If only there was more time to be in the garden this weekend

With the trees full of blossoms and the sunshine warm and inviting, I am thinking of all of the things I would be doing in the garden this weekend, if only I had more time to be there.

I could be sowing more seeds to grow in the green house. This is where I feel that Spring is really on its way, because seeds of capsicum, cucumber, eggplant, lettuce and tomatoes can all be sown now in a protected area, such as a propagator or green house.

I have moved away from raising seeds in trays lately. A few days too long without water in a seed tray is terribly unforgiving, with a few weeks of growth ending in shriveled sprouts. Instead I have been sowing seeds in a larger pot, then separating the tiny seedlings out into their own pots or the garden once they have taken off. The extra soil depth means the seedlings will survive a little longer.

I could be planting out more pea and snap pea seeds into my garden and in the patch. I think this year I'll make some 'tee-pee' style frames using bamboo stakes or perhaps long A-frames. I am also looking forward to trialling growing beans up corn stalks. I have heard about how they are a great companion, although I haven't actually grown them like that myself yet.

My preferred onions to grow are spring onions, because they grow well and can be used in place of regular onions in most cases. It is a great time to be planting onions, so a few patches of spring onions, especially for sharing in the patch, is called for.

I bought some Jerusalem Artichokes for planting recently and they need to go in the ground pretty quickly. I just need to find a good spot to put them in. I'm really looking forward to seeing their beautiful tall flowers.

Speaking of tubers, I have more potatoes to put in, too. These can be left till next month if you prefer. The soil will be a little warmer then, which is good to kick start their growth.

I think I have done all of my pruning, but now is the time to finish winter pruning fruit trees. Berries that need pruning should be pruned as well. I have some heritage raspberries that I have only had of one fruiting season, so I need to check whether they are considered Summer or Autumn fruiting. Summer fruiting raspberries need last year's fruiting canes to be pruned and the new canes to be left, whereas Autumn raspberries should be cut to the ground.

My nectarine is covered with pink buds, which is a timely reminder that I have not sprayed with a copper fungicidal spray, to help protect against leaf curl. It is also time to spray fruit trees with an oil spray to help protect against aphids. I also plant nasturtiums as a sacrificial plant, as aphids will prefer it. The red ladybugs also eat aphids, so it's good to encourage them into the garden.

So, if I had more time to enjoy the beautiful weather and garden, I would be very busy. But as it is, I will do what I can, and what is most pressing. I'm looking forward to it already.

In the paper again!

With a lot of excitement we opened the Canberra Times Food & Wine today to see another story with our names in it. This one is about our own garden. What a great way to start the day!

Planting potatoes

I don't know what my fascination with potatoes is. We eat them maybe once or twice a week. But I get so excited about growing them.

So I have chitted my potatoes and today I have planted some if them out. We prepared the soil by giving it a good dig over to make it nice and loose and crumbly. My boy and I then had a great time digging out the furrows, like rows of 'dirt castles' and moats in front.

Then the exciting part. The laying out of the spuds. This year I have 7 varieties, for interest and trying new things. I was particularly impressed with the nicola potatoes last year, so we definitely have some more of those in.

A gentle brush of soil on the top, leaving more to cover over the shoots when they sprout through, and there we go.

I still have some more to go in the patch, which we'll probably put in on the weekend, once we work out where to put them!

Berries

I came across these berries this morning and thought they looked just beautiful. I have no idea what they are and I assume they are not edible, but what a striking architectural plant for in the garden or in a vase.

Camellias

That's the view from my bathroom window. It seems the camellia shrub has been in bud for months. Finally I have seen a few tinges of pink, but I know the beautiful blossoms are still over a month away.

I have several other camellias in my garden that have been flowering recently and I can definitely see the appeal of a camellia hedge. Perhaps one day my now quite small white and pink flowering tea camellias will form a delicious hedge for me.

In the meantime, I will still have the amazing flurry of pink in Spring, right outside my bathroom window.

Now that is one big egg

One of my hens has gone above and beyond the call of duty today. We have come to expect large eggs, with the average being 75 grams or more. Our largest egg was a massive 95 grams.

But today I think we'll be dining on eggs, because in the nesting box was an egg weighing 122 grams. That is about twice the weight of a regular supermarket egg. Well done Miss Isa Brown!

My, how we learn...

As the first glimpse of colour emerges from my flowering bulbs, I have been think how my skills as a gardener have grown.

Looking at my ornamental gardens, somewhat disheveled through the dreariness of Winter, I think of how they started. Years ago, my mum gave me several bags of bulbs extracted from her own garden. I think she actually had a chuckle when saw bulbs started sending up green shoots then flowering. I had planted them rather neatly in rows. It looked totally wrong.

Despite my Mum's flair for garden design, I had produced a garden which looked a little strange. As they have set more bulbs and I continue to move and fill spaces they look much more naturalised.

I have learnt so much over the years through trial and error, and most importantly through a great network of fellow gardeners. And I still have much more to learn.

Patch to paper

Well, this gorgeous little patch of our appears to be something a little different and special. In fact, it has caught the eye of a local kitchen garden column writer.

Susan Parsons has written up a story of our patch, with the picture of my lemon meringue pie also appearing on the cover of the Food and Wine section and on the front page of the newspaper! This was in yesterday's Canberra Times (10/8/11).

I am tempted...

This weather is so delicious. I can almost taste a summer harvest as I laze in the warm rays. The trickery of this Winter warmth has made me want to start my summer plantings.

There are so many new seeds in my box that I am looking forward to planting, seeing the growth of different plants and then, finally tasting the produce. But it is just a tease. Soon the weather will be cool again, the mornings frosted and crisp.

The warmth has been a timely reminder that the bleak cold days and slow growth does cease. Not long ago I bought some seedlings. (gasp!) At this time of year, germination takes much longer than in the warmer months, even for over-wintering veg. This warm spell has reminded me that it won't be long until my children and I can get out the seed trays again and get sowing.

Spring is in the air today

It is still Winter. I know that. But my, my! What a glorious day it is today!

Walking my girl to school was an absolute delight in the cool air but warm sun. Then, while tidying up the cane berries and bramble berries, I noticed a ladybug. A gorgeous yellow and black ladybug. Spring really is in the air today.