One perfect ear of corn

What's been Growing?

Lately I have to admit I have not been putting time into gardening instead I have been growing and caring for this little one

Meet Archer, he will be 9 months old tomorrow.
Wade has put in some time in the garden in the past year, but mostly to maintain the necessities rather than new projects. We have been pleasantly surprised to see that some of the foundational parts of our garden are able to function without our attention and we have harvested food this summer even with out putting time into cultivation. Summer fruit, plums, nectarines, a few apples and berries. Always herbs, oregano, thyme, rosemary, marjoram, parsley, chives and basil and veggies, cucumber, tomatoes, pumpkin, spring onion, zucchini and corn.
A lot of the vegetables are possible due to seedlings bought at the farmers markets,  planted and forgotten. So thank you Laurel and your stallholders for starting our seedlings for us! otherwise the garden could have been very bare.

Snow Day

We didn't really believe that the forecast cold snap could lead to snow, but it surely did. For the novelty value alone, a bit exciting, the snow on the 11 October was more than Glen Innes has had since we've lived here. The aftermath for the garden much less exiting, a few of the seedlings Wade had in died. We did cover them all in some fashion, plastic bottle houses or hesin netting, but lost some basil, all of the zucchini and cucumber seedlings and half of the tomatoes.

Late the night before, when the snow was definitely on its way, Wade and I went out and wrapped some of the apple blossoms in cling film, whether this helped, I can't say, it is the thought that counts I hope.

Comfrey + snow

This vegetable bed lost the most seedlings.

The cat's footprints on the table. Yoshi was totally unimpressed by this and stalked straight back into the house.
 

The weather did set the garden back a bit, but at least it is still only October, I remember a few years ago when Dad got snow in Black mountain on the 14 of November, now if it snows for us again next month, then the veggies might really have some trouble.

October 2012

When Wade and I had the camera out  in the front

garden we thought we would take some comparison photos, to match those posted from October 2010. I don't really think it is any better looking, but alot of the plants have grown and settled in; and, we have more food production happening in this area now than prior to the 2010 landscaping.

In this bed: Garlic, parsley, oregano, thyme and perpetual spinach. I see bit of yarrow in the corner too and surrounded by strawberries.

Wisteria smells wonderful this time of year,this photo taken facing south. 

Facing north, the gate and and frame we like to consider one of our landscaping successes.

Blossoms

The espalier apples are blooming well this season.  Four of the five trees have blossoms and depending on the rate at which the fruit set, we may have a sizable apple harvest.

 

This shot even has a bee busy doing the pollination thing. Can't ask for any better than that!

We were so excited last year to get a dozen apples, so merriment is likely to ensue. The final picture here includes the two beleaguered pear trees along the fence line, the line continues down to the five apples all in a row, this is on the eastern side of our property. Thanks to Wade for the photos - well and for growing them aswell.

 

Berry Jungle

A Michalie's eye view - while sitting on the path weeding.

Our strawberries and raspberries are a jungle in the front yard!

About a week ago I had a few quiet hours and spent them in our front yard. Last seasons raspberry canes are budding again and new canes are coming up from runners as well. The older canes will give our first fruit, they can be seen above, reaching toward the power line, and new canes that we let grow up might give us a little harvest when the older canes are ready to fruit a second time late in the season. I needed to get out there and cut out the dead wood and plan which new canes we would keep for fruiting.

My mission may have been the raspberries but I was soon stuck into our emerging strawberry problem. They are growing like weeds! Clearly, being forest floor plants the strawbs don't mind the wood chips we have spread and now they are growing vigorously, all over the raspberries, our struggling blueberries and even in between the paving bricks.

I pulled out the runners which hadn't established well yet and hadn't flowered. It did feel a bit wasteful, because fresh berries from the garden are the best - but there are so many bushes around now, all about to fruit, that I think we won't be able to keep up with picking them, most of the fruits could get lost and pest eaten.   

So I gave bags of bare rooted runners to Dave and Jane and Sunny and potted a couple of extra for home, if they take, they may find themselves at the farmers market.

Apples

2012 - First Apples!

This photo is a few months old, at the beginning of the fruit ripening. Our last ripe apple we ate a fortnight ago, and I think we were excited each time. We picked about 12 apples, from 2 of the trees, the other 3 trees might step up for next year, who knows.