Thursday, July 11, 2013

In my garden - July 2013


This is my first proper winter in my garden, last year was all about starting my first garden beds and tackling the issue of gardening on clay again.


My Nana's Statue....a bit of sentimentality
This year is a continuation of that.....there's so much land to cover!!! 
But it's also been about watching, observing and waiting as my garden takes shape.
After almost a decade of dealing with frosts and snow in winter, its taken a bit of getting used to gardening a winter up north....as nothing much goes to sleep here, and its more like spring than winter....
self sown seedlings are popping up everywhere....
much to my delight! 
But along with that, the bugs don't die off either! I was very surprised to find this adult vege bug the otherday


And this week with the sun shining and winds less severe ( they can blow you away up here!) I've been able to get outside and dig in. 
While pottering about, I've decided to let alot of the plants remain where they've self sown, taking out or transferring only the ones that will get lost....I also would like to try my best at planting randomly, looking to nature....though apparently this is easier said than done, apparently we plant evenly without even knowing it.


Getting outside though is so refreshing, and my favourite part this year, has been planting with the Fantails....they are everywhere! darting about and swooping in inches away from me, sitting on the fence line and chattering away to me, keeping me company and waiting for me move on so they can swoop in for some free grub
In the garden though now until spring is the best time to divide....while plants are mostly dormant, so its a great way to get loads of free plants, and for me, to pay it forward to my Mum. 
Also don't forget your strawberries....after dividing mine I ended up with well over sixty plants....and they produce more fruit from new plantlets too!! Yum Yum!
We've also started planting a hedge down our drive, and I put in another ten plants of Teucrium Fruiticians yesterday.

  We're also spending any spare cash on fruit trees, because as they say the time to plant fruit trees is 5 years ago. 
And boy do we need that fruit to feed our troops!

 And once the big pile of clay left over from the retaining wall is removed, we'll be planting in a rather long fruiting hedge of guavas for wind protection and food....so it looks like we'll be needing alot of good guava recipes in the future!

Have any of you been busy in the garden lately? or maybe you're keeping warm and cosy on the couch like I used to, dreaming for the spring to come.

9 comments:

Max said...Best Blogger Tips

I don't know how you do it, with four kids, and crochet!-how much land do you have there? we're barely keeping up with our small suburban garden with 2!!!
my leeks are going well;the broccoli have all either gone to seed or were eaten alive by cabbage white larva, but the brussel sprouts seem to have bounced back. I've still plenty of spinach and spring onions so feeling good about that. i replanted lots of herbs last year either in pots or in spots where they wouldn't get frosted and i'm over the moon i can still pick parsley, sage, oregano etc when i need it.
just dug in some compost in the tunnel house and am plotting what to grown new this year, i like to have a bash at something i haven't grown last year-i think i'll try chilli's and make my own chilli flakes, and maybe carraway?
also thinking maybe a cranberry hedge to edge the lawn...
best garden news of all though is that just this week our two wyandotts started laying, yipee! nothing like a warm egg in your palm on a frosty morning!
happy weekend lovely x

kate said...Best Blogger Tips

i am so behind in the garden... very lucky we get so many seasonal fruit and vege from Tim's work... takes the pressure off me when I get slack. You place looks idylic. xx

Leonie said...Best Blogger Tips

Wow wow what a great garden. And i'm envious of all the guavas you'll have! Must be so super exciting seeing things happening x

Anonymous said...Best Blogger Tips

I agree gardening up here is fairly winter free, though over on this side of the area we do get frosts, so our frost tender plants are already wintering in the shadehouse. I just love getting my hands in the soil, its good for my soul, and whatever else ails me. My strawberries only 100+ are still fruiting, and the wild turkeys (no not the angry kind) just love pecking at them. As they are not very good to eat at this time of the year, I will leave the wild turkeys to it

Susan C. said...Best Blogger Tips

Slice of heaven!
I have started my Bokashi composting, less in the bin, more in the garden. So far so good.
Planning veggie patch but dont want to rush these things.
Would love to try the strawbs so any tips would be good.

Cat said...Best Blogger Tips

My garden is getting there - slowly - I've started weeding grrrrr self sown weeds !! And have planted out some seedlings . . . and the last of the roosters has 'gone to the crock pot for crowing roosters'

Schulz Family said...Best Blogger Tips

Wow the north and south are so different. My garden is totally dormant. The only thing that survives is leeks, celery and coriander. Even then the celery gets frozen!! I had tried planting brasicas for eating over winter but it is just too cold and their heads are the size of a golf ball. So back to doing nothing but planning in the winter

Unknown said...Best Blogger Tips

ok in my mind you are gardening in a sparkly belt and cape as surely you are wonder woman! and oo yes my green room is my time stealer..i have begun a rose garden this week! my first ever 2 roses brought and they are divine! also planting food for the troops here as well xxx

Hootnz said...Best Blogger Tips

@Jane George Lol!! Not a superwoman at all Jane, just a normal Mum, struggling to get through and taking solice in my sewing and finding peace in my garden :)))

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