dad_n_dave
Member since: Feb 11 | Last seen: Mar 12 | Years gardening: 4
Have recently been attracted to vegetable gardening (my wife has been active for years, but has received little help from me or our kids). We have clay based soil which we have been trying to build up with compost and mulch. We do not use chemicals of any sort in our yard (biggish 1/4 acre with back yard mostly dedicated to vegetables), so I guess we fall into the organic category. Last night for dinner we had zucchini fritters, with a pasta bake loaded with rattlesnake beans, tomatoes, and carrots all picked a few short hours before being eaten. We belong to Diggers, and are saving seeds from successful plantings. Favorite vegetables are: blackjack zucchini, broad beans, rattlesnake beans, red carrots, tomatoes of all sorts, squash/pumpkin of all sorts, lettuces … I realize that I am starting to list every vegetable in the Diggers catalogue so I will just leave it at that. Our most recent addition to the vegetable garden is a huge gum tree that prefers the horizontal to the vertical. We will not be removing it, but are planting around it. We have 17 garden umbrellas for shade as and when required (collected from hard rubbish, or sidewalk shopping as we call it), and I have built a small extension onto the shed made from glass doors (sidewalk shopping again) that makes a nice compact greenhouse. We were fortunate enough to install 2 water tanks this year (10,000 litres) but haven’t really needed them (or the umbrellas) due to the almost constant rain this summer.
Gardens
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Zone 9a This back corner of the yard is the location of the first of our garden beds. It has been reworked many times over the years and is now an enlarged...
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G02 - Rear Left Fenceline garden
Zone 9a Last season we had just enough fenceline to start a Kiwifruit vine and some beans. We allowed a passionfruit vine plus some pumpkin runners to take...
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G03 - back fence - mid section garden
Zone 9a This area of the fence should get full sun every day as it faces north. We are hoping that the soil isn’t too clayish and that the composted ...
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G04 - Rear Fence - Right Side garden
Zone 9a This fenceline garden still has last years passionfruit vine, but this year it will be restricted to the trellis that is in place. Pruning shears w...
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G05 - Strawberries (1) - Fenceline garden
Zone 9a This little bed was established 2 years ago, but has never really taken off: probably because it is at the base of a big gum tree, and has been sli...
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G06 - Under Tree - back garden
Zone 9a This little cutoff section of the garden houses a dug-in compost bin and is planted with bee-attracting flowers.
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G07 - Built-up - Back Left garden
Zone 9a This bed was built up this year with new soil. First plantings were carrots and spinach.
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G08 - Back of Yard Right garden
Zone 9a Similar to G07. Currently planted with Broad Beans and a small bit of lettuce (the big bit failed). Could be a good spot for corn; should make 20-2...
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Zone 9a The garden was bisected by a fallen gum tree in Jan. 2011. We have left the garden as a split concern so that we may use the tree trunk as a trelli...
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Zone 9a Two years ago we decided that a large central garden could be handy for permaculture, but we haven’t planted permanent crops there yet, so w...
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G11 - Strawberries (2) - under Plum garden
Zone 9a Moved some of last year’s strawberries, and some newly acquired plants, to a slightly sunnier spot under the Plum tree. We normally net off...
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G12 - Under Tree Trunk Front garden
Zone 9a This garden is essentially the same size and shape as it was prior to the tree fall of Jan. 2011. The bed was mostly available, but now has a littl...
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G13 - Front Square - low riser garden
Zone 9a This garden was extended last year (from a rectangle to a square, but kept to the same height). Pumpkins grew from the front of it, and they traile...
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G14 - Wall of Beans (1), inside garden
Zone 9a This wall was created to support beans and peas, and to keep the dog out of the main garden area. Recently we added a small outside border to it so...
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G15 - Wall of Beans (2) garden
Zone 9a Love the produce from Wall of Beans (1) so much that we decided to add another wall. Have removed some pavers and have begun to dig in the base of ...
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G16 - Tree Base - Possum's pasture garden
Zone 9a This garden has proven to be similar to a fast-food outlet for possums. Their equivalent of a drive-through is the tree trunk which they do not hav...
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G17 - Wall of Beans (1) - Outside garden
Zone 9a The wall was constructed to keep the new puppy out of the vegetables, but she now knows that the beds are not a good place in which to dig (she is ...
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G18 - Wall of Beans (3) - garden
Zone 9a In order to get more light onto Wall Of Beans (2) we removed some bushes that were threatening to become trees. This new little bed was established...
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G19 - Fruit Tree border garden
Zone 9a We have just pruned a big lemon tree in this garden. The mandarins and grapefruit are still small and there is space at the edge of this bed for se...
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G20 - Herb Garden - Deckside garden
Zone 9a Deckside garden bed, mostly for herbs but as of yesterday a wall of beans (#4) has been added. The new wall separates the herb garden from the frui...
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Zone 9a This undertree area currently has 2 Goji bushes growing there. One is doing okay, the other is clinging to life. We have tried many things in this ...
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Zone 9a This garden bed should be very fertile as it was reconditioned several years ago. Currently it has a 4 yr. old Pomegranate tree and a 5 yr. old Oli...
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Zone 9a Its not a heated greenhouse, but it is made of glass doors (recycled) and has a perspex roof (also recycled) which has a dome (you guessed it: recy...
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Zone 9a There are a number of raised garden beds in our backyard. We like tomatoes and potatoes, but were informed that a 3 year rotation is necessary to a...
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