Cultivating the Soil and the Mind

This post is my monthly veggie patch update written as part of the Garden Share Collective. The GSC is hosted by Kyrstie from A Fresh Legacy and Kate from Rosehips and Rhubarb. The theme this month is philosophy.

‘The garden is not simply a retreat or source of physical exercise. It is intellectually stimulating in its own right, because it is a fusion of two fundamental philosophical principles: humanity and nature.’     –   Damon Young

Can you tell I’ve been reading  Philosophy in the Garden? ..worth reading. My gardening philosophy however is not so profound!

Of course there are several reasons for growing your own fruit and veg: it’s economical, tastes better, reduces negative environmental impacts, it’s not too hard to do and you know your food is safe to eat. All these things I believe but when I really, really, really think about it, my motivation is simple.  It’s fun to do! – alone or with others. It’s relaxing and invigorating to be outside in the fresh air and surrounded by the sensory richness a veggie patch provides. According to Aristotle (yes, that book again), ‘the garden provides a chance to slow down, look carefully and think boldly’. I’m with him! I enjoy the challenges, the thought processes in planning, and sharing the produce I have grown. Cultivating the soil and the mind.

School holidays have begun – hooray!  – so we’ve spent heaps of time in the garden on bigger projects: installed a new tap closer to one of the veggie patches, built a new raised bed and finished the form work for an espalier section of the garden. We’ve also put fertilizer, compost, and mulch around 14 fruit trees and set up fruit fly traps. Phew!!

New veggie bed being constructed under Digger’s supervision

Mulching, mulching and mulching

Fruit fly traps

Going to try & espalier apple and pear trees

What’s Growing Now

• The watermelon, cucumber, and sage seeds I planted last month have all germinated and look great. The other seeds: rockmelon, chillies, celery, various herbs – nup. Will try again.

• Citrus trees are all in flower and I’m looking forward to harvesting finger limes this year for the first time.
• Capsicum plants are small but have fruit.

Tiny finger limes

Capsicums getting there slowly

A rare peach

• Got a few tropical peaches happening – a bonus seeing I cut the tree back severely this year.
• Blueberries are coming long – framed to stop the bandicoots digging around the roots then netted to stop the birds pinching the berries.

Caged blueberries – not free range!

Harvesting

• Rhubarb
• Beetroot
• Carrots
• Broccoli
• Lettuce
• Eggplant

Cos lettuce

Fairy eggplant

Last lot of broccoli

• Chillies
• Tomatoes ( Roma and Rapunzel)
• Sweet potatoes (could have kept in the ground longer but want to use the bed for watermelon and rockmelon).

Rapunzel tomatoes

Sweet potatoes

• Herbs: parsley, coriander, dill, sage…
• Limes (Tahitian)

Things to do

• Finish preparing all the beds (old and new) for summer planting.
• Plant out what seedlings I have and plant some more seeds.
• Choose some more trees to espalier.
• Continue to cultivate the soil and the mind.

 

Flowers amongst the rocks by the veggie patch