Finally, the weather here is starting to warm up! Ever since we moved into this little house I’ve been itching to get into the garden. It’s much colder here than I’m used to, so I’ve been scared to transplant our little seedlings into the garden, in case it’s too early and they get chilly. I’m probably just being silly but I’m a cautious one!
Yesterday was a beautiful, warm day so I jumped right in and started weeding. Our garden beds were overgrown with grass, parsley, clover and some type of onion. It’s hardly a sinister mix but I needed to remove any weeds and make some room for our seedlings. I kept the healthiest of the parsley and onions and cleared the rest.
(The garden before I started weeding.)
(Me, wearing Katie’s sun hat!)
You learn a lot about previous residents by cleaning their house and digging up their garden. I found an odd assortment of polystyrene pieces, dog bones (bones that dogs eat, not the other kind), a ball, a tiny gnome, and mountains of fossilised dog and cat poo. What does that tell you?
I love playing in the garden. It’s so relaxing to just sing, pull weeds and ponder life’s mysteries. Katie doesn’t enjoy gardening like I do, so I feel that the garden is my place, where I’m the king and the plants are my people. I look after them and they look after me too.
I didn’t come inside until after the sun went down and I couldn’t see what I was doing anymore, but I made a lot of progress. One garden bed is completely cleared and the tomatoes (we’re growing Oxhearts, Mortgage Lifters, Black Krims and Tommy Toes), Romanesco broccoli, Golden Acre cabbages and beetroots are in. It’s been very windy tonight so I’ve been quite worried about them, but they seem to be doing OK. I’ll keep you posted as they grow!
Do you have a garden or a veggie patch? Do you like to grow things?
There is nothing more satisfying that being as self sufficient as you can and eaing your own home grown veg. I have found as I got into my late 30′s I started to like playing with soil and planting seeds and watching them grow, so simple but so perfect xox
wonderful! we have a garden, too! but we have to drive 90 km from our house to get o our countryside house.. makes it harder but still pretty satisfying to see how little green things are growing! Can’t wait till the next spring here! And it’s easier to go through this winter i guess now when i can see these sunny pictures from your spring!
We had a small garden this year, but had crazy heat that wrecked most of it. I’m already planning for next year though. I’m glad to see your garden photos and some sunshine as the grey and cooler weather is making its way to us.
Very cool! We live on the 3rd story in a condominium complex, but we have a few little potted herbs and succulents that my husband really likes to care for. He’d be so into this self-sustaining gardening idea if we had the room!!
Kristina
http://www.something2writeabout.wordpress.com
I feel the same way about gardening! I don’t think most people understand how weeding, playing in the dirt and growing things can be so relaxing. My husband and I would much rather be doing yard work than working inside.
i like that you went for practicality over fashion reuben!
we have parsley and basil. herb essentials! but in pots so we can keep them out of bunny’s reach.
What ever do you mean Kelly? I think I wear that hat very stylishly!
As a child who was going to grow up into an archaeology student, I always adored finding out about previous residents when I was digging the garden! But not so sure about yours…
Like you, Ben is the king of our veg patch. I like the way you describe how you feel about it – he’s much the same. He calls his seedlings his ‘little soldiers’ and he checks on them very paternally every morning in the spring.
I adore gardening. I only have to think about it to get that warm cozy feeling I get while rummaging through my plants and herbs. Unfortunately I don’t have a garden, but I do have a little balcony where I tried to grow some veggies and herbs, but the kitties can’t leave them alone
! Anyway, it’s fall and soon there will be winter so no gardening for me for a while, I really like watching your plants grow though 
!
We have that same problem! Our cats love to dig up our veggies. We’re trying to figure out ways to deter them but we haven’t had much luck!
Our dogs like eating the vegetables! I’m building a fence around some of the garden beds to keep the veggies safe from marauding doggies.
We are renting and have no garden just a tiny backyard. I bought a few small pots at ikea the other week and my dad is going to transfer some of his herb plants into them for me. I can’t wait till we buy a house and we can have a proper veggie garden.
Hi there,
I just wanted to say that I love your blog, Especially your photo’s and your (cup)cakes. I’t really is amazing how you do al that!
Good luck with everything you do!
Grtz,
Sara
Hey Reuben!
The vegie patch is looking good! I must say, your landlord must be the luckiest landlord in all of Australia – I don’t know any tenants who love a ‘rented’ home as much as you guys do! Is there any reason why you guys put so much love and effort into a home you are only renting? In any case, I think it’s wonderful and we need more renters like yourself and Katie! Keep up the good work and hope you’re enjoying Victoria (I’m a Melbournite through and through!).
Janice xxxx
We’ve been renting for years now and that is unlikely to change any time soon, so even though this house is only a rental, we want it to feel like our home! We’ve wanted a veggie patch for ages, so that we can be a tiny bit more self sufficient, and this is the first time we have the space to do that. I suppose our landlord is lucky to have tenants that love his house so much, but loving it and putting a little work into it makes it much nicer for us too. After all, we are the ones who have to live here!
This is going to look fantastic! We’re looking for a new place now, so hopefully we’ll be able to do something like this at the next place. And I think your garden fashions are great.
I have serious garden envy! We live in Greece where it’s very rare for homes to have gardens as most people live in flats. We’ve got lots of balconies though and I’ve just been given a potted bonsai olive tree and various flower seeds in cans (have you seen those?!) so come next spring I’ll definitely be working on those….The olive tree should be fine though through the winter. I hope!
Maria xx
http://www.cheekypinktulip.blogspot.com
SO JEALOUS!
I cannot wait to get somewhere with a little patch of land… for now I shall live vicariously through you!
x
i’m so jealous! our gardening season is just ending
We are nearing the start of Fall, so it’s not gardening season here. We had a small patch of tomatoes this year, which was the first garden I’ve ever really had on my own. I’m hoping next year we can grow a little more variety…like something I’ll actually eat. LOL
Hello fellow gardener! I strongly believe that love has a lot to do with a healthy garden, so it’s ok to baby those seedlings, they will grow strong because of it;)
Here’s a few pics of my own patch: http://saturdayswithmaggy.blogspot.com/2011/08/garden-glory.html
I love gardening. This summer was my first year and really enojyed watching things grow. I have plans of expanding for next year.
You’re so lucky to have real soil to plant in! I’ve started a garden in Arizona… but it’s going to require mountains and mountains of compost since our soil is basically just sand! I planted seeds inside last week and they’re all sprouting now! It’s so exciting!!!
<3 MuffinLovesBiscuit
Oehh, I’d love to have a garden or veggie patch… Especially when I see this photos!