Moss v Me: Round 1 to Me!

So, i've undertaken my most significant attack on the moss in our garden today --- i've raked out a significant area of the garden, removing huge amounts of moss (+ some grass).  This comes one week after I blasted it with moss killer, and it had indeed turned quite black.

However, the issues is that there was so much moss out there, that huge patches of the garden are now completely bare.  So, i've reseeded the whole affected area with Tui seed which is supposed to be shade tollerant.  Unfortunately, i'm a bit late on the seeding as it supposed to be done in march, not may!!  With a little luck it won't be too cold this week, and we'll get a fair bit of rain ... meaning the seeds will germinate and get somewhat of a foot hold before winter sets in ...

Brocolli, Brussels and Cabbage transplanted out

So, I transplanted my Brocolli, Brussel Sprouts and Cabbage which i've grown from seed in my tray in doors.  However, I didn't harden them up first, so I guess we'll have to see if they can hack it outside!!

Brussels here we come!

... brussel sprouts that is!  I sowed some for the first time today, along with some Broccoli, Cabbage and more Carrots.  The Cabbage I sowed a while back now is doing pretty well, in fact. I got down to some weeding as well, and put some slow release fertilisers and weed killer on the lawn.  It's been quite a while between posts ... but i've been out of town!  Got stuck in the volcano saga ... still at least I was at home with my family, so no major crisis ...

Relish those Tomatoes!

Well, here we are ... it's the first jar of Tomato Relish ever!! Obviously, I wanted to make Chutney ... but that was way too much effort. This relish took about 40 mins all up. It's got garlic, tomatoes and chilli from the garden, as well as some dried appricots, sugar, fennel seed and paprika. Tastes yum!

Winter season begins

So, I've planted out some rows of carrots, cabbage, spring onions, spinach, lettuce and peas. I guess it's going to be interesting to see what happens over winter. In particular, the spot where the vege box is doesn't get much sun and, already, it's loosing it. So, i'm not sure how useful it's going to be over winter ... but we'll see!!!

Summer Season Review

So, the summer season is getting close to finished. Here's a round up of things:

1. My tomatoes were a total dead-loss. I grew them from seed in plenty of time for labour day. Too much time, I think. By the time labour day came around, they were already completely overgrown in their pots and probably this stunted them thereafter. Certainly, the plants are pathetic little buggers, even after I put them out into pots. The tomatos also seem waxy, compared with usual and not that great tasting.
2. The carrots and parsnips went pretty well, all things considered. We're still picking them and the snips have fattened up quite a bit. The carrots are mixed, sometimes stunted, sometimes not. But, overall, pretty easy to grow.
   
3. The cabbages didn't get far. Bugs ate them.
   
4. Spinach didn't seem to go very well, it just grew heaps and didn't give that many leaves to eat.
5. The peas grew pretty well, and we got quite a few pods. Not sure that I planted them at the right time of year to maximise production. Also, I didn't do a good job of giving them stuff to climb, which caused problems.
6. The cucumber was a mixed bag. Early on, it was going well. Then, something happened (I think maybe I yanked it a little), and it pretty much stopped. It's back again, with some cucs growing ... but we'll see.
7. Courgettes ... they're so easy! This one plant was probably my most prolific producer over the summer ...
8. But, the capsicum was a dead loss. Not a single one has matured to anything bigger than a pea. Not quite sure why. Certainly, the lack of sun and the abundance of rain was probably a problem ... dunno
9. Garlic was a goodie for me. We've still got several bulbs hanging in the shed. Easy to grow, although it does take a long time. The bulbs didn't fatten up that much, but that was because I planted late. I'll definitely put some more in over winter.
   
10. The basil has definitely a been a winner. Two plants have been producing for me all summer! They're on their last legs now, but I think that's because I didn't water them for a week or so, and they really dried out.
11. The spring onions went ... ok. I didn't plant them very methodically, and so we ended up getting the odd one here and there. But, if you leave them, their blubs really do get quite big!
12. The normal onions were a complete disaster. I pulled up a few last week when I dug over the box. They were still pretty tiny. Only one looked half decent, but still not bigger than a golf ball. They seem to take ages to grow and, frankly, they aint a good option for my limited space.
13. The chilli plant needed better care! First off, it's massive. I should have probably cut the main leader early on, and let it bush up a bit. And, I only did one around of manual pollination and ... only one chilli actually grew :( So, i'm thinking of either taking a cutting, or saving the seed from that single chilli and growing in a smaller pot.
    
14. The lettuces went pretty well ... but again needed more care. I just let them grow and grow and grow! Next year, I think we'll get a half wine barrel and put them in that ...
15. Brocolli did good. But, I planted them all at the same time, and we ended up with a whole heap of brocolli at the same time ... much of which was wasted. It also takes up quite a lot of space, I have to say, for what it delivers. Probably not the best option for our limited space ...
    
16. The goosebury bush has set in well, and hopefully next year it'll be a goer. We got a couple of gooseburies but that's all.
17. The strawberries were a mixed bag. Certainly, the plants produced fruit. But, I need to do the netting better, as it's really restricting the plant. Also, they're in a pot, but the shoots are coming out everywhere and getting into other pots! I'll probably just digg them in directly around my box.
    

Anyway, I think that covers it all ...

On the whole, some things I'll do again (e.g. carrots), while others (e.g. onions) I won't.

The Butterfly has Landed!

So, it's been a whiley ... somehow time flies. The garden was a complete mess, now i've dug just about everything up. The cabbages are a gonna ... eaten alive, so to speak. Anyway, here's a little something I found in the garden:



That's macro mode for you!