Wednesday, November 27

Garden Update - the highs and lows of a learning gardener

* Big Time Low - I came home from a weekend in Sydney to find all my roses looking very sick. I had been so excited to be coming home to them as I was sure they would be just starting to bloom. And then I just had to deflower every single one. I'm still trying to work out what the disease/pest is, but I know with roses if something's sick you want to remove that part and get it out of the garden asap. So sad that my line of cheery white roses are now green bushes, and my David Austin's that I was so excited to see bloom for the first time have been a no show, except for tiny brown shadows of what they should be. Time to get to the gardening section of the library.

* High - we've had a record amount of broad beans - which we have been diligently shelling and freezing.


* Low - the super late frost killed all but two of my abundant pumpkin seedlings.

* High - We are about to harvest a butt load of onion and garlic!


* Low - my Russel Lupins which I painstakingly grew from seed and carefully potted out into the garden keeled over in a day. Dead as door nails.


* High - Gazanias are very easy to grow and much less easy to kill apparently. They were planted out at the same time as the Lupins and are merrily doing their thing. (Hollyhocks pictured above)


* Low - after last years awesome parsnip success I have yet to coax any into germinating after multiple trys this year. Fussy buggers. (these are Allium Drumsticks)


* High - The garden is really taking shape now - we've acheived some major changes this year.


* Low - Watering. It takes so long keeping this garden alive at the moment - roll on the big job of installing an irrigation system (and more water tanks)!


* High - I have had success with watermelons after a heap of tries! Five little seedlings have germinated from a special packet of seeds sent to me by a sweet friend. Now to keep them alive and get them fruiting in time!


How does your garden grow?!

2 comments:

  1. I am grateful for your butt load of garlic ;) We just installed a drip hose and a timer at the office garden and it's already made a world of difference! We aren't as brave as you though, and planted seedlings. I just hope they stay alive when everyone goes away over Chrissie!

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  2. oh its so good to know sometimes that not having an abundant garden is normal. All those gardening shows never show what happens after a dry spell or after they just don't take to the soil. We have had a lot of rain in Sydney recently so my garden is going bonkers. I really want to grow some sunflowers but i only have teeny pots and they seem to need like a bucket of something similar to grow in!

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