06 July 2015

Garden Share Collective - July 2015

Hello everyone and welcome to another round of Garden Share Collective hosted by Kate, Kyrstie and Lizzie.
The month of June was a slow one, workwise, in the garden and a dry one too, with just over 16mm of rain recorded for the month.
 
The peas that I sowed in May have sprouted with about a 95% germination rate.
Melting Mammoth snowpeas.

The Green dragon broccoli hasn't done anywhere near as well this winter, they are only 1/3 of the size of the ones I grew last year and the heads are tiny.
I'm hoping they will get a little bigger than this before they have to be cut.
 
The Green Sprouting broccoli is coming on.
Broccoli in May on the left and June on the right.
As is the cauliflower.
The rhubarb is still producing stems, normally by this time of the year it has died down, but with the weather being all over the place as it has been I'm not surprised the poor plant is confused.
I have self-seeded tomatoes popping up all over the place, some of which are flowering. At last count, there were fourteen, if they all survive I won't have to worry about seeds or seedlings come spring. 
I pruned the grapevine back and I'm thinking I might have cut it back too far, I guess only time will tell. I will be repotting it into a half wine barrel soon and if it doesn't give me any fruit this year (it's five years old) it will be going into the compost.

Harvesting

I had a very small harvest of ginger, I had been expecting more considering how lush the plant was.
Apart from the ginger, pickings have been slim, almost non-existent this month, hopefully things will get a move on in the garden and next month's harvest will be bigger and better.

Planting 

I finally got around to planting the potatoes, 6 each of, Kestrel, Blue Royal, and Red Delight and that's it, it's just a matter of waiting now.
 
My hens Rosie and Ginger have been through their moult and they looked very tatty this year. The feathers have grown back now and they are looking like their old selves again, I just wish they would start laying.
Rosie and Ginger doing their best to turn over the new compost bin.
That's it for this month, I will see you all again next month.

17 comments:

  1. Hi Jan,I live in Adelaide and looking at your garden it is very similar to mine this time of year. Love your pea trellis, I will have to keep my eye open for an old mattress!

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    1. I got my innersprings from the local community house. Someone had dumped them over the weekend which is a big no-no, but a win for me.

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  2. I really love the old bed frame with springs for your peas to climb, so cool. Loving your garden and great to hear you are still getting some rhubarb in.

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    1. Thanks Lizzie, hope you're settling into your new place all right.

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  3. Is that a bedframe trellis? It looks wonderful. What a brilliant idea.

    My chooks are off the lay too. It's so frustrating.

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    1. Yes Kate, they are innersprings. I love they way they look in the garden, and will be keeping my eye out for more. This is the longest my chickens have been off the lay, but they are 3 now so I guess the older they get, the longer they will take to get back to laying

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  4. I love the pea climbing frame you have recycled. It looks great.Good luck with your grape vine, we have a similar issue. Ours is a couple of years in and still no fruit, I think mine will head to compost too if it doesn't earn it's keep

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    1. The grapevine is so frustrating, I'm just hoping with more room to grow it will come good.

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  5. I love the peas growing up the old mattress. Great work re-purposing.

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  6. I love that bed frame too ... it looks fab. Great germination rate too! My brassicas are on the small side this year also - but then I did plant them late. I would love to grow ginger, but it just doesn't get warm enough. Good to see that your chooks have their plummage back :) Happy gardening

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    1. I planted my brassicas late too, I think the soil was probably a bit too cold to get them off to a good start, something I will have to keep in mind for next year.

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  7. is that an old be inner spring in your first pic, used as a trellis? inspired! I love it!! and i'm a sucker for a chook pic; they're industrious looking gals.
    your ruhubarb looks very healthy; mine has gone to sleep for the winter.

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    1. Yes e, that is an old inner spring, I'm very much into repurposing these days, trying to cut down on the amount we send to landfill. My hens are very industrious, sometimes a little too much, the holes they can dig are amazing.

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  8. I add my voice to the lovely pea trellis! Also, the picture of your broccoli is so artistic! It's always a tough call whether to keep nursing a plant along or give it the old heave ho. I'm a soft touch with some of mine, but I need to start being more authoritative! :)

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    1. I agree it is a tough call, I think I will give a few more days and if it doesn't get any bigger I will cut it.

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  9. Your garden is looking great and I really love how you used the old innerspring for growing your peas on! Your broccoli may be small but still looks yum, mine didn't do any good this year because of grey aphid. My rhubarb never does much good in the summer, just way too hot i think, but is going great now. Love the pic of Rosie and Ginger :)

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