Garden Notes 2014
2014 Calendar
Download (or print) the Photographic Calendar (pdf format, very large size): ncg 2014 calendar, or the smaller Print Version: 2014-calendar.pdf And see the upcoming events on the home page. And see you in the Garden.
December Notes 2014
Sounds like summer sprang early. Mulching, deep and regular watering in the early hours of the morning or evening, shade protection on sensitive plants on those blasting days (think newly planted seedlings, berries and other shallow rooted crops) will all come to the fore this month. Not too late for planting advanced seedlings, but make … Continue reading December Notes 2014
October 2014 Notes
It’s been a strange spring so far. Very dry, apart from one decent deluge of an inch or so, and warm. The green manure is ready for cutting. But no sign of our asparagus spears, and the broadies, though flowering with abandon, haven’t really formed pods (hope they hurry up for the dinner!) Glad we started … Continue reading October 2014 Notes
November Notes
Spring was out of the blocks very quickly, so it actually feels like early summer in the garden, especially with the dry conditions continuing. Though the broadies are only now starting to truly produce, along with the asparagus and artichokes. The strawbs are flowering heavily – looking forward to a good berry pick, if we keep up the watering … Continue reading November Notes
September 2014
Spring! By the calendar, at any rate – the plants heralded it at least a couple of weeks earlier. Our peaches have unfurled and the buds on the nectarines are not far behind. Movement in the garden after the long cold winter. Time to get moving yourself if you want to be feasting on garden produce this summer. It’s … Continue reading September 2014
August 2014
All the signs of spring are about; the winds are picking up, showers rather than real rain, days lengthening, the sounds of small motors on a weekend, wattles flowering along with other bush flowers (seem earlier than usual – makes me think, again, about developing a local calendar, or at least a DIY calendar for gardeners … Continue reading August 2014
July 2014
So you think July is time to sit back in front of the fire with slippers, cuppa and seed catalogues? Midwinter is actually a fine time to get out in the garden and get warm – planting and moving deciduous trees and plants (we’ll be renovating our strawberry and asparagus plots and planting apricots), pruning … Continue reading July 2014
June 2014
You should be enjoying the last flush of autumn growth, especially from greens and ‘leafys’ if you have them in. Now’s an important time to plant more greens, because growth will slow from here on in ’til September and even October. Kales are fabulous for central Victorian gardens as they are frost hardy and very … Continue reading June 2014
May 2014
This year we seem to be having a ‘normal’ autumn – whatever that may be – a wet autumn break with some decent soft, constant, rain, also frosts, chilly mornings and evenings bookended by lovely, still, warm, sunny days. You’ll surely be noticing the shortening daylength as well. It’s a real seasonal, autumnal change. With the frosts, unless you … Continue reading May 2014
April 2014
A busy time this month as you make the most of the warm days and not so cool nights and get your veges in, especially the leafy greens which will feed you right through winter if planted now and into May. It’s also a great time for planting herbs and perennials, shrubs and trees, and for … Continue reading April 2014
March Notes
It’s been a summer that’s tested gardeners and gardens alike – cool start, blasts of extreme heat, low rainfall. But finally, our tomatoes and other crops are getting into full production. Fingers crossed that March is benign and there is enough warmth for all those heritage tomatoes (and everything else) to ripen! Keeping the water up … Continue reading March Notes
February 2014
Getting trees and food plants through the heat is the priority at the moment. It’s hard to be thinking about planting food for autumn and winter right now, but this month you need to start, else you’ll go hungry. In Newstead, the frosts can hit early in autumn (hard to believe now) so if you … Continue reading February 2014
January 2014
Welcome to a new year of gardening. The early mornings and long evenings of summer are the best times to garden – even though conditions have been quite benign so far. You will have mulched well around plants and established a regular, consistent watering (and harvesting) regime, so now’s the time to sit back with … Continue reading January 2014
