Merry Xmas

Merry Christmas to everybody.

Its Christmas Eve and in keeping with tradition our Southern hemisphere summer has come to the party with constant rain. It saves me getting out in the garden with a watering can but also stops me doing anything else. The tomatoes are appreciating it though and so are the cucumbers, both of which are swelling nicely. I have heaps of green stawberries on the plants but none ready for dessert tomorrow. I got enough lettuce for twelve people to have for tea last night. That wasn't all we had but I'm sure everybody thought it was the best bit! I have had some peas ready this week but they can't seem to make it to the pot, I just have to munch them straight off the bush, out of the pod and into my mouth. YUM! I planted some Borlotti beans two weeks ago and now have the beginnings of a bean hedge but just 10cm high. I dug a small new bed for them about 1.30m long and about 30cm wide (that's four foot by one foot in old money). It's a bit shaded so I don't expect the growth will be that rapid but they look very healthy so far.



With the wet and warm conditions lately I have been in constant battle with the slugs and snails. The coffee and pine needles seem to have stopped being efficient so I am back to beer traps and nightly patrols with the torch. Some of the little buggers still get through though. I'm still holding off on the derris dust but I must admit that the bottle left over from last year (before I gardened organically) is starting to look tempting. Surprisingly, since the slugs destroyed my seedling courgette the ones I have grown from seed have escaped the carnage so far.



My kettle full of baby carrots is just about ready so I think I will harvest in the morning to use raw with dips at the family xmas lunch. Just trim wash and crunch. The beetroot that I allowed to seed is huge and has heaps of green seen on it but I need to wait until it has dried out a bit. Fat chance with this rain. Ditto the lettuce. My capsicum and chilli are still minute but a friend has told me that they will take off all at once. Hope so.
Once again Happy holidays to you and yours. Paul