Edible Garden

28 October 2009

It all started with a harmless exchange of gift from our neighbour, B.C. We gave them some pumpkin cake and they returned the favour with gorgeous free range eggs which were humongous, substantial and possessed the sunniest yolks. And as they were consumed, there is that feel-good sense when you are eating anything natural that has not been hormone-injected nor steriod-induced.

No, we are not going to rear our own chooks yet although that may be another topic for another day. Today though, we shall dabble in the art of Gardening.

Vegie patch

Initially the little patch of space allocated next to our deck was for a herb garden. But a recent trip down to Bunnings changed our minds with their impressive array of vegetables. So, vegie patch it is!

Starters

Since neither of us are endowed with green thumbs, we decided to start small. Tomatoes, chillies and rosemary. Not what you would call a satisfying meal, I know.

From little things big things grow - Australian super theme song

We threw in some onions and dwarf bean seeds too. After burying them into the soil, we never saw them again. Somehow a re-emergence seemed doubtful.

Plant food

On the journey to set up this little patch, we learnt a thing or two about horticulture. We learnt that, there is a lot to learn and, there is a lot we don't know.

In the meantime, we also bought two pots of lavender (not sure what is it's exact genus, there are so many of them!) and two packets of sunflower seedlings. The lavender is to landscape the front yard while the sunflower is just because, well, they are my favourite.
Coincidently, they are both edible.

Sunflower-growing kit

Kit breakdown

Day 3 - Pod emergence

Day 6 - Germination

Our sunflower journey looks to be progressive, compared to the others. We bought the kit from a local budget shop. I love these kits as they are living proof that even idiots can sow a seed : )

For our front yard, lavender was chosen due to its resilience, drought-tolerance and of course, its heady aroma and romantic little buds.

Lavandula bud

We hope that we would have a hedge of it someday. Eventually. Whenever you feel like it. Take your time.

"Flowers"

A potful into the potting mix

go forth and multiply!

Right. All in the ground now. What with austere water restrictions and the impending, scorching summer, I can only hope that all the plants survive and thrive. Besides, summer is not the only immediate adversary. We have cute little furry friends to look out for ...

cute little furry friends awaiting

this entry is specially dedicated to the someone who is currently living in the city and yet, insane over gardening, botany and plant cultivation.