Backyard Veggie Garden

January 2, 2025 / newlifenarrabri / Leave a comment

I have had a few years off vegetable gardening.This year, it all seems to be taking off faster than I can keep up with it. This might be partly due to applying a dig-in fertiliser before planting.

In order of planting, from right to left, we have pumpkin (you can almost see it growing!), cucumber, corn, tomatoes (cherry tomatoes are staked up, ordinary tomato plants are younger, smaller and don’t need any attention yet). Then we have capsicum, silver beet and beetroot. Finally in the fat left, some cauliflower and broccoli seedlings I planted out this morning on the back of 14 mm of rain in last night’s storm.

I discovered last year that the key to good broccoli is lots of fertiliser. I hope that I can get that right this year.

We should get some good healthy food in a couple of months.

It’s Spring Already!

August 24, 2015August 24, 2015 / newlifenarrabri / Leave a comment

Spring generally comes early in Narrabri. Even though it’s “officially” still winter, many plants are getting right into the spring season of flowers and growth. It’s hard to believe that just a week ago I was rushing out to protect my frangipani trees from the late frosts.

Last night’s rain and the higher temperatures seem to have made every part of the garden come to life.

I forgot to plant sweetpeas this year. Well to be honest, I didn’t bother because last spring and summer were so disheartening for gardening. But the sweetpeas did not forget me! A couple of hardy plants are growing from last year’s seed.

The conditions seemed to be particularly tough on stone fruit trees. I lost my beloved peach tree and one of two plum trees. This tree is starting to bud with the promise of leaves and blossom starting to unfurl.

A bottle brush has grown next to the church fence ever since we have been here. Because of its position, hidden behind the play area, I rarely even acknowledge its existence. Today it was magnificent.

And who doesn’t love annuals at this time of the year? I love petunias because they cope so well with our extremes of heat and cold. Sometimes they keep going into their second or third year. This year there seemed to be a shortage of petunias at the nursery but dianthus are a pretty good substitute!

I wasn’t thinking about photography at all this afternoon, but I was outside when I opened my eyes and saw what was all around me and the camera called.

Hard Work

October 11, 2014 / newlifenarrabri / Leave a comment

So today’s agenda seems to be dominated by these things.

Normally I give then the same respectful distance I do a brown snake, but digging cannot be avoided today.

Today’s Photos

February 24, 2014 / newlifenarrabri / Leave a comment

It has been a very long hot and dry summer in Narrabri with temperatures way up and rainfall way down. Most days, the humidity has been below 20% and often night temperatures have not gone below 20C.

Farmers in the district have lost crops and some are now shooting stock because they can no longer afford to feed them.

Like many people in town, I have found it hard to keep enough water up to plants. Many of our potted flowers have died in the extreme heat. And our very hardy lillipillies have curled up their toes.

Other plants are stressed but hanging on like this Japanese honeysuckle

But then we have all these signs of hope for a better season ahead

“Gum nuts” on a cadgia tree suggest optimism for new babies!

Next door’s bougainvilleas seem to thrive as always.

I planted sunflowers last spring. They looked spectacular at their peak, and now look rather dead. But thousands of seeds will plant in the dirt and we may get multiplication next spring.