I decided to take photos of the garden on the 1st of each month so I could see the changes month by month. Here are the photos from the 1st of January.
Thanks to my daughter's hard work clearing the old front garden bed last winter, it is no longer waist high in weeds. After she cleared it, I covered it in old newspapers and then sawdust which was free from the local sawmill. Recently I planted two orangeberries which will form a dense mat in time (foreground) and have raspberry-like berries. Along the fence behind the tree I planted 8 zucchini seedlings bought from a local greengrocer.
3 corn beds have been dug in the front lawn. The middle one, dug by me, was planted a few days before Christmas and the corn are now sprouting. The second and third beds were dug by my husband - the second one was sown on 29th Dec, and the third has yet to be sown.
A local gave me 9 Black Current cuttings in winter, and they are growing happily in front of the caravan. The lemon tree is also doing well, and I’ve planted a passionfruit and a cucumber in front of the fence.
The four original raised beds, built of untreated 6x1” a few years ago are still going strong. Bed 1 is planted in dwarf beans (there are two rows, planted as an experiment/control in moon planting - see separate post). Bed 2 has been sown in carrots. Bed 3 has kale and kumara plus a Mexican sunflower, and Bed 4 is full of boysenberries and raspberries.
The first of the 8 bed frames Rob made for me last year has been cleared and replanted in dwarf beans and lettuce at the front, and peas and snap peas at the back. Lots of Lambs Quarters (fat hen)also sprang up unbidden and we’ve enjoyed several meals of them.
A friend gave me 3 Yacon tubers she was given, and as they can reach 6-8’ high, I created a bed for them in front of the bathroom.
Yacons are also known as a "Peruvian underground pear" - they produce bunches of sweet-potato looking tubers that and be eaten raw or cooked, and reputedly have a taste something like a cross between pear and watermelon.
Yacons are also known as a "Peruvian underground pear" - they produce bunches of sweet-potato looking tubers that and be eaten raw or cooked, and reputedly have a taste something like a cross between pear and watermelon.
On spot where an old greenhouse once stood, a no-dig garden has been put down and planted with 10 Zucchini seedlings given to me by the same friend.
This picture clearly shows there’s plenty of room for more beds!
This picture clearly shows there’s plenty of room for more beds!
Following an idea I saw on the internet, and a local man's mention of growing spuds from sprouts cut from ones in the kitchen, I laid down a no-dig potato bed next to the chicken run. It has newspaper on the bottom, then compost, then spuds, then hay. More hay will be added as the potatoes grow. There are two bags of seed potatoes (Rua and Desiree) and lots of Ilam Hardy offcuts.
I had one comfrey plant I didn’t know what to do with, then acquired some more through Freecycle. The apple tree has been long-neglected until it’s pruning this past winter. I mulched it with compost, added paper, more compost and sawdust, then planted the comfrey.
The small tyres (from right to left) are planted with red currant, lavender, gooseberry, lavender, and rhubarb. Under-plantings of parsley have gone to seed, which I hope to collect.
Large tyres hold strawberries and blackberries, which
both need moving. All of the tyres were part of last year's attempts inspired by the gardening group, but have become neglected and overgrown.
both need moving. All of the tyres were part of last year's attempts inspired by the gardening group, but have become neglected and overgrown.
The grape was pruned hard for the first time in early spring, and my husband and daughter built a trellis for it. Now to I need to learn how to train and prune it!
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