Hi everyone, I’m a first time gardener, first time blogger and new to the South Island :)
The situation
My partner and myself moved to Dunedin in May from the North Island. It’s been a gorgeous cold exile but getting warmer now!
We got permission to use some backyard space as a vegetable garden (we are renting). No better time to clear garden space than winter! After a mighty fight with a monster of a ‘rose bush’ as well as its friends, the ‘leggy hydrangea’ and the ‘mysterious unidentified prickly shrub’, we ended up with this simple but neat space in the photo.
My personal aims
I’m totally new to this, and to keep myself motivated I’ve got my own three challenges: the budget, growing heat lover plants without a greenhouse in Dunedin (more on that in the next few months), and the seed gathering (more on that closer to autumn).
The budget
This is my main challenge! I want to see what I can get for under $80 and am keeping a strict diary on my spending and (hopefully!) the harvest. This is what I’ve spent:
Seeds (heirlooms from trade me) - $52
Seed raising mix - $6
Gardening gloves - $5
Lime - $9
Tools/ – free (very lucky with what we can borrow from my partner’s parents)
Total: $72
This fortnight in my garden:
Slugs vs the Southern Gardener, 2-0
Seeds planted this month (outside): carrots, parsnip, beetroot, radishes (are out!), peas (are out!).
Own seedlings planted (outside): lettuce, onion.
Seeds planted (inside): countless…
Happy gardening everyone!
Shout out to all the gardeners in the colder regions, let me know who you are!
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