Preparing for winter

I redug the two unplanted new beds yesterday, following recent rains.  The back (hard) bed was still dry a few inches down, am hoping to be able to excavate a bit deeper with each rain shower/dig over.  I will of course have to be careful that I don't just compact the wet soil by digging it.

I have moved the fennel seedlings, planted in a punnet last month, into small pots.  I'll decide over the next month or two whether they'll go in the soil or into big pots before spring.

Much of my energy is now shifting towards staying on top of the weeds (oxalis primarily). Am hoping to get another batch of cuttings of lavender, rosemary and other assorted plants in the coming days.

We are up to 44mm of rain so far this month.  Getting close to the May total for last year.

Late Autumn Plantings etc

So far we've had over 30mm of rain in May.  This has been a pleasure and taken away the need to do the bulk of the watering I had previously been doing.  Still have to water potplants though...

Have dug up three more plots, one in the future 'cottage garden', the other two out the back beyond the vegies.  The cottage garden will soon have a bunch of flower seedlings put in it, and I planted one of the two rear plots with potatoes, beans and peas.  I will have to work on the final bed out the back as the ground was still too hard to dig more than five inches down.

I have taken a swag of cuttings out of their shelter box to 'harden' up outside.  Have put in a few more cuttings of lavender from around town to fill out the space created by their removal (and that of those who have not survived).

Yesterday I put in a bunch of seedlings, sprouts interspersed with mainly dill.

Am holding off with the fennel until I get some potting soil worth the name.

Everything seems to be going along okay.

Autumn Rain

We've had a bit over half an inch over the last three days.  Has made for a nice change, cool air, dampness on the wind and a bit of surface moisture in the soil.

Silverbeets, corriander and dill are taking off, peas and beans are a vigorous 5", potatoes are pushing aside the mulch.  Basil in flower where I didn't tip the main stems.

Sunflower heads are heavy but I can't see any seeds.

In the cuttings department, I pulled over a dozen out to 'harden' up on the bench.  The wysteria and roses don't look good, nor do some of the 'old' lavender cuttings.  I gathered the still healthy looking ones into one cool box, the unhealthy (or dead) into another.  I'll have to get more soon.

And the galahs continue to feast on pine nuts in the mega pine tree down the back corner, spreading wood chips and detrius all over the garden.  Have to sweep this up roughly weekly at the moment.