Blog December 2018

Spring is a great time for plant growth in my garden in Melbourne.  I always have lots of plants in flower during this time, but the summer months can be quite colourful too.

My espaliered apples are growing strongly, and I have been busy thinning them to maximise fruit size.

Thornless hybrid blackberries do well in my garden.

Recent rain and warmer weather brought on a spurt of growth.

I have to keep cutting the potatoes back so we can get past them.

I should get a nice crop of delicious peaches again this year.

I have planted faster growing catch crops between my tomatoes this year, including this row of lettuce.  I am gradually removing lower leaves from the tomato plants as they grow so the catch crops don't get shaded too much.

Marigolds and sweet basil make fine companion plants for tomatoes, and this group of marigolds are a pretty addition to the bed as well.

I have a blue borage plant in the tomato bed too.  I use borage plants elsewhere in the garden to attract bees and other pollinating insects to my fruit trees and other flowering perennials.  This plant mainly services the vegetable growing areas.

This butternut pumpkin will sprawl all around the Ecobin it is planted in. 

I'm happy with my climbing bean which are growing strongly up these 2m high climbing frames.

I'm growing sweet corn between the climbing beans again this year.

We are getting near the end of my crop of apricots, and as you can see, I leave some growing higher up in the canopy for the birds to enjoy.

I have lots of grapes on my vine again this year.