On Deck

The autumn colours of the blueberry bushes on my deck are so incredible. With the lobeilia blue and sweet assylum’s white flowers off set by their varied greenery it is a picture to look at. I love the smell of the sweet assylum and the way it cascades out over the pot bring a softness.

There are still the odd cornflowers blooming and I hope the seeds are spreading all about the garden. Sitting on the table their are strawberries in the brown rounded planter, to the left are some new seedlings of cabbages and cauliflower.

I walked about the garden and noted there was a fig ready to pick. My thought I will pick this after a coffee. I shake my head, I now better than thinking anything about eating something from the garden. I was gone no longer than an hour. Sucombing to Busby’s ability to make me so uncomfortable with his need for a walk. On our return I wallked about the side of the house to refill the bird bath and pick the fig, TOO LATE beaten to it by the birds. I have to laugh. My fig produced a lot of figs this year, Sadly I do not feel most will mature. The beauty of gardening is generally there will be next year.

There is a lettuce growing in the fore ground of this photo above. It is self seeded and I always thought it was druken woman however that does not seem right now. It is tasty regardless.

The photograph to the right is a hydrangea I am growing from a cutting, I feel it may need to be potted up though it does look as if it is lacking some nutrients. To the left is a spinach plant. I just shove things in and hope. I may go out and repot this hydrangea this afternoon to give the spinach more room.

Looking from the deck into the garden there are tiny seedlings growing I am hoping they are a flower. Self sown again. To the back of the photo (left) is a cape gooseberry plant which has a couple of fruit on it not ripe as yet.

Photo above; Some of the seedlings I planted out into pots. I may have to replant some. I have cabbages and cauliflower, along with mignonette lettuce varieties. I have put the brassicas in pots as If I need to replace any of the ones in the veggie beds I can do it easily. I am also being rather hopeful that some will grow OK in the pots. I am aware they have not got a lot of room.

Silver beet with a broad bean growing with it.

One of my biggest problems is trusting my memory to know what things I have in pots and the garden and why. Strange I would imagine my memory would be fine at this. Since I have memory issues from blocking things out. I have absolutely no idea what these two things in the pot above are. For some reason I have cut them off something and popped them in the pots. One as you can see is growing. Any one know?

My first strawberry well first one that I got to enjoy. Sweet and juicy. I am not super hopeful for any more. Mainly since I just shoved the plants in small pots until I could find somewhere better. That was in Spring. sigh.

This photograph below show more of the seedlings I have potted up not to mention all the ones that I have put in my veggie garden beds. It really does pay to be careful when ordering your seedlings. I have shared before that I thought I was ordering individual seedlings and ordered for the number I desired. In fact what I ordered were punnets, so ended up with between 8 and 10 times the number of seedlings I really wanted. Thankfully my neighbour was happy to have quite a few too.

Above photograph. One of my lettuces that was in a pot that I wanted. I knew it was about to go to seed and decided to pull it out and sit the roots in water, It has worked a treat as now the flowers are forming seeds and I am spreading them about. I am sure mother nature is spreading them too. Lovely they will come up all over and suprise me.

Photo above: Does anyone know what the tall leafed plant is in the fore ground I am puzzled by it. Miners lettuce is growing in here and a kale. Miners lettuce has been going and going for years on the deck. I planted a few I had been given and they went to seed and self seed everywhere. I do not mind, they are a lovely green in winter salads. They are also great ground cover, and look pretty when in flower. Also makes good compostable green crop.

Photo above. Broad bean, peas, kale (weeds) all in a small pottery pot. I may have planted the peas. there may be both sweet and green peas in there. Oh dear my pots are so interesting and it will be quite a interesting time watching them grow and see which is more successful .

Poor kefir lime tree needed some love. Yet again it was infested with scale so I wiped it down with vinegar and wiped all the scale off, I noted it was lacking something. Light new growth leaves with green veins lacking iron. Iron chelate solution applied yesterday and leaves looking happier already. 24 hours later. I also gave the other citrus trees on the deck a solution of iron chelates.

Cabbage on the right was full of aphids. I am very doubtful that this poor plant will produce anything. The caterpillars have decimated it and now with the heart of the cabbage a treat for aphids, I am thinking I should cut my losses, and compost it.

So a wee wonder about the deck on a warm if overcast Autumn day in the beautiful Huon Valley.

be safe, stay at home please! Blessings to You all Tazzie