2007

Well here we are mid February 2007, the weather has been quite mixed warm and sunny, grey, frost and snow.
The garden and the allotments(I have 2 now) are beginning to spring into life. My main plot has certainly come on since my last posts-all beds are now dug or layer mulched, some now covered in carpet to start warming the soil for early sowings.
Today I planted my shallots, Jerusalem artichokes and the last of my garlic-not sure if I'm too late but we'll see.

The allotment has become very popular with another 3 folk taking on plots since October, its nice to have other folk about to chat to and share the joys and the anguish-normally over the amount of couch grass that we are all suffering from and beavering away quite hard to get rid of- if we ever do!

So here are some of the first pictures of this year showing how I'm getting on.

I spent some time in the garden today-18 February, I'd managed to plant my 2 minarette apple trees-both russets-Herefordshire and Egremont.

So here are some of the flowers and insects that were out in the morning sun.

Australia

Thought I'd post some of the 500+ photos we took whilst on our travels around Australia. We visited Sydney, Blue Mountains, Hamilton Island, Cairns-including the Great Barrier Reef and Rain Forest, Ayers Rock and Melbourne-including the Great Ocean Road and the Yarra Valley.

No prizes for guessing these 2 land marks!

A couple of snaps showing the Blue Mountains including the Three Sisters.

Wonder who these little chaps might be?

Beautiful Whitehaven Beach

Catseye Bay from our apartment on Hamilton Island-one of the Whitsunday Islands

Feathered friends that joined us daily on our balcony!

The Kurunda Scenic Rail upto the rainforest and the scary Skyrail back down again!

A birdseye view of a reef from 15,000 feet up.

And a view from just above the sea.

The Rock and The Olgas

Last days of summer

Over the past 2 days I have spent some serious time in the garden and on the allotment. The weather has been gorgeous, today was warm, sunny and not a breath of wind.
I have mulched the garden, insulated the greenhouse and moved or wrapped anything tender. Even the fuschias are coming into full bloom again. The artichokes that I grew from seed this year have grown enormous and have now developed numerous chokes-I just hope I'll get to eat them before the frost gets them!


On the allotment-I have done some more layer mulching, planted my garlic and sown some broad beans-this is the first time I've tried over wintering beans so its a bit of an experiment!
Even the caterpillars are back for another feast on my cabbages. But the rainbow chard looks lovely lit by the autumn sun.

Progess is made-October 2006

I finally feel that progress has been made and the plot looks more like a plot. I have started layer mulching the last 2 beds-as there is little couch grass and bindweed, just the general run of the mill weeds. Found a great pile of horse muck that had rotted down well and this is now being piles onto cardboard.
I have rescued about 12 raspberry canes and some strawberry plants from an abandoned plot, not sure if its the best time for transplanting them but others seem to have done the same. Still some TLC will see them through the winter. I also moved some comfrey from said abandoned plot, so my fruit bed is now developing. I already have a gooseberry bush courtesy of mum. I also have a wonderful blackberry bush from my neighbour, they're the best berries I've ever tasted.

Permaculture Project

Over the past few months I have become increasingly interested in permaculture, so after reading a couple of books-Permaculture in a Nutshell and The Earthcare Manual both by Patrick Whitefield plus reading the Permaculture Magazine, I found myself on an introductory course down on the Gower Peninsula in South Wales for a weekend in September. I was truly inspired by all those I met-both young and more mature and all with 1 aim to help better the planet. Once home I got in touch with a local group that is in its infancy. The group has the use of a 5 acre field courtesy of an interested and supportive farmer and his family. The groups aim is to develop the site along permaculture principles and grow as much organic veg and fruit to sell to the local community both at local markets and in the farm shop. I have added some photos of the field on my first visit, there is much to be done, including renovating the old field shelter, put up a polytunnel when funds permit, layer mulch the growing beds, plant a native hedgerow and create a small forest garden. Someone is also aiming to build a round house. Ambitious or what, hopefully as the site develops I'll be able to post more photos. Keep watching.

Update

After a visit from the parents a couple of weekends ago great strides were made to make the plot look like a plot. Mum had got the lines out to make straight edges-whereas I was just going by more good luck than judgement. I can see i'll have to make more use of the lines from now on. Dad managed to edge quite a bit of the plot and later on sharpened all my tools with a new stone I'd bought-hence the shears and secateurs cut rather than hack!
I must get up to the plot tomorrow as I haven't been for over a week-visited gardens in Cornwall-Eden, Heligan and a Japanese garden-all very inspirational in different ways. Once the photos are installed I can post some here. However, Dread to think what state its in, I did leave it fairly weed free and watered and growing well.