Ponderings...

I brought home some lettuce from the allotment  the other day and we had a lovely salad with our dinner. I love eating out the garden and that is what gardening is all about for me. Knowing where our food has come from and having more control over how it is grown and what has and hasn't been put on it.

Two conversations the other day have had me thinking and although both of them were very short, they did give me food for thought.

The first one was with Percy about the garlic he had sown and how much it had grown. He commented that his garlic at home hasn't grown as much as the garlic at the allotment. He went on to say that the garlic at the allotment gets more sun than the garlic growing at home. I have been thinking about that and how the growing conditions can change in different locations, even on the same property especially at different times of the year. Although sometimes we have to accept that with small sections that plants don't always get the sun they need for quick growth, we can also make this work for us and create small micro-climates for growing special things that need more protection than being out in the open. This is where being involved in something like Lets get Growing is excellent as we have options for growing things in different locations.

The second conversation was about mulching. If you can't tell by the photos I love mulch - I use whatever I have i.e. lawn-clippings, paper shredding, pea straw.  The kitchen beds at our Whangarei property are about 2 1/2 years old now and when I was working in them just over a week ago I couldn't help but notice the improvement in the soil and the amount of worms - clear results of mulching. There weren't too many weeds either, compared to what I thought there would be for the amount of time that the gardens haven't had any attention. I love the way it keeps moisture in and stops the soiling of the plants and that it before we get into the benefits of mulch on the make up of the soil and the nutrients to the plants.

These conversations then led me onto thinking about the type of gardener that I am and I was reflecting on my plot at the allotment and although there is some clear order with things planted in rows, I also do plant where there is space and like filling up space with plants. I work on the theory that if I don't, nature will with weeds. I have a small space and want to grow lots - so planting wherever there is room seems the natural thing to do for me. I can see that some gardeners struggle with this concept, not that anyone has said anything but you can tell if you are observant.

Until next time, happy gardening everyone.