Thursday, October 01, 2009

Food for the Future

We've been busy this week! Lovely Spring weather - sunny days, occasional rain, and life seems to be bursting from every branch and the warming soil.
Gradually growing in size over recent months has been this large heap of discarded plants and tree prunings, and the occasional nasty surprise like rose branches full of thorns and ornamental grasses (Miscanthus), which is impossible to shred without bringing the mulcher to an abrupt standstill.
So, on Tuesday morning this was the heap......

...... and five hours later

this was the result.....except for what was embedded in my hair and down my shirt!

In two or three months it will resemble what Kerri calls 'black gold' and help produce more

Lettuces...


Broad Beans,

Tomatoes (in black pots for protection and to direct water to the roots), Spring onions and rampant Parsley

and even more onions. Irises by the fence seem to be thriving without any 'black gold'.

Plus the carrots, parsnips, French beans, peas, potatoes, beetroot, strawberries, spinach and silverbeet that are also coming through.
So after all that activity, we're heading back to Victoria tomorrow with friends to spend a week exploring those beautiful old towns, delightful gardens and magnificent scenery.
Oh, it's a hard life....but we're ready for the challenge.....lol.
I hope you all have a great week, too.

9 comments:

Laura in Paris said...

Oh, your kitchen garden is lovely! But it's so much work ...

RachelD said...

Oh, my! What a beautiful garden!!

I haven't seen so much gorgeous lettuce growing in one spot since our big ole 3-acre garden in Mississippi.

And it IS work, and worth it for the rewards. One of which we look forward to eagerly is:

http://lawntea.blogspot.com/2009/06/wilted-lettuce-salad.html

I don't know if you joined us before I posted this or not. Anyway, it's delicious, and I hope you'll try it just once during the season.

Have a wonderful holiday!!

rachel

Bernie said...

Your garden is absolutely wonderful, and you will enjoy the great taste home grown food...love it.
Enjoy your time away Alice, I too am going away for a few days, will be back Tuesday.......:-) Hugs

Ozjane said...

Oh dear.......that does make my mulched vegie patch look sad.
But I do have tomatoes on one tomato plant in a pot and lots of parsley outside the sliding door in pots.
Need to repot lettuce which has gone to seed.
Very impressive.

Kerri said...

Looking out our windows at yet another drab, dreary, wet, miserable weather day here in upstate NY (7 days in a row! Arrgh!), I have this huge urge to hop on a plane (with the faithful helper, of course) and head for your corner of the world!
A stroll through your beautiful flower garden and Richard's veggie garden would be just the thing for chasing away the pre-winter blues :)
But you're off galivanting, so that puts the kybosh on that impulsive idea.
Oh well, I'll just have to be content to enjoy a virtual stroll through your lovely, springy pictures.
Have fun dear Alice (and Richard), and thanks for the link :)

Puss-in-Boots said...

That reminds me when we were on the farm and I had wonderful vege garden. Yours is fabulous and you're going to have a bumper crop with all that lovely compost...I'll be down to get some fresh veges!

diane b said...

I envy your vegy garden. I've only just started but having trouble getting the soil right. But I am determined to find a solution.
have a nice week away. I love Victoria for holidays Well be there for Christmas.

Barbara said...

I am impressed to see your neat and well organized vegetable garden, dear Alice! And next Spring I'll copy your "tomatoe-pots" planted in the garden too ;-). Up to now I had my tomatoes just in pots, but not planted in the garden soil (they got less this "blackspot" disease as I found out).

Meggie said...

Thankyou for sharing your wonderful garden! A good tip I can use for the tomatoes.