Garden Pics

Here's the shade I built for the carrots this morning - an old sheet hooked over 4 garden stakes. I've since added thick rubber bands around the tops of the stakes in case of wind.

In the foreground is a self-seeded tomato growing in the next bed and in the background are the asparagus. Nestled between the fence and the shade are some leeks and spring onions.

Here's the horseradish, growing quite strongly, with some flowering yarrow behind and rue to the right at the front.

The carrots are flowering too, in a bed with some kale.

In between the rows of maize, I've planted Lazy Housewife climbing beans, which are using the corn to climb. Well, some of them are and some are sort of creeping on the ground. Also in this bed are a few self-seeded tomatoes growing well.


I like to plant nasturtium near the edge of a bed - it helps to keep the pests and diseases at bay. This one is consorting with a dandelion near the lettuces which have bolted.


Some baby button squash.

The bergamot is in flower, too.
A bee getting nectar from an asparagus flower. Notice the yellowy-orange substance on her legs? Courtesy of the button squash and zucchini, I think, that grow nearby.

Bees coming and going from the bottom of the hive. It is actually more busy than this, but they are hard to photograph.

Sleeping on the job - what more can I say? And before you start thinking that must be a very narrow path - it is about 40cm (16"); it's just a very large cat!






Hope you enjoyed your visit.

love and light
naturewitch

This Morning in the Garden

This morning was lovely - we are having a relatively mild winter so far, but there's plenty more time for the cold. I had such a great time in the garden this morning, I thought I'd take a few happy snaps to share - they are nowhere near as beautiful as Cheryl's or Herbwitch's photos, but here they are.

Baby Olive, who was given to me by my dear friend, The Crone, before she moved to WA a couple of years ago, has now grown up enough to be put in the ground. Here is a picture of her after transplanting. She is about 90cm tall now and doing very well. Under the mulch are some Calendula seeds, which I'm hoping will form a nice drift of flowers for the bees. And in the bed behind them are some Oregon Giant snow peas just starting to grow.

The early peach is starting to bud up and almost looks like she's ready to flower, although it will probably be a few weeks yet (at least I hope so - I want to clear away the grass growing underneath and give her a good dose of manure and mulch).

Underneath another peach tree, a jonquil is preparing to flower.

Beside the fence, in the square holes of the Besser bricks forming a raised vege bed, the nasturtiums are still smiling, despite the cold.

Here's a fine head of broccoli ready to be picked.

And here's a cheeky potato plant, thriving underneath the protection of the dead asparagus ferns I am yet to clear away.

This patch may look like grass, but Molly assures me they really are oats.

And here's the rhubarb, looking incredibly healthy for this time of year.

There was also a willie wagtail flitting about the garden, but alas he was too quick for me!

love and light
naturewitch