A Good Start to Spring

Gardener:Northland Backyard Gardener

Date:02 Sep 2023

Blog Type:Vegetables

Seeing the sun shining, dreaming about the possibilities of a long warm summer, and enjoying produce from the garden...bliss. Well, okay it's clouded over slightly now, and I'm recovering from a nasty bug, but I'll take what I can get on the sunshine front.  Most of the week it has been fine, and I can walk on the lawn so things are definitely heading in the right direction. It's a great start for spring, and with any luck, it will continue along that track through to summer. 

Weather aside, getting things going in the garden last year was somewhat of a challenge with roofers and builders around. At times it did feel like it was a case of one step forward, and two backwards. This year, everything is already in place. There are no gardens to be emptied, moved and refilled. No posts to be replaced. No fences to be be fixed. The grow frames are up, and the buckets and bags are full so there is less prep work needed. Essentially it will be a case of sowing seedlings, eating our wsy throw existing produce, and prepping beds. I also have a mini greenhouse so no more setting up the pet cages and covering with polythene. This year, I think promises to be a much more straightforward gardening season. With less to do, and if the weather plays ball, I can enjoy those evening stroles around the garden with my glass of wine. That is definitely something that was missing last year.

Currently, the garden is pretty full. The broad beans are huge, and already producing. This seems somewhat earlier than normal. The Romanesco Cauli are developing and we've started adding them to our meals; we have plenty of carrots, spring onion, radishes, japenes turnips, spinach, lettuce, and kale; the peas are climbing rapidly; the silver beet has just taken off; we have heaps of cabbages and sprouting broccoli almost ready; and my onions are taking off (after last year's hike in prices, I planted an entire bed of them). We even have a bigger array of flowers in already, with more to go in soon.

Our biggest win, however, is my tomatoes. I did it. I grew 🍅 over winter, and they started ripening yesterday. I also have some baby capsicums. I have never had tomatoes before the end of December before. While not big enough to cover a slice of toast, they are certainly going to be enoyed. 

 

A Good Start to Spring