Comments on: Spring Garden Saturday

By: Hoyden About Town

Hoyden About Town — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 07:07:10 +0000

[...] out into the garden this afternoon, camera in hand. You can see the previous garden post from just two months ago here, with the seedlings all in. We’ve been feasting off snow peas and sugar snap peas for lo [...]

By: Mindy

Mindy — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 04:43:32 +0000

Shock horror, snowpea plants grow a snow pea! Two in fact. Not a bad effort between the six of them.

By: Helen

Helen — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 11:27:11 +0000

All those green shoots you get from lucerne or pea straw mulch must be terrific pickings for the girls. and very good for them.

The moorparks are honey sweet, good size deep colour and very luscious – that is, they were, unless we can keep off the fruit bats this year. And if we do, what are the poor little buggers going to eat? And what the hell DO they eat, anyway, when the trees aren’t fruiting – which is most of the time!

By: Laura

Laura — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 05:43:56 +0000

lol, we have ‘where did that come from lettuce’ in the hedge.

By: Mindy

Mindy — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 03:30:42 +0000

Snow pea seedlings have been in the ground since winter, but have yet to do anything so outrageous as grow a snowpea. Sugar snap peas have mostly not survived the weeding efforts of myself and Mr 5. New punnet of snaps was allowed to dry out and all six seedlings had to be planted in a bunch (or I may have been sooooo over it by then). Rhubarb coming up a treat, raspberry canes starting to spout leaves, baby lettuce surviving warm weather, as is the ‘where the hell did that come from’ lettuce. Cucumber sprouts have wilted, possibly fatally over warm weekend while we were away. Corn will be planted soon, once all chances of frost are gone. Potatoes seem to be sprouting everywhere, except where I wanted them to grow. Italian parsley thriving. Mostly good.

By: Laura

Laura — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 12:14:36 +0000

Helen, I put in a bare rooted Moorpark over winter and it’s just coming out of dormancy this week. I’m very pleased to hear yours is a good tree. People on one of my Jane Austen lists expressed scepticism that it would fruit without a pollinator. The nursery assured me it would be ok, though.

Next week will be OK for planting don’t you think? I won’t get my ground seeds in for two more weeks. It’s still pretty cold at night.

By: Lauredhel

Lauredhel — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 08:56:56 +0000

Helen: I really suspect the kangaroo paw thing is to do with local conditions outside of one’s control, on the whole. All I’ve done is slam them into dirt that most gardeners would call “bloody awful” (it’s been sitting doing nothing under brick paving for many years), whack fresh tuart mulch on top, and then largely ignore them, with the odd bit of watering in really dry spells.

We have a nursery near here that deals in truly local plants – not just Australian natives, but local southwest Australian – and I think we’re overdue for a trip back there.

By: Helen

Helen — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 08:44:35 +0000

Limed the whole garden a couple of weeks ago, as I’ve been grey-watering and I think our soil is acidic anyway. Called the little boys out: “OMG there’s a freak snowfall! Come and look!!”

It took them 15 secs to work it out.

This weekend I was supposed to put in snow peas or snap peas, tomatoes and basil, but SO had the car two days running as he’s got an extra market once a month. The small business thing is really having an impact, not only on the breakdown of domestic work (appalling) but the kids and my my ability to do things on the weekend. This must be addressed but my attempts to do so have not been fruitful.

So next weekend probably planting but far too late.

Being in the SE I’ve planted mainly stone fruits: Apricot, about 5 years ago (Moorpark, mentioned in Mansfield Park as Laura will know, and an absolute bottler); Almond, about three years ago; Lemon, feijoa, Olive about two years ago; and a little afterthought nectarine a year ago.

But now we have (oppressive background music)
Fruitbats!
(or flying foxes)
Therefore, will try to purchase nets this year.

I’m in awe of your Kangaroo paws Lauredhel. I have tried to grow them here but the SE climate (or my gardening) hasn’t seem to favour them. I do have heaps of flourishing grevilleas and poa grasses out the front, but.

By: tigtog

tigtog — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 02:58:41 +0000

My own ground is too clay-ey to keep prostrate thyme happy, but it is lovely lovely stuff to walk on if you have the right soil for it. In a sunny spot the scent of the oil just from the warm leaves is delightful.

By: su

su — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 02:46:12 +0000

Laura- what about dichondra or viola hederacea instead of grass? Dichondra is quite drought tolerant I think. If it is really dry, maybe thyme or marjoram -something prostrate that doesn’t mind a little walking on. I think thyme is strong enough to be chicken proof. I know the roos here won’t touch it.