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Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Out of habit


Three months hiatus and writing here has slipped off my radar. I'm sure I'll get back into the habit though that doesn't really sound too positive. Writing out of habit. I'm not, I'm writing because I wish to.
 
I have been quite tired lately. Most nights I am first into bed and usually by 8:30pm at the latest. I just can't stay up late. I would like to because an extra hour or so would be good for stitching or reading or letter-writing or whatever. It will be school holidays in a little while and oddly enough that always gives me a burst of energy. I'm looking forward to it.
 
Boring pots of ungerminated tomato seeds
 Lots of seeds have been sowed of late. All the summery things that I am very much looking forward to eating. I use the Gardenate website as a guideline for my sowings. It is useful as a reminder even if you don't stick to their recommendations.


The crimson broad beans that the cockatoos haven't destroyed (yet) are looking a treat. Broad beans may not be to everyone's taste but I think they could be planted just for their flowers alone and as bee fodder because they love them.

New seeds- yay.

I need to sort out my seed box. it is a mess. There are seeds in there that were marked sow before 2009. Ever the optimist, I sowed them but marked the pots as old seed so if they don't germinate, the seeds are gone. Not in the bin, just broadly sown in the garden in the hope that they will emerge as green manure at the very least. Yes, I am an optimist.

My hat and my cat

I have been looking at food forest type of gardening (mostly on Youtube). I really like the idea. A jungle of food with things tucked in here and there. I'm aiming for that kind of garden this summer. Beds heavily planted to out-compete the weeds and inter-planting good companions to fool the pests. I'm sure it will look a right mess to someone else but I love the picture I have in my mind.

I also want my vegetable garden to work hard for me this summer. I am on a mission, saving money in earnest for a big trip next year. I hope I haven't jinxed myself.

Tracy

6 comments:

Snoskred said...

I will keep a good thought for your garden. :) I just planted some things last weekend. I also am planning a new kind of garden in the chook pen using some hardware wire to keep them off the plants until they grow to a certain height.

Last year a lone pumpkin germinated in the chook pen as a surprise to the chooks after some big rains here. They were so surprised they left it alone for a good couple of weeks, before one of them must have pecked at it in passing and discovered it was tasty.

All the seeds they get fed, in tomatoes, pumpkins, watermelons, various other foods, and that is the only one that ever grew. I wish I'd rescued it but I figured it must be safe enough there if they were ignoring it.

africanaussie said...

Welcome back Tracy. :) I also work towards a food forest and up here full sun is often too harsh for things like rockets and lettuces. I now have a few small fruiting trees that provide shade and notice that everything is doing so much better. I also scatter old seeds in the hopes that it will do something eventually.

Jeanette said...

Love those broadbean flowers. I do eat them but they are so pretty they'd be nice just to grow as flowers. Hugs,xx

Texan said...

It always is funny to me your doing just the opposite as us :O)... best of luck to your garden this year! Mine this last summer as we head into fall/winter got off to a really bad start. Bad flooding all around... But as you know every spring/summer we get another go at it!I am already as we head into fall planning for my next spring/summer garden! That is what gardeners are I think, true optimist ready to go every spring/summer and give it another try!

I have some seeds myself in my seed box that I should either plant or do away with. My eye is bigger than my stomach as they say LOL .. sometimes when it comes to buying my seed :O)...

Unknown said...

I've planted my first broad bean crop this year in the hope of being able to taste small tender ones instead of the giant big grey yucky ones. My husband loves them. The flowers that are appearing are white. Do i need a special variety to get the pink ones?

Having a raised garden keeps things neat and orderly and out of the way of a certain Miss Tilly. I would hate to think what she could do if i had a food forest.

Cheers


kiwikid said...

I am sure your garden will look amazing and imagine finding different things tucked away here and there!! Love the broad bean flower, and the broad beans to be honest!! Sometimes seeds come up, I tried that last summer and they were ok. Love the hat and cat photo! Good luck with the veges!