I entered a Seniors Garden Competition!

Last week I saw an ad for a garden competition, judging on August 12th and thought, "oh I could enter that!".  After popping my entry in the mail I reflected that I have in fact been very slack in the garden lately.  So this weekend I made time  for a couple of hours gardening.  The veggie garden has been the most neglected.

A couple of weeks ago I threw a bunch of lettuce seeds into a well composted area.  Well yes I know it was well composted because in between the lettuces were tonnes of  tomato and passionfruit seedlings.  It is so hard not to dislodge the fragile lettuces, and some of them needed to be thinned as well.  A little bit more spread out, weeded and well watered, we will see how they go now..... The poly box with the eggplant was moved into the corner to get more sun, and I discovered that some sort of squash seedlings are coming up - I wonder if they are gemsquash?.  The paths in the veggie garden are old bits of weed mat, and every now and again I lay down cardboard on top.  When I weed I throw the weeds onto the path where they dry out and hopefully die. Flowering weeds and really invasive weeds I tend to throw in the garbage. I rolled up the bits of well rotted cardboard, old weeds and dried bits of hay and popped them into the compost.  Then I simply turned the weed mat over and voila!  Clean paths!  The herb spiral looks very overgrown and permaculturish, but I think it is ok.  Some labels might be nice if I have time....

The area next to the birdbath has recently for some reason looked a little bare.  The geisha girl has  become top heavy with the branches dripping down over the bare lower branches.  I don't know how I did it, but I do like it that way.  I needed something in that lower bare area, and since the one side of this bed has become more colorful with crotons and cordelines, I added a few more cordelines to this area, and also moved over some ground cover which was getting rather leggy where it was.   The amaryllis were treated to a support bar as they fall and flop over into the path.  It would be really nice if they flowered for the judges.  I cut a few of the nasty looking leaves off - I am not sure if that induces flowering, but they look somewhat tidier.  It still looks rather tatty in this area, so I think needs a bit of work.  If that ground cover doesn't pick up I might  move a few pots over to fill in the area.  Or put another low birth bath there? When I had finished I sat on the swing watering, and the honey eaters were having a wonderful time enjoying the spray from the hose, and then darting in amongst the branches of the geisha girl. Gosh those little birds can put a smile on your face! :)

 The front entrance also got a bit of a tidy up and would appreciate some weeding if I have time.  I moved those white pots in a bit but think they are better wider apart... or somewhere else entirely?  Either side of the wooden gate, or right out in the front of the driveway?

This first little part of the pathway behind the lychee tree is fine I think,

 Especially when you carry on right into the corner and see my sexy pink lady flowering!  I see I need to cut back those dead branches around it!  Funny what the camera captures!

Then the other side of the path is also fine - just a bit of trimming back of yellowing leaves etc. to do there.

 This is a seniors garden competition (you have to be over 50) and although I feel old enough with all my aches and pains, I will also be competing with people who have retired and have lots of time to spend in their garden. I really don't know what competition I am up against, but thought it was worth a try.  I would appreciate you pointing out any other areas that you feel could do with a bit of work. Sometimes you look at your own garden so much that you miss what is glaringly obvious to others.