A hot summer

I confess I haven't been on the blog for a while. I blame spring madness. The gardens are growing like mad things. I expect it would be even worse if we actually did have some rain. And for those poor people in the blue mountains (and many other places around NSW) in the past few weeks would have done anything for more wet stuff. I am so concerned myself as we are in a bushfire zone as Lane Cove National park is about a kilometre from my patch so this summer brings on a lot of fear.

These were the skies last week at the height of the fire storms

Anyway I do my best at working other peoples gardens and trying desperately to get water in where it counts as I am sure you are all doing as well. I have madly been sugar caning the garden beds and having to add ...

Yes evidence of Nitrogen draw down because of the tree removal out the front has shown up in my beans, shallots and even eggplant. Some are thriving while others struggle, I feel like such a bad mother who is underfeeding some while others thrive.

Notice how lovely the shallots in front are compared to those behind

I think the urea is helping but I might have to add a generous amount each week until the carbon from the tree finally breaks down (soon please).

Here is how the garden is looking after a bit of a mulch up

Anyway I hope you get the weather conditions you are after where you live. In the meantime I think I might go off and do a little rain dance.

Spring madness

I have been away too long I know. But it has been so super busy in the gardening world I haven't had a chance to talk about the changes in my garden. They of course have not been fast changes as I have been tied up with the garden that pay the bills...

Anyway I left you with ground zero I believe. Here is the tree I decided on to replace the liquidambar

She is in flower can I hope for olives this year?

Yes it had to be something that would fruit and enjoy all the sun the front garden is going to throw at it. I grabbed 2 manzanillo and a picual which are both Spanish in origin and pollinate better together. They are quite different in shape so I have the mananillo in one bed and picual in the other. I tried to get a photo to demonstrate this but as they are still quite smallish I just couldn't get one to do it justice. Another time once they have grown a little more.

My biggest concern is of course with the removal of the liquidambar is the nitrogen drawdown in the soil so I have decided to plant vegetables only for a little while rather than putting something new in and it suffering while the old tree breaks down. I expect despite all the blood and bone, cow manure I added to the soil the carbon from the ground down liquidambar stump is not going to be enough. So I will have to use a high nitrogen liquid on the plants.

I did a walk about and look what else is growing in the garden

Two tall tomato towers

Finally the akeba has something to climb on

First time I have grown squash and they seem to pollinate easier than zucchini

loving the broad beans after such a long break

 Hope your gardens are flourishing