Despite the rain we have had the last couple of days, the
new garden is slowly coming together and starting to look quite spiffy. In
between showers I have been nibbling away at it and have almost half of it done
(well, as done as I can do lol). Today was a busy day but I did manage to get
most of the concrete tub filled so I will finally be able to plant my asparagus
in it now which is a relief. The plants have had a growth spurt and are getting
rather big so it will be nice to free them from their pots. I used a layering
system for filling the tubs...hay, compost, carbon rich material, manure and I
will also dig in some of my own compost which should hopefully give the plants
a good medium to grow in.
I did have someone mention that sometimes hay can
have a lot of seeds and straw might be better, but for me it has worked well as
a mulch on the smaller garden with no more weed growth than before it was put
on. Whether I have just been really lucky, the chooks have eaten it before it
gets to the garden or if it is because we have such a diverse bird life here and
the seeds just don’t stand a chance I don’t know. What I do know is it gets
used first as chook bedding, then as a manure rich mulch and finally it will be
turned into the soil to compost down...so far, for me it has been a great
addition to my garden.
I was coaxed into a stroll on the beach the other day so I
took advantage of being there by collecting a bag of colourful stones for the
path. Once we got back I scattered them around the larger stones and they look
so pretty. When it’s been raining, it seems to enhance all the colours and they
look even nicer. Next time I go down I will find a few more to stash away for
when I make some more pavers, I have some cool new ideas I am dying to try out.
Doris has started laying but not in the hut, she does so
under the stairs by my bedroom. I was quite surprised yesterday to see a large
egg nestled behind some driftwood where obviously she had found herself a comfy
spot to do her thing the day before. She was not a happy girl yesterday when I
disturbed her having egg number two so I thought I would keep them in their run a little longer today
to see if she would settle down in the hut. As if a show of protest, there was no
egg for me today but I have left one in the nesting box where she always sits
so hopefully she gets the hint. Her eggs are much bigger than Petunia’s but we are not sizest here, all free range welcome!
I am now waiting in anticipation for my seed order to arrive
from my heirloom lady in Christchurch. As soon as they arrive I will be
planting another lot of seeds for the summer garden which I am keen to finish
tomorrow. It is always so exciting waiting for seeds...it’s like a small packet
of huge potential.
Heirloom Honey and Pearl Corn
Heirloom Golden Bantam Sweet Yellow Corn
Heirloom Mini Sweet Carrots
Crown Prince Pumpkin
Heirloom Early Onward Peas
Heirloom Neekar Golden Runner Bean
Heirloom Teepee Dwarf Bean
Goji Berry
I decided this time I would resist the urge to buy anymore Tomato
seeds considering I have over 20 heirloom types already but my next order might
have one or two as well as heirloom Artichokes, green and purple. While I
always plant a few extra seeds just in case of low germination, usually I end
up with more seedlings than I need. When talking to a friend the other day it
was suggested (as I was going to put them at the gate with a free sign) that
the local kindy and schools had gardens and might appreciate some unusual and
interesting plants to add to them so I now have problem solved and no
waste...yay!
Well, it is now 1am and I better snuggle myself down and get
some sleep if I want to finish this garden tomorrow. I will take some photos
tomorrow to add to the post but for now the bed bugs are calling my name. Hope
everyone has had a fantastic week, Earthlovelive x
