Posts

Showing posts from June, 2015

The short life of a rosella flower, in pictures

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Cutting back overgrown plants and using my new fertilizers

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I got two different types of organic fertilizer  in the pack that I won, and decided over the weekend to add some to the rest of the garden.  I recently planted lots of seeds in the veggie patch and think it will be a good idea to wait until they grow up into seedlings before I add any fertilizer to them. The seeds themselves are their own little fertilizer packages for the first few weeks. I did dig some fertilizer into the area where I planted the snow peas, after I removed the Rosella plants so will be able to compare the difference.. Firstly I cleared the paths and edgings of excess leaves. The beds around the lychee tree are layered with fallen leaves and leaves and branches that I have cut back while trimming plants.  I noticed that there is a white mould/fungus in some very shady, wet areas.  I hope this is mycellium which is what we want to build up in the rotting matter and not some nasty fungus. I moved the rex begonias into one section - I think the...

I love growing from seed

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I do have a thing for seeds .... Lately I have been picking the rosella, and then drying them.  To dry, I just lay them out on the windshield screen in the back of the car - as I travel around the sun shines in and dries them, it take three to four days. I will be removing these bushes this weekend to make way for more seeds to be planted there, specifically snow pleas.   I told my grandson that the tea I was drinking came from the rosella seeds he saved last year. (I thought he would have been more impressed! - I was!) This makes awesome tea. I have made seed tape before, Here is the tutorial. and wondered if that would be a good option with something like silverbeet and beetroot seeds which do better if soaked overnight in a mild seaweed solution.  I have never had much success with either of those seeds, so thought I would give it a try.  I laid out two strips of toilet paper and then evenly spaced the seeds, and folded the paper over. ...

Garden Share collective - wrapping up May and heading into June

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Time to link up with the Garden Share Collective  again    No, I haven't fallen off the end of the world, but the last time I posted was last months catchup, other than sharing my chickpea patty recipe..  Gosh, that is bad.  I said I needed some inspiration though, and just in the last week I have got it in buckets. I won second prize in a competition (I didn't want to win first prize - I already live here where the weekend getaway is lol!)   I am pretty excited and this is excellent timing! 2nd, 3rd and 4th prizes:  A  Richgro  Organic & Natural Gardening Pack (value $85). Each pack contains: 1 x Mega Booster Complete Organic Fertiliser 1 x Mega Booster Vegetable and Herb Fertiliser 1 x Charlie Carp Organic Liquid Fertiliser 1 x Beat-A-Bug Naturally based Insect Spray  – 1 Litre Ready to Use 1 x Beat-A-Bug Naturally based Insect – 1 Litre Concentrate 1 x Beat-A-Weed Naturally based Weed Killer – ...