Yesterday we discovered the first beans, only one is ready for harvest, a yellow butterbean. But I consider it a great start and there are plenty of flowers for more to follow. The climbing beans are utilising the banboo poles and growing past the top with their shoots looking for the next benture post. I am not sure whether to cut off the shoots at the top to encourage them to grow side shoots and more flowers there. I am grateful that google and the many gardening links give me such helpful gardening resources.
And I treasure the support from friendly gardeners at Permaculture West and Grow it Yourself Australia. I am committed to establishing a local group of people who grow their own food in my neighbourhood. This has the aim to share experiences, seeds and seedlings; to pass on excess harvest, if any; and to simply broaden my network and connections in my suburb. I see more and more raised garden beds popping up on the verge and there still are the old Italian, Serbian and Greek growers that use their suburban block for vegetable gardening, growing chillies, artichokes, eggplant and heaps of tomatoes. I want to connect these neighbours and bring the growing community together. But that needs a bit of work and plenty of time, letter dropping, writing articles for the local community newspaper. I decided to start with a flyer to give out on the Open Day of my friendly Loftus Community Centre on 19 February and put up some flyers at the local shop and the local library. Taking things easy is the motto: Slow food and slow growth.
The jarrah saw dust has composted well. I mixed it in with plenty of leaves, dirt I swept together from under the clothes line and a big bucket of emu manure that I soaked well overnight. The small flakes of the jarrah sawdust ghave a great texture to the compost, also it soaked up a lot of moisture. I also cleared out the worm farm and added the mixture to the compost. Then I added some bentonite clay from my cat litter box and some epson salt/magnesium.
Two big pots of compost as a result of only two weeks turning of the compost barrel. I cover the compost with some cardboard and carpet during daytime, but still some moisture escapes, might think about a better design and have earmarked an old small rubbish bin to keep the compost until it is needed. But I read it is much better to use it right away than saving it for some later days.
Two big pots of compost as a result of only two weeks turning of the compost barrel. I cover the compost with some cardboard and carpet during daytime, but still some moisture escapes, might think about a better design and have earmarked an old small rubbish bin to keep the compost until it is needed. But I read it is much better to use it right away than saving it for some later days.
I am looking forward to the first crops growing in the compost and planted another lot of tomatoes in the corner of one of the raised garden beds. But the sun is still very hot and they did not survive their first night well. I hope that shade cloth will give them a bit of relief.
The new moon has brought us the Year of the Rabbit. I let the first period for planting in February go without much work bacause of ongoing 35 degrees and a hot sun. I am pleased that we were spared from high winds and cyclone Bianca. Although we had a bit of wind, the big ficus still worked well as wind break in our garden. That big tree will certainly escape the chop when we tidy up the back of the block to prepare for fruit trees before the rain comes.
It's time to plan the winter crop and I have taken some leave after dental sugery. If only my brain would work with the pain killers.
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