For a deeply obsessed gardener there is no good time to go on holiday as there is always something to do or something to watch out for. But I took my hand off the controls at what seems like a safe time. The onion and garlic are in, the asparagus has been taken care of and the strawberries have been planted out. The seedlings in … Continue reading You turn your back for a few days…..
I’ve been on holiday. It was an impromptu decision but one well worth it. You really can’t beat quality time with family. And my Mum is a bit of a gardener so the allure of a visit is all the more tempting. She lives 6 hours south of us, but still on the west coast so her beach is just an extension of our beach… … Continue reading Snow… or is it?
It is the beginning of midwinter with just over 60 days until spring – not that I’m counting and as I look around the garden not all is as it seems. There are the usual midwinter things like onion seedlings still trying to stand up, a vast array of brassica doing their thing and garlic growing from strength to strength. There are empty beds, some … Continue reading Out of sorts
We are still in the grasp of midwinter, but the grip of winter is loosening. Late winter starts in a few days and with that the planning and preparation for the summer garden has amped up a gear. I have gone through my seed collection, double checked the packets to make sure there are still seeds within the little foil parcels, decided if there is … Continue reading Shelving ideas
After being away for 10 days I was champing at the bit to get out into the garden and check out how it fared in my absence. To be honest I wasn’t really worried as there isn’t much going on compared to leaving a full-blown summer garden. In winter things are unhurried and harvesting isn’t required on a daily basis and things grow slowly. A … Continue reading Did the Garden Miss Me?
I’ve been away. Not only that, I’ve time travelled! With the garden mostly under control it was the perfect time to have a bit of a holiday. For the keen gardener mid-winter really is the best time to take a break as there isn’t really a lot going on and besides – it is cold and miserable so who wouldn’t want to go somewhere tropical? … Continue reading Under the sun
After my recent confession on the failure of the first orchard in the new place, I am determined to get it right the second time. So the first thing I did was research the trees I wanted first based on who needed a pollinator and which varieties were best, then narrowing that list down to the give us something for every season and even in … Continue reading New Orchard Take Two
It was with great expectation I approached my Yam bed, also known as Oca. As far as I was concerned, I’d done all the right things, I’d fed and watered with a frequency that could be described as regular. I was in a new environment here beside the sea and the soil was more free draining than at the old place and so surely that … Continue reading Yams – Yay or Nay?
We are firmly on the down hill run to spring and the final weeks of winter are imminent. Ordinarily this fills me with excitement and a large portion of my being is jumping with joy. The rest of me really wants to apply some kind of seasonal hand brake. There is still too much to be done. I have my lists and a loose sense … Continue reading Boxed in
While we were away, I did do a lot of thinking about what needs to be done to get the garden ready for the spring. I have a fixed vision in my head of how I want it to be and it is shaping up nicely. But things were also happening behind the scenes. I’m not all that great with my spatial awareness as shown … Continue reading Lists of things to do
