It was good to get stuck into it today!

In the front garden, I replanted my "Grandmere Jenny" rose after realising
that it was leaning because I had planted it too high up -- the root knot was
visible. DH took out a Sickle Wattle which has been slowly deteriorating and
leaning more and more. The branches are now forming a kind of teepee in the
back yard for DS1 to play in. In place of the wattle, I planted Wintersweet;
not sure how this will go in Sydney. It is in a position which is exposed on
late summer afternoons, but completely shaded in winter. Planted Plectranthus
argentatus with it and am hoping that will protect it a bit. Moved a few
violets to near the front door.

Moved my chook tractor again. Planted my "Chinese Red" garlic, and will
interplant it with parsnip seeds tomorrow -- these need to soak overnight. In
front of the garlic I planted a row of heirloom mixed beetroot, a double row
of dwarf snow peas, and my remaining tree onions. Threw some rocket and dill
seeds around too, and reorganised my weeper hose to cover the new plantings.

We are now relatively free of snails, thanks to the chooks, and it's amazing
what a difference this makes. I have dwarf sugar snap pea seedlings! I have
little kale and cabbage plants! And I believe I saw some carrots and climbing
peas coming up too!

One accident today: DS2 (13 months) was wandering through the garden and sat
on a beautiful bok choy that I thought would be ready to eat this week. Our
boy weighs 11kg and broke half the leaves :-( He didn't damage the growing
point, or whatever you'd call it, so it's a setback rather than utter
destruction. The broken leaves went to the guinea pigs. No great loss etc.

--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

"Parenthood is like the modern stone washing process for denim jeans. You may
start out crisp, neat and tough, but you end up pale, limp and wrinkled."
Kerry Cue

FlowerGirl wrote:
"Chookie" wrote in message

It was good to get stuck into it today!
snip


Lucky you!
We've called a halt to all new planting activities as its currently
such an effort to keep existing plants alive (our garden is mostly
native plants and a couple of dwarf varieties of leptospermum are not
coping well.)

It's dry here too, but we sank a bore a few years back, and so can put
dripper on the trees and various plants. BUT, for the past 2 summers,
there's been these wingless grasshopper things in a plague, and they eat
everything. Many plants, and some trees, have succumbed. Others are badly
damaged and just struggle on but they're not happy.

If they come again this summer, many things won't survive. Drip irrigation
keeps things alive, but proper rain would be much better. The plants are
weakened by the long dry, and the grasshoppers are finishing the job.

--
ant

Get guinea fowls they eat wingless crickets like you wouldn't believe.

Cheers

Richard


"ant" wrote in message
...
FlowerGirl wrote:
"Chookie" wrote in message

It was good to get stuck into it today!
snip


Lucky you!
We've called a halt to all new planting activities as its currently
such an effort to keep existing plants alive (our garden is mostly
native plants and a couple of dwarf varieties of leptospermum are not
coping well.)

It's dry here too, but we sank a bore a few years back, and so can put
dripper on the trees and various plants. BUT, for the past 2 summers,
there's been these wingless grasshopper things in a plague, and they eat
everything. Many plants, and some trees, have succumbed. Others are badly
damaged and just struggle on but they're not happy.

If they come again this summer, many things won't survive. Drip irrigation
keeps things alive, but proper rain would be much better. The plants are
weakened by the long dry, and the grasshoppers are finishing the job.

--
ant