June

Lavender field as at end June 2011


Vegetable garden as at end June 2011


Winter is now in full swing. I can't really complain because we had such a long summer and mild autumn. But now it is quite cold. Still, we've only had one real frost so far, so it's not as cold as it could be I suppose.

We've had the fire going every evening, and noticed a lot more success with it than the first year we were here. The main factor has been bringing the firewood inside and letting it dry out for 2-3 days before using it. As well as just understanding the way fire works, the best placement for the wood in the fire, how to get optimal heat at the beginning and slow it down as the room warms up, etc. However in the last few weeks we have been going through so much wood each day that I'm having to bring it inside every 2-3 days and it's not having the chance to dry out as much as it needs to before we use it. We are also very quickly going through the carefully split and stacked wood that P and I sorted last month.

Got a book out of the library about composting, and read it trying to learn more about it. The book said the way we've been composting (i.e. burying our scraps) is called trench composting and basically ineffective when it comes to making something to put on your garden, unless you actually do it IN the garden. Well, I'd pretty much figured that out for myself as the pile was not growing, and the only thing that was growing was the scraps. We had corn that had sprouted from a half eaten cob that was buried. I carefully dug these out and transplanted to a tub on the deck. So far so good, they are still alive but not growing any bigger. There was also an avocado growing, which I very carefully dug out and planted in the ground near the citrus trees. I find it ironic that I have tried a few times to grow an avocado from seed in a glass on the windowsill without success, yet one that got thrown out and buried in the ground actually grew into a tree. It has grown quite fast so hopefully we'll be growing our own avocados to eat in a few years. I know it's probably the wrong time of year to transplant these things but I needed to move them out of the compost.

I have also tried to make a new compost pile using layers of lavender clippings, the neighbours pony poo and sawdust, rotten wood, plus food scraps, vacuum contents, fireplace ash and paper. I built up a few layers of each. Didn't even use up half of the available materials but the heap was getting big enough, plus it was starting to rain, and I thought I’d wait a few weeks and see how it did before using the rest. So far it is looking good and healthy, but hasn't changed much either. The lavender clippings aren't breaking down much. Mind you the weather has probably been too cold for anything to happen. Should add some more layers on soon.

Have decided not to plant anything else in the vegetable garden now until spring. Didn't get around to it in time and now I think it's too late. The only thing growing is the mustard seed and it's doing really well.

Have had lots and lots of rain in the last couple of months. In April (I think) I started re-digging my trench in the lower paddock but didn't get very far before I had to stop. Then the rain came and has pretty much rained ever since. The paddock has been very waterlogged and boggy. I won't be able to get back to it again until summer probably at this rate. The pukekoes and ducks are enjoying it though. Have seen a male and female duck hanging around together a lot. And at the beginning of June I saw a mother duck leading about 6-8 babies behind her, walking through the paddock together. Haven't seen them since so guess they were just passing through.

-M