Mini backyard veggie plot…

When we finally settled back home after 6 years of roaming around I made two decisions

1. I would not have a vegetable garden…
2. I would not grow things in pots…

I would keep the garden easy care…

But 3 months later just look…

If you have seen previous posts about my garden (here and here) you may remember the front garden is a tropical style with lots of trees and palms shading a large area. Ferns, bromeliads and other exotic species cluster in the shade. It is riddled with tree roots and tends to get very dry. Not the best conditions for growing vegetables.

But, the back garden’s smaller and gets the sun most of the day, especially near Jack’s fish ponds. I’ve suggested we take out the ponds and turn that area into raised beds. But Jack loves his fish and water lilies.

So the solution : veggies in pots standing around the fish pond…

Above is my tomatoe forest, planted 6 weeks ago with parsley and rocket to keep them company.

This is the second crop of lettuce. Autumn and winter are the best time to grow vegetables. Summer is just too hot and humid and all the pests and diseases proliferate and consume or kill the produce before we can.

Tish over at “Tish Farrell” did an inspirational post about growing her radishes in pots, accompanied with mouth-watering photos (take a look). So here they are Tish only 6 days old. The garden in pots is expanding in all directions.

Another cluster of seedlings sun themselves under another tomatoe. Waiting to be potted on into larger permanent pots. Silver beet, land cress, more parsley, the radish sharing the container with coriander and at the front pansies being hardened off before going into a garden bed in the front garden. My nod to spring in the tropics.

But just a minute what can I see…

Let’s look closer…

Oh no!!! Some thing has been nibbling.

I look around and next to this tomatoe is my lemon tree in a pot and the lemons are starting to colour up.

But then I see it. I have never seen anything like this before. I imagine it will be a beautiful butterfly. So I am happy to share some of the tomatoes with him.

I’ve also put a mild chilly plant in a pot.

Spinach does not like the warm tropical climate. To grow well it needs a colder winter. But I have found a species called Ceylon Spinach ( Basella alba is an edible perennial vine in the family Basellaceae) It is not a true spinach but tastes similar and is used in the same way. But most importantly it thrives in the tropics. It is a vine and I have put it beside a post it can climb up.

So I guess I have tied myself to the garden for a while. Winter is traditionally the dry season in this area, so I will need to be here to keep pots watered.

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I have included some close ups to join in with Jude’s “garden photography challenge”. This is the last week for her close up theme.

Garden Makeover

The rain settled in for almost 24 hours on Saturday. A fine soft mist that soaked into the soil and washed all the dust off the trees and plants and came at just the right time to prepare the area previously shaded by the palms. (go here to see the palms being cut down) 48mm fell that also filled the rain water tank.

The area had been a shade garden and now bathed in sunlight it needed a make over.

On a visit to Bunnings, the large, local hardware and nursery store, I found some gems. Hidden away on shelves at the back of the nursery section they stacked the unloved plants, pot-bound and drooping waiting for some one to rescue them and give them some TLC. Instead of being $10 to $15 each they were $2 to $4. Just what I needed. Daisies, Petunias and Pentas all sun-loving and cheerful colours.

After an overnight soak in water and Seasol and all the dead heads cut off they bounced back to exuberant life.

before the palms came down a shady area

Can you see the palm stump almost hidden by bromeliads

This is now a sunny spot

In a few weeks I hope this will be a blaze of colour

2 palms round the back did not get cut right down, now they have young stag horns on them

 

I am missing all the beautiful vegetables we had at Malanda. Our garden does not have a suitable spot or the room to put a full size veggie garden so I have compromised with some lettuce, rocket and basil in a Styrofoam box I brought home from the fruit market. Remember the Black Russian tomatoes? (go here to see them) I took some of the laterals and potted them up. They are growing well so they are now in larger pots and I hope they will produce some of the delicious tomatoes like we had at Malanda

Using a broccoli box from the fruit and veg shop to grow lettuce

Lettuce,rocket and basil in a Styrofoam box

Black Russian tomatoe cuttings I brought home from the house sit at Malanda

Tomatoes and basil

More lettuce in a pot

Now they have to be nursed through our hot humid summer and I will post photos of them in a few weeks to, hopefully, show them filling that corner with lots of colour.