Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Peekaboo!

Writing this to record yesterday's work while little man had his nap. This week has been really chilly and drizzly and the sunshine was intermittent. Day time temperature went as low as 14 deg celsius so I suppose night time temperature could drop even lower. This is my plants' first winter and I am trying to prepare myself as well as them for winter, mainly those that cannot take frost. I am not going to take any risk and lose any of them to the cold. Peekaboo! Cracking my head did some help. I make use of this laundry hamper to house my potted capsicum in the night. Draped a towel over it to cut out the cold and a layer of plastic as waterproofing in case it rains. This capsicum has done so tremendously well despite being uprooted from the vege patch and potted up. It is fruiting now, though later than the two at the vege patch. However, it is actually taller and stronger than the two at the vege patch.
The hamper was just right in size, and deters any possums too. I am contemplating lifting the other two capsicum plants from the vege patch when winter comes. That means they will be in pots. I am thinking of this because capsicums are actually perenial and if I can keep them out from the cold, they can be around for a long time.
My pots of common mint, vietnamese mint and aloe vera are housed in the mini greenhouse at night as they are more sensitive to the cold.
I potted up the kaffir lime shrub with a mixture of premium potting mix, regular potting mix and cow manure. Given it a good soak of seasol.
The tall single stem of the kaffir lime had many leaves on it. I wonder if it is going to grow taller and taller into the sky, so I decided to cut it off and use it to do my experiment and see if I can root it. Anyway, no harm doing it. I just stored the leaves from the stem in the freezer for cooking purpose.
Vietnamese mint does not take the cold and the pot is so heavy to move! So a plastic sheet over them supported by bamboo stems and pegs is fantastic way to keep the cold out.
To reduce transplanting shock, I also used plastic sheet over the kaffir lime for the night.
Finally after more than two weeks, 17 days to be exact, all my four sweet peas emerged.

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Heronswood Garden

This morning, our family headed to Dromana to visit Heronswood Garden for its Harvest Festival. It was an eye-opener seeing how organic gardening is done, without chemical pesticides or fertilisers - a goal which I hope to work towards. Also visited the rare thatched roof restaurant/cafe, took a tour in the historic house and had a picnic. The main entrance.
Part view of the historic house.
Garden view over Port Philip Bay.
The historic house from part of the garden.
Board walk which Samuel had fun on.
Another side of the historic house.
Some harvest on display.
The room upstairs.
Wonderful view of Port Philip Bay from the dining room.
View from the back of house and swimming pool.
An orange tomato
Not sure are these paw paws but they do look like except the shape is rather angular.
Squash.
A dwarf avocado with glossy new leaves.
Brocoli-looking flowers.
Asparagus ferns.
Spacemaster cucumber.
Chocolate capsicum.
Artichoke.
Another dwarf Avocado tree on the left bottom.
Grape vine on the arch.
A nectarine tree.
Not sure what fruits these are hanging from the tree.
Some flowers.
One of the vege patches of the mini plot.
Samuel is taking a break.
Another stretch of the grey garden.
Tomatoes in netting for seed collection.
The arch with the grape vines...and us in the autumn sun.
Two of the vege patches.
Another two.
Olives on the tree.
Flowers.
Some citrus tree.
Tomatoes.
Chillies.
Golden Marjoram.
Capsicum.
Interplanting of nasturtiums and thyme.
One of the purple eggplants.
Scarlet runner beans.
Sweet-smelling Angels' trumpets.

Monday, March 30, 2009

Really Is An Avocado Plant!

I cleared up the mighty red tomato bush this morning. With only two tiny fruits on it (some looted by possums, some eaten by my dogs), it's not worth keeping it. I have been rather curious with a plant growing in the midst of the tomato bush and after cutting the bush down, I was able to dig a little to check if this was an avocado plant. Right instinct! It certainly was. I think I must have buried one last winter or spring with all the vege scraps from the kitchen. It is already 15cm tall. The large seed was still in the soil. I know avocado trees take donkey years to grow and fruit, say at least 10 years. And I will be fortunate if it ever fruit! So I have shelfed the idea of growing avocados after doing some research and reading forums on it. However, recently I read something by Jackie French, who says an avocado tree can be trained to be in a large pot in-house, where it serves as an ornamental tree due to its beautiful green glossy leaves and expensive look. That is quite tempting, though I always wanted useful trees that produce edible fruits. Pots and pots...Notice the fly screen barricading the vege patch behind the pots? I had resorted to that because recently Marco has decided to venture into the patch due to boredom. Upset is an understatement. He uprooted one of my flowering capsicum, snipped some tomato branches off, knocked over the laundry hamper covering the fruiting capsicum and stomped on my oriental radish seedlings. I only managed to salvage my seedlings. It was a distressing moment given I have put in so much effort.
The avocado plant with seed still in tact. The tomato bush cut down, the avocado plant growing just close by.
Seedlings of oriental radishes growing fine, saved by me after being stomped down by Marco.
My little experiment of growing avocado from seed here on the window ledge. Been waiting for a long time.
Vietnamese Mint roots super fast, within a few days of standing in water.
"All that mankind needs for good health and healing is provided by God in nature...the challenge of Science is to find it." - Paracelcus, the father of Pharmcology, 1493 - 1541