Vegetable Gardening Anyone?

[PrincessInOz]

I've finally gotten most of the weeding done, pruned back the lavender and have put down some Blood and Bone, Dynamic Lifter and Saturaid. The lavender will get a nice watering of liquid fertiliser every day or so for the next 3 weeks to help it kick start growth. If I'm lucky, I should have it nicely in bloom for Christmas.

There's a nice patch of garden bed that I've been watching for the last 3 weeks just to check the sun exposure and it looks like it gets quite a nice amount of sunlight. I'm going to dig in some compost there before November and turn it over a bit. It might be the perfect spot for the tomato to go in this year. The general rule for here is to NOT plant tomatoes before November. So, I'll wait til then.


One the bonus front, I was in the local Safeway this week and just happened to hear an announcement about free seedlings! Turns out no one watered about 20 trays of seedlings for a while and they were all looking really sad. I bypassed the tomatoes and parsley...and checked out the cukes and eggplant. Cukes were too far gone to save but there was one lovely punnet of about 6 eggplant seedlings that looked semi decent. I've come home and watered them in the punnet. They have come on quite nicely.

Looks like I'm in the garden again tomorrow to do some planting!!


If the weather is nice, I'll take a couple more pictures of the garden. The cherry, apple and the mulberry is coming along nicely. I need to get some netting to keep the birds off.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I've finally gotten most of the weeding done, pruned back the lavender and have put down some Blood and Bone, Dynamic Lifter and Saturaid. The lavender will get a nice watering of liquid fertiliser every day or so for the next 3 weeks to help it kick start growth. If I'm lucky, I should have it nicely in bloom for Christmas.

There's a nice patch of garden bed that I've been watching for the last 3 weeks just to check the sun exposure and it looks like it gets quite a nice amount of sunlight. I'm going to dig in some compost there before November and turn it over a bit. It might be the perfect spot for the tomato to go in this year. The general rule for here is to NOT plant tomatoes before November. So, I'll wait til then.


One the bonus front, I was in the local Safeway this week and just happened to hear an announcement about free seedlings! Turns out no one watered about 20 trays of seedlings for a while and they were all looking really sad. I bypassed the tomatoes and parsley...and checked out the cukes and eggplant. Cukes were too far gone to save but there was one lovely punnet of about 6 eggplant seedlings that looked semi decent. I've come home and watered them in the punnet. They have come on quite nicely.

Looks like I'm in the garden again tomorrow to do some planting!!


If the weather is nice, I'll take a couple more pictures of the garden. The cherry, apple and the mulberry is coming along nicely. I need to get some netting to keep the birds off.

Glad you were able to save the eggplant!
Enjoy your garden work. Today I found a few raspberries. Sweet! I shared them with Belle, I have to be careful about doing that, because she then goes over and eyes the ones still on the bush! Don't want her to get stuck by their thorns.

 

[PrincessInOz]

So after saving the eggplant, I didn't manage to get in the garden til today. Which was probably just as well....DH had a Bokashi bin of food scraps that we could dig into the one spot that I'd cleared for the vegies. I made a trip out to the local plant nursery and bought some seedlings.
So, after he finished digging in the scraps, I managed to put down:

• 9 - 10 corn "stalks?"
• 7 snowpeas seedlings
• 6 eggplants seedlings (the ones I saved)
• 3 zucchini seedlings
• 16 lettuce seedlings

I've left enough space for two tomato plants; which should go down after the first week of November.


Next on my hit list will be herbs. They make really good ground cover and I have space for about 6 - 7 herb bushes in the front.

I'm also planning on getting some strawberries, I think. I just need to take a look at the back and work out if I have space for them.

The lavender bushes are coming along. I've been watering them with a liquid seaweed fertiliser every 2 - 3 days for the last 2 weeks. Looks like some green buds coming up but there looks like some branches that I might need to chop off at some stage.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Today I found a few raspberries. Sweet! I shared them with Belle, I have to be careful about doing that, because she then goes over and eyes the ones still on the bush! Don't want her to get stuck by their thorns.

Are the raspberries still fruiting?

Bobbi - the local nursery is selling raspberry. Are they easy to grow and what sort of soil/conditions do you need?

 

[PrincessInOz]

It looks like its been a month since I planted.

Here's what some of the plants look like:


Zucchini are flowering and starting to develop into zucchini...

The corn is coming along. The wire fence in the back is where I planted the snow peas. I'm going to go get some more snow pea shoots and get another lot going.

Lettuce?

We're already picking leaves...

I have about 7 or 8 branches on my cherry tree that more or less look like this!!! Should be ready in a couple of weeks.

And the apples are developing nicely too.

I got my tomato plants today. Probably about 1 week later than I like; but I didn't have time last week end to go get it. I'll be in the garden tomorrow (assuming the rain lets up) planting them.



We've been having a reasonable amount of rain, which has helped the vegies a lot!

 

[bobbiwoz]

Updates, Princess?!

 

[PrincessInOz]

We are cropping lettuce!

And some of the Zucchini is ready. I need to take a picture. But this is what it looked like last weekend.

The corn is coming along.

The eggplant is flowering.

The snowpeas are not doing so well.

But the cherries.....

We've had rain and sunshine; so whilst I think the cherries needed another week or two on the tree, they were starting to go mouldy....

....so I picked as much as I could; and left about 1/3 of the crop (mouldy) on the tree for the birds. We got about 20 lbs.

The apples are looking good and I've put in some tomatoes. I'll try to get out in the garden later tonight or tomorrow and take some pictures.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Just a quick update....


We're cropping 2 - 3 zucchini every 2 - 3 days.

I'm picking beans like this every 3 - 4 days.

The second lot of snowpeas are doing much better!

I've pulled up my first lot of lettuces. They were shooting upwards and starting to go to seed. I'd like to plant a 3rd set; but it is way too hot here right now. Temps were in the high 90's and 100's early this week. Might see how the forecast goes...

 

[mommytotwo]

GREAT PICTURES!!!

It is neat to see how cherries grow. They don't grow over here, and I like seeing pictures of the different fruits, and pine/Christmas trees that we do not have here.


Anyone ready for the Gardening Exchange?

 

[PrincessInOz]

I'll check out the Gardening Exchange...but if seeds are involved, Australian Customs won't let them through.

 

[mommytotwo]

I'll check out the Gardening Exchange...but if seeds are involved, Australian Customs won't let them through.

I will post it this week or next week on the Exchange Board

 

[PrincessInOz]

More pictures.



I've pulled up the first crop of lettuce from the garden. They were shooting upwards and heading for the sky. The second crop of lettuce is probably about ready to start cropping. But I put in a third round of lettuce as well. I'll probably be set for lettuce until late Feb to mid March now.

Tomatoes are not very prolific. But then I've hardly fed them at all; so I guess it is a case of not reap what you sow here!

This particular zucchini plant is very prolific. It's grown to the size of 1 m high by about 2 m wide and I've got 2 - 3 zucchini every 2 days or so.

My second planting of snow peas is coming along well.

Eggplant that I got for free is also going reasonably well.

Beans are short and stumpy....but I'm getting crop from them.

I didn't take a picture of the corn; but there is definitely 1 corn per plant and in some cases 2 corns per plant. I think they might be ready to harvest soon.


My harvest from 6 Jan.

This is the crop from 9 Jan. Not shown are 3 zucchinis. Anyone want some zucchini? And I suspect I'll be saying the same about eggplant in about a week or so.

So, what have I done with the vegetables? In the last week....this is what we've had for dinner.

Stir fry with some leftover roast chicken.

Zucchini boats, stuffed with risotto.

I've also been making pita pizzas and topping them with grilled zucchini. I thought I had a picture; but it seems like I didn't take any of that meal!

 

[bobbiwoz]

It all looks delicious, Princess!

 

[mommytotwo]

Posted the Garden Exchange on the Exchange Board. Come, and check it out!!!

 

[PrincessInOz]

Patsy - I'm interested in the exchange. Just let me know if there's anyone interested to post overseas and I'll sign up.

 

[mommytotwo]

Patsy - I'm interested in the exchange. Just let me know if there's anyone interested to post overseas and I'll sign up.

Will do

 

[bobbiwoz]

I was away when the exchange was mentioned.

Princess, I came here looking to see if you've posted any more pictures!

 

[PrincessInOz]

My garden is looking sad at the moment. Lots of heat and not a lot of water. The zucchini is still going and we're getting a few more eggplants. Tomatoes are just starting to peak about now.

We got about 8 - 9 corn; and the 3rd crop of lettuce didn't do too well.

I can't complain. We've gone for about 2 - 3 months without buying lettuce so far.

 

[bobbiwoz]

My garden is looking sad at the moment. Lots of heat and not a lot of water. The zucchini is still going and we're getting a few more eggplants. Tomatoes are just starting to peak about now.

We got about 8 - 9 corn; and the 3rd crop of lettuce didn't do too well.

I can't complain. We've gone for about 2 - 3 months without buying lettuce so far.

I love it when the tomatoes come in!

 

[PrincessInOz]

Some of my meals....


The Zucchini, 1 tomato, eggplant and snow peas are from my garden.

From this...

...To Ratatouille.

Yet more zucchini!

To...Chicken Mediterranean, of sorts.

Still trying to get rid of zucchini....

From this...

To Stuffed roasted Bell Peppers.