Garden Update

After the long weekend and a week of work, the garden has been watered but I haven't really done much more. It's so great with even that little effort things are growing beautifully. Although I do have a long list of things I'd like to do and there have been a few casualties but nothing too upsetting.

Today we harvested three very little slow growing spring onions. I planted these on Mother's Day, before winter and I think they have missed their puberty growth spurt so are as good as they'll get. They haven't really worked so we are going to eat them and I can re-plant the row. They added to a yummy sauce for dinner.

I worked in the garden till dark tonight, sounds hard out but I started working in the garden just before dark. It was probably an hour and was great to get out there. It's Sunday and I want to get my potatoes in this week, so I have a few jobs and haven't got into the garden all weekend.

The strawberries in a bag may not be as genius as once thought. One of the plants has dried up and died (although it did occur while we were away on a three day weekend so it was half neglect and half the fault of the bag). But I'm thinking of making so sort of funnel into the bag so I can be sure the water is getting right in. My friend who did this with tomatoes used a drink bottle and squirted right into holes. So now there are 5 plants. I have also got the bird netting up over the strawbs which will disappoint the local sparrows - although the are still loving digging up worms in my other plot.

I didn't think I had it in me, but as Andrew lifted a stone to weigh down the bird netting tonight, I saw a big fat snail and although slightly squashed already by Andrew, I finished him off. It was a bit like how I felt when out fishing with Dad when I was younger. When the excitement of getting the fish in the boat was over, all that was left was the harsh reality of getting it off the hook and hitting it as hard as possible with the wattie (large bit of wood). As a young girl my process was be as quick and kind as possible unhooking, whisper sorry and BAM. Job done.

I have a few other plans for snail management but this week I'm going to head out each night and hunt, I got two tonight. The two I found tonight were in the rocks, which makes for a quick, easy kill, with another rock. The process is find big fat snail on his/hers way to chow down on my plant babies, get in close, whisper sorry and BOOM. 

I have a video that I will work out if I can get on here later :)

Today my 18 mo daughter and I had a great time spotting caterpillars on my swan plants. It probably goes against good gardening but I love monarch butterflies so have planted a couple of swan plants near the garden. We have at least 20 very hungry caterpillars and they are so fat children can easily spot them and even a gentle pat doesn't seem to bother them. I love the life-cycle of butterflies and can wait for chrysalis' to start popping up in strange places.

So this week I haven't got much food from the garden, other than our tiny spring onions. I also haven't put in much work but with caterpillars and setting up netting/ preparing for the potato planting I have enjoyed the garden and that's what really matters.

Ps look at my zucchini, carrots and beetroot!! The spinach is ready for eating this week also!