I thought I would share some images of my garden at the start of spring…
The Grape vines are starting to sprout…
The Sage is flowering…
The lettuce pots are just about ready to harvest…
Peas are starting to flower and fruit in the raised vegetable beds down the side of the house…
The Kohl Rabi has a little way to go.
I have also been busy planting out the front of my home, to take advantage of the spring rain.
I have taken cuttings from my grape vine out the back, and transplanted them out the front of the house to train up the pergola.
I have also planted five olive trees along the driveway.
I have constructed a raised garden bed to grow vegetables in at the very front of the house, which is located on a busy Highway in Melbourne. This is an effort to prove to others that it is reasonably easy to grow your own food, no matter where you live.
October 8th, 2009 at 5:17 pm
I cant believe how easy and simple your gardening ideas and tips are. My husband built our raised garden beds out of treated pine then I read your site - thats something we will need to look at changing. I want to have a great garden but with 2 young kids I wont have the time to always be out there so I am following your tips to success!!! My only suggestion is that you keep on coming up with information on other vegetables/fruit like your peas section. As Im not a real ‘green thumb’ in the garden, this is a dumby proof guide for me. Keep up the great work!
October 26th, 2009 at 5:57 am
I saw your place along the highway. I live not far away!
I am not a natural green thumb and this is the very first time my garden is actually growing. Trial and errors, I realised I have more errors than anything else, but it serves a good experience and your tips not to mentioned being so close by meant that I can take what you mentioned about your soil and apply it to my garden.
I live in a unit so I dont have much space for planting, we have just D.I.Y some vegie beds. Thanks to your tip, I am looking forward to setting it up.
Great work indeed!
November 2nd, 2009 at 2:34 am
Thanks for the praise Sharon. The reason I love gardening, is that you are constantly learning, and always using the process of trial and error. What worked last year, might not always work this one, because we are at the mercy of nature.
I find that there is a real lack of local knowledge regarding growing Fruit and Veg in Australia (Especially if you narrow it down to Melbourne, as our conditions are very different to the rest of Australia), and much of the publications that you read are as based on northern hemisphere conditions, so only really prove to be rough guides. The best source of knowledge can come from those that live around you. So I encourage you to chat and share experiences with your Neighbours, that you notice are growing there own… Also, feel free to ask any questions, or pop past and check out my garden, I think you will be surprised how little space I have as well!
November 4th, 2009 at 7:47 pm
The best book for local conditions is The Australian Fruit and Vegetable Garden, by the Diggers Club. It is full of really local knowledge. They even talk to gardeners in each State to show what successes you can get. It’s great.
Definitely talk to your neighbours as well they will have the best knowledge of soil and climate, also your local nursery tends to be good.
I do love this site, especially the advice of coffee grounds round the vulnerable seedlings, even saved tender cucumber seedlings.