Cheap Chinese Watering Parts

These were about $29 from Hong Kong.

I've yet to try these out, though upon opening the package, they look and feel almost as good as the Nylex and Pope (both Australian brands) models.

I bought these as a back up, so that I can rearrange and add when and where I want without worry for spares.

Growing potatoes in buckets

http://www.instructables.com/id/Growing-Potatoes-in-Buckets/?ALLSTEPS

Great idea for a small garden.

I think I'm going to need more soil this autumn/winter...

March (Autumn) Sunlight

March 2016

10:30

11:30

13:15

14:15

15:15

16:15

Strawberries

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvakOn9upuE

How to hang them (so you can take them down again)

More on Strawberries in guttering:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcNDHC_BLNc

Be mindful of runners.

https://youtu.be/HIw9bxz73c0

Boogins yard to go live on the net!!!

I've ordered this:

https://www.jbhifi.com.au/computers-tablets/connected-home/swann/swann-ads-466-indoor-outdoor-wi-fi-security-camera-with-smart-alerts/881905/

And will be adding a speaker system, via a Raspberry Pi microcomputer, to shoo birds and to live-stream parties in my yard/Tell robbers the police have been called etc.

It's motion activated, and can be viewed anywhere in the world.

A digital backyard....

GRASS!!!

So in order to make the back yard safe and enjoyable for my son when he visits, I've added grass.  It's only in seeds, so it will take a while to set and become luscious.

I've bought a hand mower for the future when the yard requires it. If all goes well, I should have a beautiful yard in no time.

This is after the first 7 days :)

I used Sun and Shade seed mix due to the tree, and so the seeds would be fertilised for their initial growth.

Summer Planting

So here is my third and probably last raised garden bed. I wish I'd done it in Spring time, as almost all herbs have to be planted in the spring.

I'm waiting a little while, then planting in snow pea, and have regular pea on order.

Here's the pic:

The lettuce was amazingly productive, as was the Kale, though the Kale is a cabbage moth magnet and it is a daily chore of removing the caterpillars and throwing them onto the ivy (they can eat all the ivy for all i care).

Carrots were very small. I think I needed to loosen the soil with more mulch and chook poo. Next time.

Planting Guide

http://www.theseedcollection.com.au/WebRoot/ecshared01/Shops/TheSeedCollection/MediaGallery/pdf/TheSeedCollection-_Sowing_Chart.pdf


Also: How to propagate seeds

http://www.theseedcollection.com.au/epages/shop.sf/en_AU/?ObjectPath=/Shops/TheSeedCollection/Categories/Feed/Sowing_Seeds_Successfully&utm_source=TheSeedCollection+Mailing+List&utm_campaign=ed14f68627-Summer_newsletter_201511_25_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_5b2a8f3c6e-ed14f68627-3114629&goal=0_5b2a8f3c6e-ed14f68627-3114629

Vertical Gardens

Worth a thought...

http://www.standeyo.com/NEWS/10_Food_Water/100105.vertical.gardening.html

Planter Boxes!!!

I finally got off my fat backside in time for spring planting. Photos below are of the two new big planting areas and the large planter box I created today.

Raddish, spring onion, parsley, carrots, and lettuce will be the first to be planted.

I've also invested in some chicken wire to create some frames to cover the planting areas (to stop cats and butterflies from eating and stomping them).

Lazy/Winter

I REALLY should start planting my autumn seeds, but ive been so damn lazy/distracted.

To do so, will require pulling all summer stock, and building the raised bed ive been meaning to build for about three months now.

Hopefully ill find enthusiasm over easter. photos will follow.

Food Wastage

http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2015/03/the-crazy-broken-food-superhighway-that-supplies-americas-produce/

Blue Berries!!!

So I finally got some blue berry bushes yesterday, along with a couple of big tubs to grow them in. I've put them in each corner of the yard, but I think they'll be more easily netted when they start fruiting if they're in the same corner.

Guide for growing Blueberries

My spinach and pumpkin are going bananas! in fact, everything is growing really well considering their small containers.

and one more shot of the dirt mound now 'volcano-ed' out for the blue berry tubs.

Spiders and fish - these are a few of Boogins' favourite things...

Yesterday I bought:

The fish based fertiliser uses a rampant fresh water pest (carp) as the base for a good organic liquid fertiliser, and helps reduce the number of carp in our delicate fresh water streams and rivers.

Last night, Boogins found the huntsman spider that decided to squat in our bedroom without even paying rent! Here's Boogins chasing said spider:

The spider in question:

And here is looking proud as punch after a job well done:

Then resting (a size 12 foot for scale - he's a BIG cat):

And the spider once caught. He was taken outside to a nice leaf littered area to recover from his ordeal. I love spiders, because I hate flys and mosquitoes.

And just one more artist shot of the kid on the aircon manual saying "Look mum! A spider!"

http://www.theseedcollection.com.au/

Seriously, these guys are amazing. They sent me two extra packets with my second order.

Fantastic.

Some seed planting advice: lay your seeds in their correct locations - do not push into soil - and cover  with seed raising soil. I've had 100% success with this method.

Parts cabinet

This is what I will use to store my 20+ types of seeds. I plan on separating them into two categories:

1. Full or partial sun (in rows)

2. Season for optimal planting (in columns from the top)

The cabinet is used for electronics parts, but is just as useful in storing future life.

Seeds - Part II

Here is the next order of seeds that are about to arrive (and push me to complete the bloody raised garden bed):

Quantity	Name	UP	TP
1 piece(s)	Oregano- Italian	$1.00	$1.00
1 piece(s)	Parsley- Triple Curled	$1.00	$1.00
1 piece(s)	Parsley, Italian	$1.00	$1.00
1 piece(s)	Bunching Onion- Evergreen Bunching	$1.00	$1.00
1 piece(s)	Zucchini- Black Beauty	$1.40	$1.40
1 piece(s)	Radish- Champion	$1.00	$1.00
1 piece(s)	Celery- Tall Utah	$1.00	$1.00
1 piece(s)	Pea: Snowpea- Mammoth Melting	$1.50	$1.50
1 piece(s)	Carrot- Rainbow Mix	$1.10	$1.10
1 piece(s)	Kale- Dwarf Blue Curled	$1.00	$1.00
Subtotal			$11.00

Growing....slowly...

Here is the updated and additional planter boxes.

The ones on the wall are Pumpkin, Capsicum and another Pumpkin. (they're against a wall for climbing purposes).

The additional two boxes at the far end are Basil, Hon Sai Tai and Chives. They're a little bunched up, but I've never grown any of them before, so this is a bit of an experiment really.

I'm considering pulling the potato vine (a weed attached to the trellis in the corner of the shot) and replacing it with Passion fruit, as it's a creeper, looks pretty and will cover the wall. I just need to reinvigorate the soil (must buy a garden fork).

Silly season

Ok, so I may not have created the raised bed as yet - frankly I blame Xmas, New Years etc - but I have just added basil, chives and Hon Sai Tai (photos to be added soon).

The rocket and spinach is ready for harvest - they'll be going into tomorrow's lunch.

I've also added capsicum, pumpkin (gray and butternut) and corriander.

I'm promising myself to build the raised bed sometime this week. I laid the bedding for it today (flattening out and evening the soil base for the frame), and just need to strip the last few nails (requiring the angle grinder) from the wood I rescued from the tip.

For the raised bed:

Lettuce
Zucchini
Carrots
And whatever else will fit into the patch with all that.

I've got to say, it's either in my blood, or really addictive naturally. I just wish I had more space and much better soil to work with - I'd grow everything (including chickens).

Raising the dead...I mean, 'bed'!

Well the weather in Melbourne has been great - if you're a snail, slug or duck. I have chicken wire over the beds, so at least they're safe from most pests.

But...I havn't had the weather required to cut up and make my new bed for the back part of the yard. Tsk tsk I hear you say. Well, you get out there and make the bloody thing in the rain then smart bum.

This weekend looks like good weather for it, so i'll hit up a mate for his circular saw and give it the good old college try.

Photos of band-aided thumbs, blood covered soil and me swearing to follow...

ALSO,

This site has some great ideas for beds:

raised-garden-beds-kits

Irrigation - Stage One

After waking this morning to a lovely day, but still feeling pretty crook, I decided a visit to the garden would help, and sure enough, as soon as the sun hit me, I felt a lot better.

So I put in the first stage of the irrigation for the poly boxes already in place. The weather in Melbourne can go any which way but predictable, so at least i'm prepared for drought.

It literally took me 5 minutes to set up. Photos below:

Update:

Anyone who knows me, knows I'm a cat person, but when I went back again only a couple of hours AT MOST, and the next door neighbours cat has trampled have of the seedlings.

I have a few options:

1. Create an elaborate and highly technical motion sensing watering system, that will spray the little bugger, though cats are pretty crafty, he'd carry a mirror and have the James Bond theme playing....

2. Electrify EVERYTHING in the entire backyard. He'll get the hint.

3. Hire a particularly well armed private militia (i'm thinking there may be a few excess since the US pulled out of Iraq....

4. Move......a canon into the backyard, and declare (quite formally) a state of war, dragging both properties into a protracted and devastating conflict that will change the world forever....