The FastDay Forum

@Sallyo our english spinach is like yours cut and eat, cut and eat, the rocket is the same. The kale is starting to die off, getting a bit hot I think. The broad beans are nearly done. Hubby read that globe artichokes dont normally grow anything worth eating until the next year, well no one told our plants that and we have been happily harvesting and eating so many that we now have blanched and then frozen some.
Started planting some lettuces, eggplant, more rocket, coriander (trying it under the lillypillies in hope it doesnt bolt straight to seed), basil.
Already in are onions, leeks, spring onions, chillis, beetroots, carrots, garlic.
Happy Gardening

Our garden is starting to shut down for winter. Not even the weeds are growing much now! My hanging baskets are still hanging on in there but I will soon have to dismantle them. I got some plug plants of winter bedding (mainly pansies but some primulas and stocks too) - I need to pot those up and grow them on a bit in the conservatory before putting them in the window box/hanging basket/tubs.

I brought my house plants in for the "winter" and now must think about preparing the ground for a small garden next spring. I can't wait to grow my own veggies!

I've been waiting to put some wallflowers into some beds that have bedding plants in which are still looking quite good. I think next weekend may be the time. Still quite a lot of colour in the garden with asters, heleniums,penstemons and kaffir lilies. Also one of my delphiniums has just started to reflower

Aussie gardeners.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/447193975415704/

Its a kewl community group in Facebook that Ive recently joined and really active. Ive got so many ideas from being in there just a few ideas. I love eavesdropping on pictures of people's plants and fauna.

[carieoates]

How's everyones gardens survived the storms?
I have an identifiable object in mine and I've just popped my potted geraniums from last summer into the greenhouse as they're looking good still.
Ive also put some other potted bits and pierces on there ithe hope that they sprout up and grow for me this year.

The time fr sowing seeds are approaching fast and I have none. If you go into a "normal" garden shop here, there are only boring seeds from Swedish companies. Since I mostly grow cucumbers, tomatoes and hot chilies in my greenhouse, so far I have got my seeds from Thomson&Morgan, Mr Fothergil and some specialised Swedish shop. But I wnt something new - suggestions for good and great online seed shops?

My tomatoes have gone wild they are like Jacks bean stalk and just taken over the beds. I am not complaining and I am trying many variations of salads with tomatoes. I companion plant where I can so basil and parsley also happy and so am as they also make lovely inclusion in salads. Kale, rocket, cucumbers, chives corn and my herb bed keep our family in frsh daily salads.

I haven't pulled anything out yet to make way for the next round of planting but need to have me a plan me thinks

My tomatoes have gone wild they are like Jacks bean stalk and just taken over the beds. I am not complaining and I am trying many variations of salads with tomatoes. I companion plant where I can so basil and parsley also happy and so am as they also make lovely inclusion in salads. Kale, rocket, cucumbers, chives corn and my herb bed keep our family in frsh daily salads.

I haven't pulled anything out yet to make way for the next round of planting but need to have me a plan me thinks

Tomatoes are great.. ive been making all sorts of things with mine. first time ive been able to grow big tomatoes successfully.

the other day I went for a stroll in the garden and hiding under one of my paper exclusion bags to ward off the bugs, I find a great big whopper.. said to myself that must be around 500g and sure enough thats exactly what it was. was so proud.

Tomorrow is a non fast day so im going to get my fresh ciabatta bread and have me some sandwiches!

@Wolfiea friend and I share seeds that we buy from http://www.realseeds.co.uk although I'm not sure if they only supply UK. They have been very good.
Today the wind has dropped at last and it stopped rain/hail/sleeting, so I did similar jobs to @carieoates ...moving some pots into the greenhouse. Including a yellow osteospermum that flowers forever, but was blown off the steps a couple of days ago. Luckily the pot is ok, and I got rid of the broken stems. I'm hoping to take cuttings from it at some point. I even did a bit of weeding! Not for long though because it's very cold.
Lovely to see summery harvests in Australia!

Discovered this amazing gardeners community forum on facebook i live in now.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/447193975415704/

It's born in Oz and most contributors are Australian so not sure rules of joining if you are outside Australia

So many keen gardeners sharing photos and stories, even if it is just one cherry tomato.

I get a lot of ideas from the group.

Watch out though its very active and at least 10 new posts aday will appear in your timeline

My garden this year is the Best! (best for me that is,). The straw bales are so prolific and I am hard pressed to keep up with cucumbers and zucchini. Also beautiful beetroot. And tons of pumpkin fattening up under their huge green leaves. Then there are the raised beds, with the best tomatoes I have ever grown. There are 10 different varieties, mostly heirlooms and they are loaded. We are quite a bit behind you girls in NSW and I have just picked my first tomato. It is from a variety called 'Silver Fir', a Russian variety. I have never picked tomatoes this early before. Mostly it is February and late February at that. It must have something to do with the weather, but also I selected for cold climate varieties. Also I have more basil than I can cope with and Florence fennel. The berries are coming into the house by the bucket load and being packed into the freezer. It's a busy time of year for us.

My garden this year is the Best! (best for me that is,). The straw bales are so prolific and I am hard pressed to keep up with cucumbers and zucchini. Also beautiful beetroot. And tons of pumpkin fattening up under their huge green leaves. Then there are the raised beds, with the best tomatoes I have ever grown. There are 10 different varieties, mostly heirlooms and they are loaded. We are quite a bit behind you girls in NSW and I have just picked my first tomato. It is from a variety called 'Silver Fir', a Russian variety. I have never picked tomatoes this early before. Mostly it is February and late February at that. It must have something to do with the weather, but also I selected for cold climate varieties. Also I have more basil than I can cope with and Florence fennel. The berries are coming into the house by the bucket load and being packed into the freezer. It's a busy time of year for us.

@Sallyo where do you source the strawbales from and how much are they. I'm in Sydney so would have to find a sourse. Im thinking they are too exxy

Strawbales we get from the local farmers. It is nearly the time of year when grain will be harvested and bales available. I think they are pretty exxy if you get them from nurseries. We pay $3.50 a bale. off the paddock. So we have to load them onto our ute and take them away. That might not be something you can do in Sydney. But how much is a raised bed?

I was surprised to see that no-one has posted on here since January! I suppose it's because for us in the Northern hemisphere it was the depths of winter and our friends down south weree too busy in their gardens to be able to write about it!
Well, I'm here to tell you that two days ago I planted my potatoes! It is true that they are several months late but I had forgotten that I had bought them.
I had set them to 'chit' on a windowsill in a rarely used room and I only discovered them when I went in there a few days ago. They have indeed chitted but didn't look at all well! I though that they had more chance of surviving if I planted them rather than just composting them so, at about 8.30 on Friday evening, I was outside digging over a vegetable bed and planting them. I knew that rain was forecast for Saturday and wanted to get them in before then. Just before I had finished the rain arrived (early) but I persisted and now I just have to wait and see if anything comes of them. Fingers crossed!
I am just about to go in the garden and plant out runner beans and sweetcorn but before I can do that I have another veg bed to clear of weeds and winter debris. My gooseberries and blackcurrants are hidden under a mountain of nettles and weeds and the raspberries have invaded the entire soft fruit area. The rhubarb is trying to hold its own against the nettles and there is just too much to do!
Add to that the bindweed, nettles and creeping thistle in the flower beds and it's very difficult to know where to start. Perhaps I need to hire a gardener instead of trying to be one myself? Now there's an idea!!!!