In My Garden - Clodagh - August 2020

In My Garden - Clodagh - August 2020

Clodagh's lovely garden in Lindisfarne was visited by our garden group in December 2013. Come join her for a walk in mid winter and see what she has growing at the moment.

I live alone and am growing older! So my needs are few. My two raised beds supply most of my vegetables. They are a boon when weeding or sowing or planting seedlings. But they need watering most days during the summer. I have a tank at the other end of my home, opposite my potting shed, with a pump under the house with a pipe leading up to the raised beds. The tank supplies plenty of water for the vegetables.

My two raised beds are at the far end. The hoops are made from drainage pipes over star pickets and when needed the beds can be covered with a white net to stop birds (and the cat!) from pinching seeds and seedlings. The nets can be pegged down with metal hoops. 

I try and use a four year rotation by dividing each raised bed into four quarters. I keep a record of what is grown in each quarter.

The near bed has winter greens, I grew the seeds myself except the rainbow chard. To the end of this bed is comfrey. This is incorporated into a compost heap made usually in late Autumn. 

The second bed was sown with green manure and dug in a few weeks ago. It has just been limed to be ready for summer drops. To the right there are broad beans and telegraph peas. There is perpetual spinach and a celery plant given to me by a neighbour and three leeks planted in the summer! 

This  year I have put in two blueberry bushes – I lost one earlier in the year due to neglect — I had a total knee replacement which curtailed my gardening activities over the summer! There are 8 Alinta strawberry plant in the oval metal bed. These have just been divided, mulched and covered with a plastic bendable netting. To the right two wooden compost bins.

The two compost bins for garden waste, the compost was made last spring. When completed, it is covered with a wool metre square, the huge blanket I bought for $5 at the Mornington Tip Shop. Compost is made with two parts dry and one part green material with add rock salt, blood and bone and sometimes trace elements and water of course. I’m not good at remembering to water and turn them. The tap from the water tank is at the far end. I’ve planted a tree on the far side hoping to get some shade as this part of the garden becomes very hot in the  summer.

Compost from kitchen waste (no protein) which is being currently spread on various parts of the garden.

At the back of the house facing east. Raspberry Canes (summer fruiting) which I replaced this year. At the far end are three current bushes black, red and white. Also a plastic compost bin for kitchen waste (I have two) Beyond is an oval metal raised bed for herbs. I’ve just separated garlic and ordinary chives. On this side of the compost bin is a rhubarb crown, separated last week and the spare ones put by my front gate to give away. 

More raspberry canes, Autumn fruiting. Yet to be covered with cane mulch. Looking south towards a barn which I use as a potting shed. 

The potting shed on the south side of the house. The garden here gets little sun during the winter months. 

Here is my water tank near the potting shed which provides the water for the raised beds.

A Eureka lemon tree against the south east side of the barn.

On two walls there are frames for youngberries, and boysenberries. They do well although I don’t give them much attention!

Gooseberry bush in a flower bed. It doesn’t look happy but I’m waiting until Spring to see if I can revive it. 

And to round off the tour around my garden, a look at the front of the house. In summer this bed is full of colourful salvias and other flowers. It contains a rosemary bush recently planted.