Here's my broccoli bed all ready to go when the seedlings are ready, it also has a random collection of other things - artichokes, chillis, capsicum and either turnips or swedes. I planted both but only one came up. Think it was the swedes but I'm not 100% sure - time will tell. I like a bit of mystery in my life. The background is a bit embarrassing, lots of things that should be put away properly but never are. It's all hidden behind the garage so no-one but me usually sees it.
At the end of the garlic bed I have a bit of silverbeet for the chooks, some snowpeas coming up and, in pots at the end, my collection of pineapple tops that I'm hoping will eventually bear new pineapples.
And here is the great carrot experiment, looking pretty good so far. I filled our old bath full of 80/20 sand that came with the new turf and they really seem to like it in there. It drains fantastically and is netted to keep Chloe the Chook rabbit out. It does need a bit more sun so I will get Hubby to remove some Jacaranda limbs at the weekend. Hopefully that will reduce the pigeon poo on the laundry at the same time.
This is my winter potato bed, I know I've planted them a bit early but it worked well last year so I did it again. Can't remember what sorts they are - some Dutch Cream (my favourite) something red and there is a trench left for my Kipflers when they've chitted a bit longer.
I'm not 100% sure about growing things in polystyrene boxes but at least they don't go into landfill and it gives loads more space for winter greens. In these three I have Corn Salad (Mache), English Spinach, Wild Rocket(Aragula) and Amish Deer Tongue Lettuce.
And alongside the broad beans is the garlic bed, I am staggering the planting a bit so that we don't have it ripen all at once and then start sprouting too soon at the end of the year. So far I have three rows that have come up and there are another two to go. I will also be squeezing it in wherever there are a few spare cm of space as you can NEVER have too much garlic.
I am using it in the chooks' water containers at the moment to try and prevent winter ailments - I've lost 3 chooks this year already and I don't want to make it 4.
13 comments:
The garden looks wonderful and autumy. Hope the chooks and the chookbunny stay out of everything and it produces well :)
It does look very autumny.
That bloody rabbit will undoubtedly get in there and destroy things, she has chewed up the strings for the turnips and broad beans twice already. What sort of idiot would have a free range rabbit!
Cooool, i was so impressed and jealous of the pics I haven't even read the whole post yet. hehe. I might end up having to do what you've done, fencing off the garden with chicken wire and pickets.. the chooks are making it impossible for me to raise seeds or even seedlings... bit of a nightmare really. I was so excited to try growing my own wheat and I used all my seeds, then the chooks totally scratched it all up and ruined it hahaha.
: D
oh well back to reading your post anyway!
Yes Rolley, freeranging chooks are a nice idea but in a suburban backyard the mess and destruction are horrendous. We tried it for a while but everything was covered in poo and we had nothing left in the vege patch so now they have a nice run under the natives and fruit trees at the back of the garden. And I have a vege patch with food in it!
Looking good! I read some stuff about toxins leaching out of foam boxes when sitting there in the sun, but then, probably articles/ websites saying it's OK!?!
Yes Dixibelle I had a feeling that would be the case, if I had thought about it more I would have lined them with black polythene or something.
Actually I bought an old laundry tub and a barrel recently so maybe I should use those instead for my salad greens. Just need to squeeze them through the gate so the b****y chooks and rabbit can't get at them.
Your garden looks fantastic, and reminds me to put my garlic in!
It's looking fantastic! I put garlic in my chook water too. Sorry that you've lost 3 chooks :(
Our free range chooks do a bit of damage but as they're bantams, it's not too bad nothing we can't recover from. Am thinking about netting off the long planter though.
Looking Great!
I love the autumn garden, so much is happening.
You look like you will be keep well in food this winter!
Emily
I like the garlic in the chooks water idea. And hearing of another Mrs Bok using it says I better too.
Your garden looks so productive.
I put garlic in my chook water too. Sorry to hear about the loss of your chooks :( It's awful. What happened with them?
No idea how you get carrots to grow, mine never do any good although that may be attributable to hard clay soil that never loosens no matter what I do...and those pesky chickens!
Intrigued that you grow your potatoes so soon. Does the frost get to them at all? Maybe I'll give it a go too!
I know I commented earlier in April up there my brain isn't that bad (yet) but re-reading your post gave me new questions! Potatoes!
No probs Mrs Bok - we don't get frosts in our garden, it is very sheltered. I have had ice on my car windscreen once in the 12 years we've lived here but that's it. My winter potatoes are way better than the ones I do later in the year, I think the humidity kills them.
I have failed with carrots for years, mainly because I have no patience and yank them out too soon. This year I've planted them in an old bath in 80/20 sand mixture and i am just leaving them alone - mostly. They certainly won't like clay - have you tried gypsum?
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