Well i`ve been slack again with this blog. Not much drama out there in the garden lately, mostly keeping up the water which is very time consuming with buckets and watering cans. Nearly all the rainwater we collected has been used now. The little Frangipani seedlings are enjoying it out there even though the temperatures have been erratic. The lettuces are doing well and the Arugula has grown huge. It`s going to seed too so have sown some more seed. There are 5 runner bean pods ready to pick, but I need more than 5 !! I sowed some more lettuce seeds and beetroot and carrots. The seed punnets are in the cubby house now because it`s too darned hot in the greenhouse and outside areas are too drying. (I knew I`d find a use for the cubby one day !- actually the Begonias spent the winter in there. )
The Peony poppies are starting to open their fat buds now, the first ones are small and the flowers are single, so I hope the big buds will be double.
On a sad(?) note, the baby Blackbirds have vanished. They didn`t have any feathers yet and so I think a predator got them, probably Mr Fox. Poetic justice I guess, a feral eating ferals.
The tomatoes are hanging in, a few plants have little green kermits, one plant has larger ones starting to change colour. The Green Zebra has flowers but won`t do well as I planted it in the same bed as the broad beans. Too much nitrogen fixed in the soil. The Tigerellas have got some fruit on, even though they`re in the same bed.
The Magnolia is growing well, the Luculia is OK I think and the osmanthus is growing. I`m going to lose a couple of Azaleas if I don`t get them back into pots soon. The soil is too alkaline for them, and although I have treated them with sulphur they are not thriving. likewise the gardenia.