Spring time! Time to plant plant plant in the Southern Hemisphere. My in-laws gave me the most exquisite birthday gift - a voucher to Garden World to buy seedlings for my garden - best present ever!
SHOPPING TIME!
Left: All the plants I bought with my voucher, Right: All the plants left over after a full day of planting
I may have gone a bit overboard shopping at the nursery but I do still have hanging baskets to fill and I really want to plant some edible plants in the flower beds between the other plants.
Time to get PLANTING
I started by trying to plan which plants will get planted in which beds and I found this potato plant growing.. I have these tyres I meant to turn into a potato planter - there is no better time than the present right? So the peppers and eggplants along with some relocated self-seeded marigolds were put into this bed, as well as a relocated pea plant that my kids planted in another bed which needed a support.
Left: Before planting, Middle and Right: After Planting
Left: Before - some self seeded broccoli and butter lettuce plants, Right: After - More lettuce and celery seedlings added
Left: Before planting, Middle: Self-seeded broccoli plants to be relocated, After planting: Relocated broccoli plants, new lettuce, celery and parsley
Wall Mounted Kitchen Herbs
Before and After
I have these wonderful wall mounted pots that my mom got for me as a gift a few years ago that I have mounted right outside my kitchen (back) door - convenient herbs for cooking: YUM! Last season I had to remove them as those herbs' time was up so I'm excited to have some delicious fresh herbs on hand again! (I've already used some parsley!)
New Apricot Tree
I've been dying to plant a fruit tree that will also provide some nice shade in my garden but have been so indecisive as to which tree to get and where to place it, as the low boundary wall between the neighbours and us could become a problem for roots as well as when the tree drops it's leaves. I'm sure they wont mind when I share my delicious apricots with them! Anyone else been held back in their planting because of neighbours?
My darling husband was put to work again digging a hole and planting the tree for me. He had a little audience of the neighbour's kid and my kids cheering him on to find treasure! I decided to put them to better use to help me mix the compost and phosphate to fill the hole with. (The guy at the nursery suggested bone meel at first but said that if I had a dog -which I do- she will dig up the tree so he gave me the phosphate instead).
Treasure!! Or another man's trash at least! Our hole had to be moved a foot closer to the wall because we discovered that the builders that built the house used the garden as a dumping ground for their trash!!! So infuriating!! There is so much plastic down there!
And finally done! My beautiful Apricot tree with some penny-royal planted at the base to keep the bugs at bay: A little trick I read in one of my gardening books.. When my hubby has recovered from digging that aggravating hole of trash, I'll get him to round out the grass around it to look a bit prettier. And look! There is already a little apricot growing! (Any fruit tree growing tips welcome in the comments!)
Update on my Fig Tree
Left: Last month, Middle and Right: Growth since last month
I'm going to have to plant this baby in a different pot soon - the hail last year smashed the pot.. I think next time I will get a decently large pot to still contain the invasive roots but make a slightly bigger tree.
Strawberry Pot!
I have wanted a strawberry pot for so long but have always been put off by the price. I found this awesome pot while shopping for a birthday gift for my mom - I found it at a wholesale pot place for a very reasonable price so BAM! One for mom and one for me! I painted it from its original concrete colour but I'm not sure I like the glazed look.. I placed it on our patio to add some colour and interest to our most boring patio - we'll have to see if it's a happy spot for it. I read that strawberries need full sun all day but I'm not sure they will survive that way in a pot in our already crazy hot (up to 33C) days unless maybe I water it twice a day.
I also read that you should have 7-10 strawberry plants per person if you want your full supply of strawberries to come from your garden - that will mean that for our family of 4 we will need 4 pots - WOW seems like a lot.. Just subsidizing our grocery bill for now is perfect for me.
Next Month
My plan for the next month is to get those hanging baskets up and my mom has found a wholesale berry plant nursery so hopefully they can advise us on how to be successful with blueberries and for my mom's larger property, some blackberries and raspberries also!
I love berries so much that I'd plant them all over my garden if I could!
P.S: This post was drawn up for @simplymike's #gardeningjournal2018 monthly challenge but I was too late for it - time just escaped me this past week.. Be sure to join the challenge next month! Hopefully I will have my content ready before the challenge post this time ;) I really enjoy documenting the progress in my garden and connecting with others doing the same - it is most encouraging!
Have a wonderful gardening month all!
so excited to see the fruits and to help eat ;) Good job lil sis. So proud of you!
Thank you :) Hopefully it will be fruitful enough to make jam!
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Thanks so much! 🌞🌝 what an honour!
Fig tree??? How cool!
Not sure I could grow one where I am located in zone 6a/b- may be more of an indoor plant/tree here.
Yeah I’m not too sure if I bought the right variety for my area but the more I get involved in gardening the more I learn about adapted varieties that can handle different climates.. according to Wikipedia it’s part of the mulberry family and from Asia.. not sure where your zone is (I’m from Johannesburg South Africa)... hope you can find one that will survive your area! Sounds like you love them 😊
Yeah I’m not too sure if I bought the right variety for my area but the more I get involved in gardening the more I learn about adapted varieties that can handle different climates.. according to Wikipedia it’s part of the mulberry family and from Asia.. not sure where your zone is (I’m from Johannesburg South Africa)... hope you can find one that will survive your area! Sounds like you love them 😊
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Nice post - I grew a fig tree from a cutting to give to a friend who managed to kill it, so I am going to root another one as I love fig trees. - Happy gardening!!
Hmmmm sounds like you will have a delicious bunch of figs within a few years!
Now that looks very promising. Can't wait to see you join next month's challenge :0)
Yeah me too 🍀🍄🌸 thanks for stopping by anyway 🌞
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Thanks so much! 🌞🌝 what an honour!
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Awesome gardens ....
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Thanks 🍄
That's strawberry pot is just wonderful :D Great post, really makes me want to plant for next year.
Yay! I’m glad I could inspire that urge! The gardening bug has bitten me!
Starting a garden one thing to consider is a compost bin, we used to have a proper area delegated to making compost at home. Also great to get earthworms, teach the children about how much good they do.
Apricot trees or any fruit trees we grew growing up on the West Rand, prune at the end of winter, prepare compost, feed the soil around the tree going down about half a meter. Build a circle trench about 30 mm deep with slight wall around tree to direct water around the tree during summer months.
Have fun gardening, BTW the dogs just lick up some of the bone meal on top of the ground I have never had a dog dig the tree up.
Wow! Thanks for all the tips! I've written them down and put some into motion already :)
I'm eager to get a compost bin going! That is definitely on the list! Do you have any suggestions of how to build one? I was considering pallets and chicken wire..
Wow that's amazing work and lots of sweat and tears in there too it looks like! Do you happen to live in Australia? hehe..
I am so bad at gardening.. my plants die.. I tried the easiest - succulents and cactus and they still die.. haha
Heehee! I used to be like that and it was normally because the plants didn't get enough water that they died so I'm hoping as long as I keep up with the watering and the occasional fertilizer, they will survive :)
I'm in South Africa ;)
Happy belated birthday! Seems like you have a lot of exciting projects going on, especially the apricot tree and the strawberry pot. I wonder how long it will take for the apricot tree to be fully grown.
Greetings from Cape Town :)
Thanks for the birthday wishes! Apparently Apricot trees grow fairly quickly.. this one is about two years old but it has had its root base limited to the small bag.. I'm looking forward to recording it's growth - I've taken a few pics from far too to watch it's growth in relation to the wall and the neighbour's house in the bacground :)
What a gorgeous garden journal and the perfect gift from your in- laws, you'll soon be enjoying the fruits of your labour!
Thanks so much Lizelle :)
You are building quite the garden there! I loved seeing your family teamwork! 🤗 I love that you have those fresh kitchen herbs, strawberries, lettuce and broccoli. These are all things I would love to plant. We’re waiting to get to a better location where we can start our own. I’m looking forward to seeing how your apricot tree grows! Thanks for sharing your beautiful garden with us~
Thank you! I also love the teamwork :) I'm hoping you have plenty of garden space soon!!
Ughhh sooooo jelly!!! Wish we have a landed property of our own to have our own garden of plants! We have a small balcony and do a little planting, I've been waiting for my figs to grow for the longest time! Hopefully they stick and mature! I'd like me some figs!
At least you are making use of your balcony space to grow some things :) I hope your figs get their act together soon ;) Maybe give it some fertilizer for fruit trees?
Oh I really like your wall mounted pots for the herbs
And the kettle one too, very cute
Happy Belated Birthday @wildwanderer
Thank you! It's all getting there slowly :)
You have a beautiful garden @wildwanderer!
Hope to see it again next month!
your garden is so pretty! And what a great gift! I would go pretty nuts too in the nursery! :D :D
Heehee! The nursery is my new favourite place to shop!
What an awesome garden you have! I would love to come graze in your yard when the fruits are ripe. :-) There's nothing quite like fruit fresh from the vine or tree or bush.
I'm a little jealous that you are just at the beginning of Spring while I am looking at Fall coming up. Perhaps I should consider a 'winter' home in the Southern Hemisphere. Where would you recommend?
Hmmmm! I like how you talk of grazing in my garden :) I have a feeling with my two sons that none of my fruit would make it to the kitchen.
I live in South Africa and I'm loving it: we are inland in Johannesburg but if I were to recommend a place in South Africa it would be more of a coastal town like Durban or Cape Town as it is so beautiful near the sea. Other countries to consider could be Australia and New Zealand if you want modern and western culture or look to the tropics for something more exotic like Panama, Bali or Indonesia :)
I've been seeing a lot of posts from people in South Africa. It's looking more and more appealing all the time. However, I've always wanted to visit Australia. I guess I'll just have to make lots of money so I can get a vacation home in each place. :-D
That sounds awesome- I’d love to migrate when it’s winter 😊
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Me too! I've made a point for many years of my life to avoid wintry places. Lately, I've been in Cleveland, Ohio, a place known for it's terrible winters. I tend to escape to the Caribbean for at least a week each winter though, so it's bearable.
You were to late for mike’s challange bit I Sm giving 100% what a great blog with info and Nice photos. You put in slot off work i love that. Do you know the Free Picture This app?
You should look it up its for plants and flowers !
See you steemitmama 😉
Thank you so much! I will try the Picture This app :) I used something similar (Garden Answers) just to make sure that what I guessed was potatoes was actually potatoes :D
HIhi LOL I Made a mistake before in a blog and someone said are you sure that is a ...... I dont remember the flower name but Thats When I decided I use this app and its really good dont wanna make mistakes
@wildwanderer a great post indeed! They do large scale planting here in the apple valley and this time of year it's a hive of activity, as the apple trees are starting to awake from their winter rest! Blessings!
How wonderful! Thanks for stopping by!
it is really nice way of gardening, I love it love it really...@wildwanderer. #steemitbloggers
Thank you 😊
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Lovely garden and plants, i love to plant it gives me a positive energy, sadly tomorrow will start the autumn her in Belgium wish all the year spring 😊 thanks for sharing and have a nice weekend
Oh Autumn and Winter :( not my favourite months! Thanks for the lovely comment <3
Happy Spring! <333 Your garden is absoulutely gorgeous :D
Thank you so much!
My pleasure <333 :)
That's a nice garden! I hope all your plants would grow and produce fruit in this coming years.
Thank you! I’m excited for it!
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