Weed, dig, plant

Planted out, ready for mulching with sugar cane


Lettuce, strawberries, eggplant


Cherry tomato seedlings prior to staking

I've been putting my Winter veggie garden plans into practice. While the soil was still wet after the rain, Dave and I got out in the garden on the weekend and undertook an exercise in weeding. Phew. Eight weeks post-surgery, it was my first really physical undertaking, which my body kept reminding me of yesterday. I removed the remains of the spent veggie plants from the bed above - leaving only the basil and one lettuce behind - in preparation of a Winter planting.

We piled everything up over the stumps of the palm trees previously cut down in that corner, in order to open air compost the weeds and encourage the palm stumps to rot down. While turning the soil with a garden fork, I unearthed so many fat, healthy worms and even a Delma tincta legless lizard. Only one bed currently remains in use, as I wait and hope that the five watermelons on the vine will finish ripening soon. After a trip to the nursery, I planted out ten strawberry plants, an eggplant, a capsicum and eight cherry tomato seedlings. It's so satisfying to get my hands dirty and see this garden bed taking shape.

The paper pots above contain seeds of Allysium, Snap Dragon and a Cottage Mix that I had in the cupboard. I have sprinkled more into a few large pots in the hopes of some Winter colour. Also during my nursery trip, I picked up several more packets of vegetable and herb seeds. Potting them up, in the pots saved from the new plants above, is next on my list. I spent a total of $54 on the plants, seeds and potting mix yesterday. I am hoping that the eventual harvest will outweigh the investment - providing us with food and off-setting our grocery budget. I shall keep you posted.

Have you been out in the garden lately?
Are you growing Winter vegetables?
Any advice?

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From the very first night we moved in, the new house has felt like home. Perhaps because we have been coming and going the past two months while renovating, or perhaps because we are unpacked and surrounded by our familiar items, or maybe it’s because I dreamt about it so often while we waited, trying to imagine how it would look and where things would go? But never before have we settled in anywhere quite so easily or so quickly.

While there is still so much that wants doing, we are in no rush. In the meantime I have been resting, baking, crocheting, reading, planting seeds in newspaper pots and turning over a corner of the garden in anticipation of a veggie patch. We have joined a play group, I’ve joined a book club and Cohen has gone into his toddler bed without any fuss. The nursery is coming together and I’m 22 weeks and 2 days along and enjoying every bump, kick and turn I can feel and occasionally even see.

Things may still be quiet around here for a while, as our internet could take up to a month to be connected. I hope all is well with all of you and I look forward to catching up on blogs and emails soon.