Well it is September 11th in most parts of the world but New Zealand is the first to see the sun so we had ours yesterday, complete with TV docos and good newspaper backgrounders about what has changed in USA in five years.
Well a diary perhaps... Today we spread compost because that is what the moon calendar said to do. I am not too good on this but getting better. I also planted more onions (Pukekohe long keeper) because I had them there.
The darned snails and slugs ate all my Amish peas which I had grown so carefully from seed in the glasshouse. I spread woodash on, but a day too late really and I suspect they won't recover.
I planted the last strawberry today. Officially this is the garden of Tereana my granddaughter at boarding school but she forgot to plant it. The wild strawberry is looking really healthy out there. I believe it has white fruit and fruits a long time. Anyway they are thriving with pine needles round them. We put them next to the pine nuts.
The fig cuttings need to be put in the ground at the moment. They have been iin sawdust under the trees for a few weeks. Not sure where to plant them but if anyone wants any, just shout. Brown turkey and late Adriatic.
I have now planted the tomatoes in the greenhouse, mostly commercial Moneymaker but some tiny ones as well. I also have some tomato seeds coming up which are heirloom from Koanga Gardens and yesterday planted an Amish tomato and an Italian one which are apparently heirloom. I have planted basil and parsley between them.
Seeds up in the glasshouse include crown pumpkin, gem squash, globe artichoke, coriander, alyssum and a few onions. The hyssop didn't seem to germinate and the seedless pumpkin seed looks a hard one to germinate. Two of something seem to be growing there but not sure if it is them. Time will tell I guess.
Two zucchini have now been planted outside in the shrub beds, complete with good compost, and I have put glass over them as we still get the odd frost.
The geese are doing well and Malcolm is changing the water everyday We turned off the electric fence while my toddler grandson was here for the weekend and we also picked up the geese manure on the back lawn so he could kick his ball. The geese seemed to think the fence was on so they didn't try to get out.
As for the macadamias, I am sorry the Australian parrots are eating everyone that drops to the ground. We didn't prune the hazelnuts on time and I am not sure what will happen. They had heaps of compost and rock dust and seaweed though.
The red and blackcurrants are bursting into leaf, as is the wisteria, the nashi pears, the figs and the grapes. Don't think the raspberry is looking particularly good though. We now have a keriberiry planted near the quince.
The heritage pples don't look good again probaby because the gum trees nearby suck the nutrients from the soil. We are having three of them out soon for firewood. City people with fires to feed are coming.
The late plums are in full blossom now and the early ones have greened up from the bottom. It was strange watching the prunus green up from the top though, a weird sight. The apricots are just coming into blossom.
Lovely spring bulbs under the walnuts include freesias, daffodils and grape hyacinths. A red waratah is out and is spendid. The lemonade fruit is delicious!!
I have a great many herbs in now. Today's addition was chervil. Just awaiting the lemon verbena now. I like it as a tea. Garlic is well up, the celery is looking good but the tub with the comfrey, nettle and goose poo in it is now blocked at the outlet and I can't feed the plants at the moment. One row of carrrots are up now. (lost one to the geese) and have some other heirloom carrots ready to plant when the soil is warmer.
Malcolm goes away tomorrow for a conference and I go away just after he gets back. We are hoping to get a wwooffer in very late September to finish the heavy jobs. Hopefully someone who is handy with some carpentry, handyperson type....
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