Garden Update

 Here is the latest photo of the new front garden, as you can see the kale and oregano are growing very successfully, hidden from view are lettuces, cucumbers, melons, strawberries, corn and capsicum.

 We now have four grapevines as they do well here, this is part of the oldest vine which was initially planted to provide food and shade, both of which it is doing very well.
 Below you can see another grape vine, plus a recently planted plumcot and transplanted lemongrass.

 This is an extension of the original grape vine, we have placed wire out to a post over quite a hot paved area, the grapes seem to love it and every bit of shade helps. There are some excellent reasons to use as much vertical space as possible, privacy, shade and extra food production all being benefits.

 Another view of the newest garden out the front, the wood chips are doing a fantastic job of holding moisture and deterring slugs and snails. Another grape vine that is twining along wire is on the right hand side and the mulberry tree is providing shade and shelter.

 We are now using the trunk of a dead palm tree and some recycled wire to get the latest passionfruit to create a privacy screen/food in the back corner of our garden. It has doubled in size in two weeks so we are very happy about that.

 We have had to pull out the Jujube as the rootstock took over, so now we have planted a Plumcot and intend to espalier it along the fence.

 The weeping mulberry that we have planted in the back garden is growing extremely well, it is a beautiful tree too.

Today in our Garden

 We have now replanted, manured, weeded and mulched most of the main front garden. Here you can also see one of the three bird baths and the mulberry tree in the background.

 We have trimmed back the basil and thyme and pulled out the spent tomato plants and planted beetroot, capsicum, coriander, lettuce and chillies.

 We have left in some of the spinach and rainbow chard and here you can see cucumbers, one of the compost bins,  and the grape vine growing up the trunk.

 We have two compost bins and three bird baths in the front garden, here you can also see the tomato bush we have not cleared out yet, growing with a volunteer pumpkin vine, in front of the pomegranate tree.

 This is the lamb's ear ground cover plant which is growing below one of our fig trees.

 Here is the food hedge at the front, and the row of trees in the nature strip, an olive, fig and loquat.

 There is also an almond tree amongst the fejoas.

 Hers is the yarrow plant that we have growing under the loquat tree, it is supposed to assist any plant that it grows near to.

 We now have three types of fig tree, two in pots and this one in the ground.

And whilst we have not yet feverfew flowers for their medicinal properties they certainly look lovely in this vase with the lily.

Raspberries - First Crop

We have our first crop of Raspberries appearing, cannot wait to try them. At this stage they are in a pot and tied up to an old pool fence. I was not sire how this would work, but judging from the crop, it is working very well. The Mulberry tree has just finished fruiting, and I picked the first Blackberry today, so it looks like we well have access to berries for a while, lucky us!

Update 1st August 2010 Mulberries and the rest

Here is our lovely Mulberry tree covered in new buds on a lovely sunny day.

And the new garden now has seeds in it, Rockmelon, Beetroot, Lettuce, Tomatoes, Capsicums and Italian Parsley.

And the new garden in the back yard is now finished and today we planted a Lillypilly, a Brazilian Cherry and a Ginko Berry shrub, as well some Peas, Lettuce, Tomatoes and Capsicum

 

And  we moved the Lemongrass from beside the pool and added some Geraniums.

And to finish here is one of the newly blooming Everlasting Dasies, beautiful.