Dispite the heat new life begins to show.

I used to visit and revisit it a dozen times a day, and stand in deep contemplation over my vegetable progeny with a love that nobody could share or conceive of who had never taken part in the process of creation. It was one of the most bewitching sights in the world to observe a hill of beans thrusting aside the soil, or a rose of early peas just peeping forth sufficiently to trace a line of delicate green. ~Nathaniel Hawthorne, Mosses from and Old Manse


Well in a short space of time the main work in the garden is completed. Being a renter it is nice to have a plot of land that one can make long term plans with. My gardens at home have always been planted on a year by year basis, never knowing if the landlord is going to sell the house from under me. Still have plans to buy somewhere soon, but with a very small garden, so permanence is a factor that I will soon have to take account of in my gardening .
As you can see from the photos the ground has been dug over, and while it is not something I advocate, once is all this plot needed, it also is the only way to dig out the couch grass. That really is the only weed I worry about, as it produces a hormone that inhibits plant growth. I brought some more compost for the potatoes, and leveled it on top; really need another bucket to top it up. Sticking to my principles I am not digging in the compost just laying it on top.
The whole area, which is 5M x 5M, has been divided up into 6 areas, 8 if you include the 2 small raised Beds at the back. Starting on the left side, from front to back I have sown,
1. Bush Beans, Butter Bean and Slenderette
2. Brassicas, Broccoli and Kale (although they haven’t actually been planted and are still in seedling form in a punnet at work)
3. Soy Beans, more a green manure than a crop
And on the right side

1. Potatoes- Cranberry Red, I originally bought the seed from Diggers Club, (www.diggers.com.au) it is a very tasty potato, so far great for roasting, and in a potato salad
2. Sweet corn-Early Chief
3. Beetroot-Golden and Early Wonder, have grown both before successfully.

I am really am surprised how little time I spend here, about 2 hours a week and it is very productive. I have been coming an hour before watering time although I think I only need half an hour. We shall see.

Work in Community Plot

Many gardeners will agree that hand-weeding is not the terrible drudgery that it is often made out to be. Some people find in it a kind of soothing monotony. It leaves their minds free to develop the plot for their next novel or to perfect the brilliant repartee with which they should have encountered a relative's latest example of unreasonableness. ~Christopher Lloyd, The Well-Tempered Garden, 1973



Today I started to tidy up my plot at Geelong West Community Garden. I had already drawn up a plan of what I wanted to do while I was in the Philippines. I had decided to go a traditional 6 bed rotation system, with two small and thin beds at the back for climbers, such as raspberries or beans. I arrived and discovered two weeks had produced a ton of weeds! Never mind, I measured and marked out where the path would go built two small raised beds at the back. One Bed is completed dug over and covered with pea straw ready to go. I will so some seed in punnets and sow in about 2 weeks. The problem now is what?