Broccoli and Garlic

More broccoli and this year's garlic has gone in. With the warmer weather extending longer into Autumn this year, hopefully the garlic bulbs will be forgiving about being planted at the latter end of the ideal planting time. This year I have planted a block planting of garlic, in rows in the newly reassigned her bed (I have been asked not to plant vegetables in there anymore as it is partially under the washing line and it seems that my vegetables can get quite big and even at full hoist, the clothes brush against the plants).

I have put in some garlic kept from last year's crop which was a purple skinned variety, as well as some store bought Australian grown organic purple and white varieties. Hopefully they will grow well there and provide some insect protection as well. Last year I had them in rows at the edge of the vegetable beds and found the insect repelling properties working well. We are yet to see if the shift to a separate bed will have any impact on the insects.

More broccoli went in a few weeks ago, nestled amongst coriander (for the smell to discourage cabbage butterfly), ruby chard and green and red varieties of lettuce (to visually distract cabbage butterfly). My family loves broccoli so it is a welcome addition to the garden. I have sown a few different varieties of seeds, although failed to label them after sowing the seeds in the paper pots... there is a purple variety and a green and cauliflower as well if I remember correctly! I'm sure we'll have no problems eating whatever grows.

Now that I have two children helping themselves to produce straight from the garden, perhaps I should be planning for double to broccoli than last year... better get to making more paper pots and sowing seeds.


PJG