What did you do in the garden today?

[Daisy]

More whippersnippering today. The grass is just starting to dry out now. It will be 30C the next couple days so I wanted to get it chopped a bit before it dries out too much. The ducks followed me around the yard while I did it. still more to do but I got the bit I wanted to get done finished with minimal sunburn. Found a fiesty bobtail lizard wresting a flower when I went around to the tap. Funny little thing, it let me pass without being scared off.

I have placed 2 of the new garden edgings. They are not secured in but unrolled about where I want them to be. One more to do which I am sure I will get done today too. I had to move some rocks out of the way and by the time I got to them the lizards were sunbaking on them and I didnt want to disturb them.

The new duck fencing is up, but not tensioned. I am not going to place it flush to the ground as I had planned because I saw a picture of a lizard stuck in chicken wire the other day and dont want that to happen to my little buddies, so I might put shade cloth across the bottom in some areas where I know they will be. I need to do the gate and then secure it to the side fence but I have everything set out and the ducks can keep free roaming for now as they are eating up all the grass seeds and keeping themselves very fat.

It will be a big watering day tomorrow. I am hoping to be up early enough to get the back done as the front was watered today and the orchard can wait until monday.

 

[Mini Horses]

You are planting and many on here are shoveling snow.

 

[flowerbug]

You are planting and many on here are shoveling snow.

not quite shovelling yet, but it has been cold enough to freeze overnight once in a while so snow won't be too far off. i hope i can get the rest of the gardens put up for the winter this week. we'll see. the weather hasn't been cooperating much lately. very muddy out there now.

 

[Daisy]

I have been working on the hedges this week. They have grown very fast this year! That later rain (and the duck poop) probably caused that. So I have just been doing a little bit each day as I dont want to be totally wiped out if I took the lot on all at once.

I have to do a little trimming off some of the natives too. I have a lot of birds around but they were more interested in nipping my apples than they were nipping the native flowers for me. Now that the fruit trees are netted, they have been hanging around in the native trees, but there seems even too much growth for them to keep up with! I am trying to make a patch for native orchids and wildflowers in a few years, using the trimmings in a shadey spot. A longer term project as I still have to get a handle on what I already have!

Despite the sprinkles of rain, I still need to water quite frequently. I am so thankful for the mild weather, but know the worst is yet to come. This summer is predicted to be wetter than usual here which will be wonderful if true. My zucchini and sunflower seedlings are going well and lettuce is ready to eat, as are some herbs. Pickedthe last of the broad beans, finally! I have a little corkscrew willow cutting, planning to put in the front, near the driveway. I am so pleased it took so well to potting. I will definitely do that again.

 

[Mini Horses]

So Spring will be here soon....new year past us....time to start thinking about plant starts. For me, I need to do some ground work in the actual garden first. You can see I'm ready for warm weather!! it's this pile of seed that's getting to me.

 

[Daisy]

Today was watering. tomorrow will be watering and the next day will be watering Its not as hard as it used to be. Getting some bits to pick certainly helps, now feeling like the effort has got me somewhere! I munch on the takings for breakfast while I walk around and water watching the sunrise and birds. Its lovely.

Yesterday I had moved a few pots around. Planted some dill seeds, they will be 3rd generation plants in this garden I am looking forward to learning more about seed genetics but tend to get distracted without actual structure to my learning.

Those pumpkin seeds came up. I pinched a couple off as they are going from tiny sproutlings into 3 leaved seedlings. They all got through today but there is another two days of over 40C ahead in strong sunlight. I tried to cover a few young plants, but half the time the cover blows over and can cause more damage than the sun does. Its a hot wind in the day but a lovely breeze tonight.

 

[flowerbug]

when you are having a hard time keeping up with watering and having breezes knock over things in the garden that is a good sign that some kind of wind barrier will help. it may not need to be a complete barrier but something to break the direct force of the worst of it, should help.

 

[Hinotori]

I used tarps to block wind from the silkies on my last pen setup that wasn't as sturdy. Attached at the top and sloped to the ground over 10 feet. It deflected the wind over the pens instead of actually blocking it.

Growing up in farmland of eastern Oregon, the oldest fields in use had rows of trees planted on the wind side of the field. We got a lot of blowing sand and wind so it was needed. The fields were not large, and used for crops like corn that were in danger from wind. Melons and potatoes are low growers and didn't need as much.

Modern farming uses large fields and irrigation circles or drip irrigation instead of the old style flood irrigation or hand moved pipes and oscillating sprinklers. So most of the trees have died or been removed so more of the land can be planted.

 

[Daisy]

I was admiring my canopy of trees this morning. I have added a few but it was the people before me who had such fantastic planning of the placement. I really hope this house survives for the rest of my life for me as its been built with such love. The colourbond fences have creepers on about 80% of them, and out the front is a hedge so its really like being in a little jungle hole besides the highway haha. I love it!

Not much is going to stop the willy willy wind being where I am, and its really not a huge issue for me. Its just when I have little baby tiny veggies at the wrong time of the year that I whinge The sun is super intense and I think its hard to understand without experiencing it. I dont do things in an orderly fashion and have veggies growing under natives or between hedges. I love experimenting with those little microclimates.

I only actually use one of the designated veggie beds... I like wandering with the hose and checking everything out. Its so positive for me to move my body and notice the great improvement of stamina. Plus, there are restrictions on reticulation here, but there are no restrictions on hose pipes. I got the whole lot watered in one go again this morning so proud of my feet haha. Sunrise is just beautiful. And the birds are great company. Its a nice time to be out there, before the bugs and the reptiles begin. Now I am stuck inside all day, hiding from the sun.

The environment centre I volunteer at got a grant last year to improve the bush corridors on farms. Trees get to a certain height out there and then die once they hit the saline water. Its all wheat and sheep here - no irrigation, and the old farmers only now see that letting the top soil blow away and poisoning all of the trees was not the smartest move. I have heard that the mining companies are buying up some of the small dead farms that cant be used for farming anymore and regenerating them as part of their carbon programs. Could be a worry with fire seasons down the line but for now I think its pretty great to let that land find more use than being a blowy sand pit

Picked some herbs to have with my breakfast, such a nice way to start a day!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I was admiring my canopy of trees this morning. I have added a few but it was the people before me who had such fantastic planning of the placement. I really hope this house survives for the rest of my life for me as its been built with such love. The colourbond fences have creepers on about 80% of them, and out the front is a hedge so its really like being in a little jungle hole besides the highway haha. I love it!

Sounds beautiful! Love your description.