Wet weather and lawnmower problems mean the lawns are looking a bit unkempt, but the main garden beds are coming along well.
What was my green bean experiment bed is now planted with some left-over brussel sprout seedlings. I'll probably put parsley seedlings between them.
The carrots have done very well in this bed - not many left to pull.
This bed did have kumera (sweet potatoes in it) - they have been dug now. The kale I cut off at the front is growing back. The Mexican Sunflowers at the back are done for the year.
The next bed over still has the raspberries and boysenberries in it, which I need to created a permanent bed for and move.
The next bed over still has the raspberries and boysenberries in it, which I need to created a permanent bed for and move.
The first bed of brassicas I planted are doing well. The front row was all Buk Choy, but it bolted straight to seed, so I pulled most of it out and replaced it with spare cabbage seedlings. This bed is done "square foot style" but I'm beginning to think that it may be too crowded.
I did leave a few of the flowering Buk Choy plants in the garden, as I noticed there are a lot of honey bees coming to them. I've seen very, very few honey bees over the entire summer, but now, in June (winter) there are honey bees on my buk choy, rosemary and red hot pokers. Honeybees are precious - whatever I can do to encourage or support them I will. Besides, I can save the seeds to grow more Buk Choy.
When I went to clear out the next bed over, I found some peas had self-sown, so I transplanted them into the front of this bed, and tied a left-over piece of steel mesh along the side to act as a trellis. The silverbeet is doing well, and I've tossed a couple of brussel sprouts in here too, but really this bed needs a bit more planning out and filling.
The bed on the left has had peas cleared out of the back half, but not yet replanted (there is a chives plant in there doing well though), and the freckle lettuce I left in the front part have all gone to seed, which will need harvesting soon.
The bed on the right has carrots at the front, and some heritage corn at the back plus peas I cleared out. These two beds are next up for some work and replanting.
The bed on the right has carrots at the front, and some heritage corn at the back plus peas I cleared out. These two beds are next up for some work and replanting.
A bed full of brassicas - growing well. Again, the buk choy has gone to seed - I tucked a few into the spaces between the brussel sprouts, knowing they would come out quickly and leave room for the growing sprouts.
This bed full of leaf lettuce, spring onions and leeks is doing well, though the leeks right at the back are growing veeeerry sloooowly. I am having some problems with critters (cats? chickens?) digging in the front left corner of the bed - they've killed a few lettuce and spring onion seedlings.
Happy, happy beetroot.
Another bed full of brassicas, growing happily.
The herb garden is looking a bit bare in places since I removed all the tomatoes that were sprawling all over from the back. The parsley is doing well though - everything else is dying down for winter.
Leaf lettuce is doing well in the tyre (along with a couple of peas and beetroot)
The Yacons are getting a bit frost damaged, but are still growing and are now starting to flower. Not sure how long they'll last.
Yacon flowers - they look just like teeny, weeny sunflowers.
When I sowed winter vege seeds, I also sowed celery, and it was getting to a good size to plant out, when I realised that celery is not a good cold season crop. Not wanting to waste all the seedlings, I planted some in small pots, which I'm keeping in one of my plastic tubs. They go in the shed on cold nights, and out in the sun whenever I remember during the day. Figured I could harvest some small stalks to use during winter, or if they do well, maybe plant them out in spring.
Chives are still going, though starting to yellow a bit.
This corner is still overgrown - going to cut out the blackberry, transplant the strawberries, and find somewhere el
The grape is loosing it's leaves - won't be long before it's time to prune and train it. Last year was the first year I dared to prune it (with help) - hopefully I will get it right this year so next summer we will have lots of yummy grapes!
Now that the zucchini are gone, hopefully the silverbeet will get bigger. I have sown a bunch of seeds in this bed - lettuce, spinach, calendula and rainbow chard. Hoping to fill it with a mix of leafy greens.
The greenhouse if full of ripening tomatoes. A couple of plants near the front and back have succumbed to the cold, but most are doing really well - I'm having to prune off the tops to prevent them freezing against the roof. Some of the plants have some yellowing, but I've decided not to worry about it and just get as much as possible from them.
Comfrey is still going strong.
Corn is finished - just sitting there waiting for me to rip out the stalks and chop them up to add to the compost heap I plan to start. Meanwhile the green beans under the middle group are still growing! Surprising considering how cold it is
I've planted two limes, a lemon, and some rosemary and lavender plants in one part of the front garden bed.
Orangeberries have continued to spread.
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