You Grow Girl™

Last weekend I decided it was time to get the garden ready for winter. Ok so we are truly into the winter weather here already but I'm not the fastest off the mark with these things.

For starters I have a garden bed along the side fence which borders the train line (makes for a restful night sleep, let me tell you). I have been struggling with this bed since I moved in because it is pretty hard to control the weeds my side when they are allowed to run rampant on the other side. My solution was to give up. I have put down a very thick layer of newspaper topped with a very thick layer of wood chips (Eumulch - made from eucalyptus). Then I sat all my pots on top. After that I gazed apon what I had done and decided that since all my pots are terracotta I needed a contrast. Hmm, maybe some of those nice blue glaze pots I've seen around the place.

The next job was one I have been putting off forever. I have a spot on the other wall that is under some trees so it is a bit of dingy spot. I put my terracotta pond and other garden sculpture (a reflecting woman) under the trees when I moved in and hadn't moved them since. So another thick layer of mulch and a rearranging of the sculptural bits was in order.

Ok, but this stage I had to go out for more mulch. A trip to the hardware store was in order. I also wanted to get some bulbs. And, when I got there, what was on special by some nice big blue glaze pots - some times fate sends you a sign you can't ignore.

Back home I finished mulching and planted some iris bulbs along the back fence. This is the view from the washing-up window so I am planning some happy dish washing later in the year. I also planted a whole big patch of freesias.

After that I potted up some plants in my new pots. One pot has raspberry canes - I got these from a great permaculture nursery earlier this year, one has a miniture peach tree that was in need of repotting and the other has a cape gooseberry from the same permaculture nursery. The blue pots are now my food pots and I am hoping for bumper crops from them.

The final job is the one that makes it all worthwhile. Showered and frocked up, I made a cup of tea and admired my work. There is nothing like that glow you get after a day of hard toil in the garden. Now I just have the front garden to spruce up.