in the garden: watching things grow!

ugh. it's been a tough couple of weeks, trying to stay motivated.  but today I found the best motivation when I ventured out to take a look at how the garden's going.  it's thriving!  The brussel sprouts are growing strongly

I have long broad bean shoots, 

my cauliflowers are growing strongly in their protective containers 

and the carrots have finally sprouted.  They always seem to sprout a couple of days after I give up hope.

to celebrate, i planted some more seeds: some rocket, lettuce, bok choy and spinach.


however, to keep my motivation up, I've decided to make a list of all the things I want to accomplish in the next couple of weeks. here goes:

• mint icecream - just got to save the mint from the caterpillars
• dried marjoram to give away
• something with my lemon thyme
• nut brown sage butter - I had some at a restaurant and it was DELICIOUS!
• chicken stock
• plant more seedlings
• ginger beer
• some more lemonade / limeade
• something with my lemon verbena
• a family and friends day making dumplings - i've had a bit of interest and i think it would provide some inspiration as somethings making dumplings can get a little boring!

in the garden: the greenhouse effect

It didn't take long!  It was only last saturday that we got back into the garden and planted out a range of new vegies to celebrate the onset of april and the colder, more autumny weather when good things grow.  

Many have already started to sprout and some are growing with great vigour. I think it's the greenhouse effect ... or my version of the greenhouse effect.  We got a little creative, building custom-made shelters to provide the seedlings with protection from the elements and extra warmth and moisture to help them grow.

Indoors, we sowed cauliflower and broccoli, covered the pots with glad-wrap and watered them daily.  As soon as the seeds sprouted, we removed the glad-wrap and moved them outside to get the sunlight they need to grow nice and strong.


Outdoors, my partner constructed what can only be described as the most creative use of newspaper wrap which she stuck together to form a greenhouse enclosure for our carrot, onion and garlic seedlings.  Carrots in particular like to be kept damp before they will sprout.

And now look!  We've got an overabundance of cauliflower and broccoli seedlings which we've moved outside to allow to grow even more before we transplant them into the garden.

and the garlic is already starting to shoot strongly. 

In the other beds, the first broad bean and snow pea shoots are beginning to show and the brussel sprouts are growing strongly, protected from the bugs that plagued us last year by soft drink containers. 

broad bean or snow pea shoots - not sure which at this stage!

brussel sprouts

in the garden: autumn planting

The first weekend of april and we tackled the garden with gusto!  We pulled up the remaining straggling plants from the vegie beds, applied new compost (that I'd grown myself) and began planting.

From this:

my vegie bed: before

To this:

my vegie bed: mid-renovation

In went onions, garlic, carrots, broad beans, brussel sprouts and snow peas as well as some sort of cucurbit (my bet is on a cucumber but my partner thinks it's zucchini) that planted itself in a very inappropriate spot and needed to be moved.  We also sowed some cauliflower and broccoli in trays for replanting when they're a little bigger.  At the same time, we spruced up the herb bed and planted some lemon verbena as well as sage to replace the old plant which died.  Then we applied some lucerne mulch over everything and watered it all in well.  I can't wait until they all start to grow!

To this:

my vegie bed: after

And this:

my herb bed: after