Growing

It was with delight yesterday that we saw the seaweed had been washed up on the beach once again. So instead of going for our walk, we went back to the house for the bike and trailer with the intention of getting a few loads for the garden. However, after just one, I was exhausted, certainly not the four or five loads of days past. We dropped what we had by the vege garden and later weeded and spread the seaweed around the few lettuces and spinach that were growing. The load took up about a third of the garden. I had meant to get another load this morning, but with Chiara coming at 10 decided to write this blog instead. I am definitely noticing the difference between what I could do in the past and what I can do now, but what I also couldn’t do and what I can now do. So, I have definitely come a long way since I was sick, but nowhere near my pre-illness days. One wonders whether one will ever regain that level of fitness. I had a punnet each of broccoli, cauli and spinach to be planted and had hoped to have the new plants in the ground and lined with seaweed by now, but I couldn’t even muster the energy to plant those yesterday. My old philosophy of doing everything today has certainly been flipped on its head.

We have another problem too and that is that the vege garden gets no winter sun, rather a mottled lightness in the afternoons. We have been told we can trim up the offending trees on the neighbour’s side, it is just a matter of getting around to it. Just thinning a few of the tee tree would take care of the problem. I planted a tree a bit close to the garden too. This is on the east side, so shading won’t be a problem, but the roots of this tree may be. I can just see them venturing into the rich organic matter that we place in the garden. That was probably a silly move on my part.

I think I have already mentioned in a previous blog, but when I built this garden, I could have put it anywhere. The section was just grass but I chose that area as there was a small pile of waste in the corner and I thought by placing the garden in from the boundary slightly, it would hide the untidy weeds and provide a good place for the compost. There were only tiny trees there at that stage. The other corner, in hindsight, would have been a much better option. Now all the boundary is lined with trees, leaving little room to shift the garden, so pruning the neighbour’s trees is probably the best thing to do.

I did replant the pot I got at Christmas though, now full of pansies that should provide a colourful display in months to come, and I planted out some chokos that had come from my neighbour. These I had intended to eat, but when they started sprouting, I decided they would be happier being planted.

I have been thinking about planting between us and the other neighbour, in the section where the fence ended. Currently there is about a five-metre gap. I would still leave a bit open, enough for a car to get through, but I think plants of some kind would do well there – plenty of sun, better soil and at the same time, providing a nice connection between our properties. But at the moment I am still undecided as to what kind of plant and how high they should grow.

But first things first. Those veges need planting.