It's Getting Warmer

Ok, the days are getting warmer now. It's been a while since I last blogged. The primary reason for my indolence is that I like to post pics with my writings, but often forget to take the iphone/photo - computer connection to work. So I'm going to write something anyway, and maybe supply the photos later.

Like I said, it's getting warmer now. The air conditioning isn't working properly at work, so work is a drag. Hope they get it fixed soon. It's ok at home, though.

My vegetable garden:

1. The broad beans are cropping magnificently. I've had 4 or 5 buckets of beans already! The crop is slowing now, though. Broad beans don't like warm weather. I'm going to pull them all up, put them aside, empty my compost bin and spread the compost around, and then start composting the broad bean stems and leaves. Plenty of those!

2. Tomatoes. I have 9 tomato plants in my garden, all varieties. I've dusted them, they are flowering, and the first fruit is now showing. On track for a good crop this year! I've also companion planted basil between the tomato plants.

3. Spinach. Bit slow, these boys. I gave them a dose of seaweed extract this morning so that should help. They've been growing in the shade of the broad beans (the 2 metre tall broad beans!) but since I've pruned the beans back a bit the spinach is receiving more consistent sunshine.  They are growing next to my radishes which began well but are now slowing a bit. The weather again, I suspect.

4. Lettuce. Last season I grew Cos, a pretty safe variety, and the crop was superb. This year I have Cos, but also a couple of other varieties. They all look good, although need a lot of water all the time. Shallow roots. Very thirsty. I might organise a bit of shadecloth to cover them during peak heat stress hours if the weather gets any hotter.

Anyway, that's all for now. I'll try to get some pics posted soon.

Adieu.

Vegetable Garden Makeover

The weather here is wonderful at the moment - warm, with the odd hint of a cool breeze. Great weather to plant more seedlings into my vegetable garden. Remember to click on each photo for enlargement.

The broccoli grew to an impressive height, but the heads were disappointing. I think the whole crop bolted due to the unseasonably warm weather. In the pic above they are pulled up, piled in the foreground.

See the broad bean plants in the picture below. Amazing! I have put the "wheelie" bin next to them to indicate scale. And they are still flowering. Imagine the crop from this forest!





In place of the broccoli I have planted 24 lettuce - three varieties. Here they are mulched with pea straw.





To the right of the lettuce I have planted 4 tomato plants - "Mighty Red" variety. My method is to dig a trench, then drive climbing stakes, then plant the tomatoes. Tomatoes hate root shock, so it's a good idea to get all construction and clearing done before planting. I can then trickle water into one end of the trench and water will flow to all plants.
Saves time and effort.

I also have 4 other tomato plants to put into my garden. These are cherry tomato varieties. I haven't cleared the ground for these yet so the planting will have to wait until the school holidays which begin in three days.

Hope you found my vegetable garden interesting.

I'm going to leave you with something which emerged in my front garden recently from a bulb I'd planted a year ago:



New Layout

As my regular readers will be aware, I've redesigned this Blog's layout - a new header and sidebars full of ferns. It's Spring where I live, and the warm weather is intoxicating. Hence the visual spring cleaning. 

Some New Music

I don't normally post this kind of thing, but these albums are particularly good. I bought them on CD recently:

This is my first Zevon album. I might have to get his back catalogue.

Miles Davis - Tutu. Not very spontaneous, in fact a lot of 80s synth and drum machines, but actually rather good.

This Original Album Series is excellent. Dr John's first 5 albums for $20! Each disc in an original artwork minisleeve. Bargain.

I've been meaning to buy this on CD for years, having worn out my vinyl and cassette copies. Finally!
Motown doesn't get better than this masterpiece.

Beans, Beans and more Beans

While my broccoli is quite disappointing - it's growing , but bolting because of the recent warm spell - my broad beans are thriving. Whenever it rains, they seem to grow a couple of inches overnight! Actually, I have no idea how to cook the beans once I've harvested, having never used them in meal preparation, but I'm willing to try.

Beans in forground, broccoli behind (a lot of weeds too!).

These are starting to flower, so beans must be on the way!

2 minutes ago the England cricket team were confirmed as the number 1 Test cricket team in the world. How sweet it is!

Dumbing Down

Why does everything have to be dumbed down? Yet more evidence: Go to the BBC website or the ABC (Australian...) website and look for a category called "Arts". You won't find one. Sure, they have "Business" and "Sport" and "World", but no "Arts". No, the editors of these prestigious organisations have seen fit to file the Arts - poetry, dance, literature, classical music, painting, etc etc - under "Entertainment". ENTERTAINMENT! When I listen to Beethoven, or browse the drawings of Rembrandt, or read some Wallace Stevens, I don't look to be "entertained'! Sure, some art can be entertaining, and some entertainment can be artful, but PLEASE! Yes, I know that Entertainment is now the opium of the people, but this is further evidence of the long decline into barbarism.