One of my apple trees is confused...it's started to blossoms and we've just started Winter (day 4!) here in Melbourne! It's been frosty and rainy in my garden...so why my little espaliered apple is blossoming I just don't know! I've counted 3 blooms so far...whilst it's dropping leaves too!
Elsewhere in the garden the snowpeas - golden and green - continue to curl up over everything.
The hens are surviving the cold with the help of a hot water bottle in their coop of a night. They call out to us every morning to remind us to give them their hot porridge...whilst Astrid continues in good health although she still has her funny habit of only drinking out of little ikea bowls.
Cannot remember what I planted here but I think it may be spinach of some sort. What do you think?
Florence fennel has put up loads of frilly hair.
The evil caterpillars continue to destroy my romanesco broccoli. But have mysteriously left the sprouting variety, not sure why am sure they are targeting them next...it's almost enough to make me want to use a pyrethrum spray...almost.
Rainbow chard just keeps giving more no matter how much we eat. I have clumps of it everywhere. The chooks can't get to these up here snug in their apple crates!
We'll be heading away soon on a holiday - my sister is house sitting for us but doesn't do gardening at all so we are just leaving the long low planter (15m x 1m) fallow for now. As the caterpillars and snails totally destroyed the brassica (only leaving one!!) and other greens in there, there isn't much growing, just the odd artichoke, chilli and herbs... it's too cold to plant green manure and I really don't know what to pop in that can go untended. Green manure really would be ideal but we're reached frosty winter now. Any suggestions?
I always feel sorry for plants that are thrown out of whack with the seasons. All my bulbs are very quickly emerging as well.
ReplyDeleteYour poor broccoli! Mine is surviving so far with less bug attacks than yours. So you don't like spraying? Me either. I'm very reluctant to spray or bait anything. I try to find the snails and throw them over the fence!
What about planting some potato. Your sister wouldn't need to worry about that at all :)
Hi Sarah! Do you think potato will be ok if I plant them now? It's so cold! and it'll only get frostier but I'm happy to try anything...
ReplyDeleteI found that the allium family~garlic, leeks and onion thrive without any tender loving care. It seems the caterpillar and aphids attack the ones they like first before it gets to others even in closely related families in brassicas. I am not sure what seedlings they are because I only grow bloomsdale spinach and they look different.
ReplyDeleteOne of my roosters has started crowing in the evening - I can't tell whether it is Coco or Chanel - and a tomato plant that had started to die off suddenly revived, put out new shoots, and now is the proud bearer of two smallish green tomatoes. Very odd.
ReplyDeletethanks for your comment! :) Yes I love Melbourne! X
ReplyDeletethe sydney girl
some days it is nice to know that even nature gets confused... and to remember there are always helping "gardeners" on hand watching out for our wellbeing. nice reminders...thank you for sharing. wishing you a lovely holiday.
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I love that you give your chooks a hot water bottle and hot porridge. They really are well loved.
ReplyDeleteOh I love your chickens! SO cute!
ReplyDeleteMother Nature is a bit confused here as well. Makes life interesting, doesn't it?
ReplyDeletetry eco oil ( http://greenharvest.com.au/pestcontrol/general_purpose_spray_prod.html#PB116 ) for the bugs and try this ( http://greenharvest.com.au/seeds/green_manure_cool.html ) for green manure
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