

golden marjoram, borage

1st one almost ripe

Comfrey sprawling

Brocollini, Kale, Rochetti in bloom. the row of bamboo are the tomatoes creeping up

More Rain 30 Oct 2011

Happy to be back after a long absence. I am looking to set up some growth pattern, cultivation, and design posts - including  links, tips, and usage with a view to researching and discovering how well I can get this tiny space to work as a sanctuary for these plants and ourselves.


This garden is as "organic" as possible.    I do not willingly introduce plastics, petrochemicals and other poisons into my garden however I have little control over the initial quality of the water and windborn pollutants.


I have always condsidered that food plants can be as visually exciting as any decorative cultivar, let us say a rose. (Roses are an elegant useful plant but that is not as a decorative cultivar tortured into shape in the centre of a lawn). For me a garden is  a place where we nourish our heart, body and mind .. and we get some excercise and sunshine,and perspective, always perspective.

On Borage http://www.gardenate.com/plant/Borage?zone=2 This is one of my favourite websites and there is a climate zone drop down, along with succinct information. I see there is a comment on its capacity to soothe overich soils and provide a recycling capacity- brilliant! this little plant may solve my nitrogen and acidity problems! Roll on mediterranean conditions..ill have oranges olives and grapes in before  i know it..oh hang on its only 10 foot square..I wonder if Olives with do OK in a pot....I know Oranges will

My Oddly Oriented Borage. software fail - I can't tip the image. A beautiful herb, I think I have planted these barely in time, they are undernourished from sitting too long in seed raising mix.  Storms and viruses have caused my garden schedule to fall over, however the first set of true leaves are already significantly improved, and this spot is manure rich and damp - so hopefully this trio will thrive. Borage is an amazing culinary herb with the capacity to cool, I cannot wait to photograph and eat its superb blue flowers.  This plant is also known as bee-bread, it is a favourite of our busy friends (who are more than welcome in my garden), I do hope they enjoy it. An easily grown herb, it will do well in most gardens, like most herbs this plant responds well to tip pruning/light harvest.   As a companion plant to strawberries it brings their pollinators close to hand and has similar cultivation preferences. Borage likes to wander and is unruly in habit, but a delight to set loose

http://herbgardening.com/growingchamomile.htm
Basic cultivation notes for growing Chamomile

A tiny mound of true german chamomile, a herb of peace and grace. I hope these tiny seedlings enjoy their new placement.  Should any of my herbs head off in a particular direction one can only assume it is chasing more light or differing soil conditions and try to accomodate the requirement.  An appointment with the gum leaves that have been hailing down is in order, also a mission to the remove weeds escaping a nearby neglected garden. I await a clearing sky and warmer day to take effective action...

This oregano is a gift from my dear brother Peter who has taught me so much about gardens. It has been in for roughly 10 months now and was just a few tiny leaves looking out of the ground. It is a taller golden variety, I have a suspiscion it may even be a marjoram but my botany is poor so I need to research to confirm its classification....anyway it gets quite tall and golden unlike the other oregano I have, its has a slightly softer and finer leaf, I look forward to its first harvest and prune which is immanent.

 sage camparison

These two plants are from the same source, the in ground  plant was container grown until late summer when it was moved into this semi shaded, well manured spot. the container plant has always been kept well watered and liquid fed, but is more compact in habit, this is its first flowering. both plants have been heavily harvested for 2 seasons. I wanted to see if sage would do well with the lesser light, I had always condsidered them a full sun herb, and it may indeed be imperative to the oil production of this plant, I note thar the leaf size is greater and there is more prolific softwood growth.  I intend to study  variations in the two with a view to uses and properties as well as cultivation. I also rather fancy a decent gnocchi

Ciao! 29 OCT 2011

coriander in bloom, growing these for seed and beauty

hiding in the understory a san marzano tomato and some basil. just planted watered in after the photoshoot hoping to see these little ones thrive, am trying out some planting options this year after a difficult season last summer

coriander and rochetti still harvesting delicious leaf off the rochetti, hoping these will self seed

my little broadbeans, looking forward to some lovely middle eastern meals from these beans

the charm of chaos

i find broadbeans breathtakingly beautiful

The heart of the comfrey, i thought i would lose this when i first rescued it from the nursery, but this plant has rewarded me well

the beautiful bloom of the comfrey plant

my first strawberry of the season! with my space constraints i have added hanging planters of strawberries, thise were only potted in 2 weeks ago and still need a little TLC but they seem to have made themselves at home

another bloom on the strawberries, oh joy! freshly picked strawberries are a delight

in here is my blackcurrant, some garlic, sage, a chrisanthemum for my dear Mum, and a brocolli in bloom everything looks rather happy there, and i had terrible trouble with this spot last year and lost many plants 

another viewing of one of the comfreys blooms

a view of the entire comfrey

My new Valerian, i watered everything in after the photo shoot tomorrow i will weed a little and as the rain starts to clear i will start laying on mulches and clearing the gum leaves that innundate the garden

regularly

the first sucker from the comfrey i think it can stay , or perhaps ill pot it on

my now sprawling patch of oregano , taking cuttings this week

my spring brocollini expecting a few good harvests from this before the heat drives it to flower



some technical notes all photos taken on an Olympus E-450 digital SLR
Lens 14:42
settings ISO 100 F 5.6 and 7.1 according to requirement speed slightly lower than the setting recommend


All the plants I am growing are open pollenated older strains.