Garden Share Collective - March

This is my first post as part of the Garden Share Collective, an initiative where like-minded bloggers join together and share the happenings in their gardens.  It's a great way to share ideas, get motivation and encouragement as we endeavour to provide produce for our families.  If you are interested in joining contact Lizzie from Strayed from the Table.  Her blog is well worth a look, and also has links to the other members blogs too.

February brought with it 58mm of very welcome rain, and the promise of a bumper crop of Black Boy peaches. They have swelled noticeably since the first rain earlier in the month. The Golden Queen Peach is bare, and the Peasgood Nonsuch Apple and the pear have been attacked by some very hungry birds.  I have hung some old Cd's in the trees in the hope that will scare the birds....

Oops seem to be a bit lopsided!

I have spent more time in the vege patch in February, taming the wild jungle that had taken over in the months prior to the birth of our son in November. 

Currently growing in the garden are silverbeet, kale, brussel sprouts, broccoli, pumpkin, carrots, and beetroot.  In the glasshouse I have tomatoes, and a cucumber.

Kale, Brussel Sprouts and Broccoli protected from the chooks.

The Damson Plums have finished and I managed to get a little over 5kg of fruit.  This was turned into Damson Plum jam, vodka liqueur, cordial and a bottle of Damson gin for my Mum.

This month will see me

1. Resting the bed that had the Broad beans.  I'm layering various compostable materials and will let that sit over winter.
2. Digging up potatoes.  These were planted in a 'no dig' fashion with seed potatoes put on bare soil, then covered with layers of pea straw.  I am planning to plant my broad beans in this area in April.
3. Harvesting Tomatoes that are starting to ripen .  We have Sweet 100, Money Maker, Black Krim and an unknown variety from my Mum's neighbour.
4. Starting a new compost heap.  I have got coffee grinds for this as well as for snail/slug protection as I mentioned in a previous post.
5. Pruning currants/raspberries/blackberry, and taking some cuttings for more plants.
6. Clear space for a new berry garden.
7. Sow some more carrots.
8. Remove suckers from Hazelnuts.

I am hoping that by writing down these it will motivate me to get things done.  It can be a challenge in between caring for bubs, taking Miss 6 here, there and everywhere, looking after the animals on our 7 acres, and everything else an "Undomestic Goddess" does!  I'll update my progress throughout the month.