My garden store sanctuary and 1st progress report

 Kings Plant Barn in St Lukes is my local, and most favourite garden centre. I buy big stuff like soil and tools from cheaper places. But all of my plants so far have been from Kings. (Except my seeds which were a gift from my mother in law). I love going to kings, all the staff are kind and very helpful, I have gained confidence in the gardening retail world, as I'm there at least twice a week. But, in the beginning I was well out of my comfort zone and would walk around in a daze not really sure on any purchases. This place is currently my sanctuary, it is the horticultural heaven that clears my head and recharges my soul. And there is a really yummy cafe in the middle of it, which never fails to satisfy - the halumi and beetroot salad is my current obsession. I have been taking everyone who comes to visit and get me out of the house there for lunch. Partly because it's a great place to eat and partly because I can get a few wee things while I have a driver :) all my lunch dates have not minded at all.

This post is not intended as an ad for Kings, without the catchy jingle. But, I do heart it, I think one of the joys for the gardeners of my generation is the pleasure of a quality gardening retail experience.

After a trip to the nursery with my sister and, almost two year old, niece for lunch. As is routine with every visit, we walked out past the seedlings section and just like that - we needed a trolley. Although with only one arm it's not difficult to need a trolley!

My niece chose two zucchini plants and nursed one of them all the way around the nursary, not a nice beginning to my relationship with this new wee plant, it still has most of its leaves and I'm sure will bounce back most likely with trust issues.

I also bought yummy snow peas and spinach for salads and dwarf peas that are not for the kitchen, they will be popped on the spot for me and whoever is on a garden tour.

Red line - beetroot

Green line - spring onions

Blue line - snow peas

Pink line - perceptual spinach

Yellow line - dwarf peas, for the gardener

Red dots - strawberry bag hiding ugly tree stump

Orange line -  carrots

Orange dots - capsicum

Purple dots - egg plant

Blue dots - experiment snow pea

Yellow dots - experiment dwarf peas

Green dots - zucchini 

The garden space in the front of the photo (concrete tub and stone boarder garden) is the closest my garden has to full sun. Hence the capsicum moving in on carrot space a few blogs ago.

I have squeezed a snow pea and pea experiment plant in this box to see how they grow compaired to their brothers and sisters up the back.  I'm not sure how long I'll have the space but while I do, I can learn for next year.

Progress Report

My beetroot and carrot seeds have done their thing underground and have sprouted into plant babies!

They are so cute, I can feel all the birds keeping one eye on them and the other on my strawberries waiting for the perfect treat. I planted sparingly so I don't need to do too much thinning. Thinning is effectively playing god in the garden and pulling out some of the sprouts so the the strong have room to grow Big and strong. I'm not ready to do this yet as I'm not sure where I stand ethically on the death of innocents. I will probably try some form of rehoming although have read that carrots don't do replanting well.

My strawberry bag is doing great with heaps of green strawberries fattening up nicely. I think the bag is a great incubator, always nice and warm and full of everything a strawberry needs to grow sweet and juicy berries to go nicely with ice-cream. My next job is strawberry protection from birds, which should be simple with them being so nicely compact in the bag.

I can't believe how quickly I am feeling a sense of achievement and progress in my garden. You can see everything has grown since it's planting day and 10 minutes out in my patch everyday is great medicine for me. There are so many lovey gentle jobs I can do with my arm still in a sling. Although I have been lucky to have had Andrew, Mum and even our neighbour helping me with the heavy jobs and all the people who have driven me for lunch at the nursary and a wee purchase ( I have been to the cafe, I mean nursary, 6 times in the last 3 weeks - yum)

Lily is starting to ask to go for a look in Mummy's garden and getting better at only looking with her eyes and smelling flowers. Although toddler sized handfuls of soil are often re-homed. I am looking forward to all the things she will learn out here, most importantly it will hopefully keep her interested in vegetables and healthy eating.

This week I am telling people I know about this blog. Being my first blog, this is quite a weird, exciting feeling. I'm fine with strangers reading and not enjoying this but not sure how I will feel about how people I know will respond. So leave a comment if you have been for a visit to my blog, I'd love to know who has dropped in, it's like having a virtual garden visit - but without a taste of peas or strawberries.

Xx Robs - VegeGardenNovice