11.06.08
Gardening in Australia
Because I like the idea of self-sufficiency and fresh organic produce, Brian and I have had a interest in planting. We are by no means the greatest gardeners, but we are trying and have at least dabbled in a good variety of roots, veggies, and herbs. There’s no better way to know that your fruits and veggies are organic and fresh, than just growing them yourself. However, I do tend to peter out and get distracted with other things, which results in the garden getting neglected, sigh. But I find that when I see other people’s gardens and hear about their wonderful harvests, it encourages me to work on our own garden.
The fall has rolled around here and our growing season has slowed dramatically. However, in Australia my friend, Helen, has started up her garden and sent me a couple pics of it just the other day. I’ve attached them below. Generally when it gets cold here in Calif, it gets nice and warm there in Australia, so she only recently started her garden for the year. I recall a couple years ago she had a nice row of cabbages, and I think, a bumper crop of zucchini that she shared with her neighbor. I believe her garden consisted of a lot more items, but I can’t recall them at this time. This year she’s got these going. . .
I hope I’m attaching the right comments for the right picture, but this is what Helen sent to itemize her plants starting with the top picture and continuing with the bottom picture for the root veggies. “Clockwise from left: parsley, snow peas, sliver beet (at the back), beetroot, red mustard, onions. They only look small but we’ve already used onions, sliver beet, snow peas, and little beetroots!!”
Yes, I think I recognize the beetroot on the far right with the red stalks as well as the onions. I’ve never tried growing my own beets, yet, but I have grown some onions. I love baked beets, so I think I’d like to try growing some of those.
Thanks again, Helen! Your garden looks lovely! I want to keep the fire going for planting. Maybe if I do it long enough it’ll eventually become second nature to me. Your gardening will help to keep me dreaming of gardening, heheh. We’re trying to clear more room in our backyard for more veggie gardening space when the spring season gets closer. And we already have seeds ready for planting. Hopefully, I’ll have some nice produce pics to put up then.
Marlakins 
Administrator said,
November 7, 2008 at 10:13 am
Here are a couple more pics of Helen’s garden that I got this morning along with her descriptions of the pics.
Here’s a couple more pics.
View of yard from west side of the house; and bed of potatoes,corn and lettuces covered with old CD stand. They make great cages for seeds and seedlings!!
Stop the birds getting at them.
Will send pic of raspberries when they start to ripen.
No other news. Rain forcaste but still waiting.
Cheers
Helen
Potatoes, corn, lettuce under wire.
View from west side.
Very nice Helen! You have a nice portion of your yard exposed to sun. Our yard has a lot of shaded areas, and the larger area that does get good sun is covered with cement for the drive way, sigh. We have a detached garage in the backyard. So that limits our gardening space. I like the CD rack idea! So far we haven’t had much trouble with the birds “except” with our grape vine. But recently we just took that whole vine down, anyway, because the leaves were starting to get a powdery mold on them. However, we do have trouble with the squirrels getting our nectarines before we can get to them. We need to figure out a good way to keep them off the tree.
Thanks, again!
Marla