FROM THE GARDEN.......

This week saw a lot of planting going on for both the herb and veggie gardens. I love this time of the year, there is always such a variety to plant. Even better is knowing you will soon be ready to pick and store for the next 12 months! I am trying 3 types of tomatoes this year, just to see which gels best with our soil, although I suspect all 3 will do well, the soil here is amazing. I finally found some echinacea seeds, and some chamomile, I am dying to get my first crop from those, a few teas and tinctures to be made! I am trying a totally different lettuce this year. The buttercrunch is supposed to one of the nicest lettuces there are for all round salad use. We started on the waterfall on the pond today. Also finished the paving along one side. This is all paving slabs to create a walkway between the pond and the flower box at the end of the patio....I am tossing up whether to put a bench seat there or not. Daughter & partner are bringing me water scorpions, water beetles, fresh water shrimp, kunacks and other wee water creatures home this weekend from her partners property, I am hoping everything will not only survive but thrive. Remember I planted 3 gorgeous Panama Red Passionfruit along the fence on one side of the yard? Well the ***** caterpillars have been having a ball with the leaves, stripped them bare....so war has been declared! Take a couple of onions, , litre of water, a couple of garlic cloves and a good handful of chillies with a generous splash of oil and simmer for a couple of hours. Strain and dilute 1 part mix to 5 parts water and spray over plants, will keep everything in sight away I am told......will let you know who wins round one LOL. We also got stuck into the herb garden. Most of the herbs I want are now in, there are a few left to get, however they are on order so it's a case of waiting. The pea straw will provide shade for the roots and keep the moisture in, and lets face it, with our summer temperatures, the plants need all the help they can get. In additon to all this the peas that come up will provide nitrogen to the soil, before I pull them up and give them to the chooks...win win! Hubby has started working Sundays again, so tomorrow I am out doing the odd plantings where I can around the pond and cleaning out the chook pen. Next weekend its more of the same, chooks pen & pond...long projects but worth every minute of our time in the long term.

Hope your weekend is going well:)