Planting for Spring

It's hard to believe that Thursday was a glorious 25 degrees C, Friday was zero and diabolical, and today is clear and sunny again. They say rude things about Victoria's weather, 'where you can get three seasons in one day'. Actually, it can be pretty true.

The vegetable garden has been cleaned out and some of it planted up. It's not a big one, maybe 4 X 5 metres, but I sure try to pack heaps in together. We built it onto the side of the house, for ease of watering and nicking out at dinner time for a quick pick. Broccoli and lettuce, etc, can be 15 minutes from garden to table, or less! Just long enough to wash the dirt off.

You can sure taste the difference..............

This is our second year in this spot. I mulched it well last year to keep the weeds down, and that worked a treat, plus it kept the soil cool and moist.

Now it has rotted down, it has been turned into the soil as compost, and a new layer will be put on top once everything is planted.

If you don't produce, you're out!

I still have broccoli, silver beet, cos lettuce and rocket (seeded from last year), chives, parsley, asparagus, leeks and some slow growing brussell sprouts which are taking forever!

New additions are eggplant, cucumber, tomatoes, capsicum. There's more to plant, but now I have to get clever to fit it all in!

The Berry Run, just starting to shoot.

At the end, we have a 'berry run', with raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, gooseberries and black currants, all fighting for space. I have two boysenberries elsewhere which I might bring closer to the easy watering spaces nearby.

The blackbirds love the berries, but will have to find their way through the bird nets when they start to mature.

I also put rubber snakes in to deter them from digging the soil of the plants, but found one almost almost chatting to one last year! So much for that idea.

We fenced it all with mesh to keep the crazy teenager out. She's such a busy girl, and loves to roar through the gardens. Nothing is sacred!

"If vegetarians eat vegetables, what do humanitarians eat?"
......Author Unknown