The first of our three veggie garden beds at the moment.
The garden bed when we moved in, empty except for weeds, a stump and some palm trees.
Parsley, violet, basil and mint
Strawberries, lettuce, egg plant, capsicum and a dwarf mandarin
Cherry tomato, snow peas and the compost bin
Self seeded tomatoes in the lawn.
Yesterday our mortgage broker sent us an email to congratulate us on the first anniversary of buying this house. It was a few months after settlement that we actually moved in, because we needed to undertake some major renovations. I remember I couldn't wait to get started on creating a garden, despite being pregnant. That excitement remains. I thought we'd take a wander in the garden today, as I've had a few requests to see photos of the veggie beds.
There's a lot going on in preparation for Spring, so I'll just share the first of the three beds today. I started work on the first veggie patch in November last year, but it was destroyed by falling branches during tree lopping. I began again in this corner instead, watching the garden grow as my tummy did. Tottering back and forth with a full watering can because we didn't have a hose long enough to reach. Eventually there were as many weeds as intentional plants, as I could no longer bend my pregnant body over for long enough periods to weed, but still there was a harvest and I was incredibly pleased.
This is the second incarnation of this bed and it is currently full of strawberries in flower, the first green fruits showing, thus the bird netting. Along the front, violets have recently been added for colour, alternated with the herbs. A practice I picked up from a friend. The cherry tomato plants are looking much healthier than my last lot of tomato I planted, which succumbed to disease. They also succumbed to a possum, who would leave the half eaten fruit scattered on the lawn. When I noticed two tomato seedlings coming up in the middle of the lawn I encouraged Dave not to mow over the small plants by staking them. They are now in flower, the clever things. (There are more tomatoes in the second veggie bed.) I threw in a few snow peas in the place of the cherry tomato seedling I did loose. Since starting the garden we have had a year round supply of lettuce and basil, which I have only just cut back.
There's a lot going on in preparation for Spring, so I'll just share the first of the three beds today. I started work on the first veggie patch in November last year, but it was destroyed by falling branches during tree lopping. I began again in this corner instead, watching the garden grow as my tummy did. Tottering back and forth with a full watering can because we didn't have a hose long enough to reach. Eventually there were as many weeds as intentional plants, as I could no longer bend my pregnant body over for long enough periods to weed, but still there was a harvest and I was incredibly pleased.
This is the second incarnation of this bed and it is currently full of strawberries in flower, the first green fruits showing, thus the bird netting. Along the front, violets have recently been added for colour, alternated with the herbs. A practice I picked up from a friend. The cherry tomato plants are looking much healthier than my last lot of tomato I planted, which succumbed to disease. They also succumbed to a possum, who would leave the half eaten fruit scattered on the lawn. When I noticed two tomato seedlings coming up in the middle of the lawn I encouraged Dave not to mow over the small plants by staking them. They are now in flower, the clever things. (There are more tomatoes in the second veggie bed.) I threw in a few snow peas in the place of the cherry tomato seedling I did loose. Since starting the garden we have had a year round supply of lettuce and basil, which I have only just cut back.
It may not be the most beautiful veggie garden, but it is slowly growing in to the kind of garden I envisioned and I can see it's charms. I love spending a little time here each day checking the plants, pulling the weeds and day dreaming about what Spring will bring with it.
