Sky is blue and the garden is calling

The garden was calling today, blue sky and still for a while.  I was not feeling like spending time in the garden as I was just feeling quite flat.  I looked at my seedlings that remain to be planted out.  The zucchini  and some brassicas were really needing to go out, or at least into a larger pot. As to the lettuce I got at crop swap. I figured that if I was going to transplant them I should put them in the garden and not pot them up.  I gathered my supplies the seedlings with the aim to complete the planting of these and not stop until most were in.  



With the wind dropping off and the sunshine it became easier to do.   It seems to be for me at times that just beginning is often so unbelievably hard.  I have been learning to do a small thing so my aim was to plant these seedlings.  There are more to go out though they need warmer temperatures than we have been having of late.   I looked at the where I have a couple of tomatoes growing and thought that the eggplant I had put in the bed was being exposed to much to the wind so moved it. It and some capsicums seedlings are in the asparagus bed for the time being.

I then put the zucchinis in the bed and the lettuce on the side where the zucchinis will be discouraged by me to move towards.  I had planed to trellis them, unfortunately if I had sunshine would have been blocked from other beds.

Tomato, zucchini,pepper and lettuce bed

  

I am lucky to be able to buy terracotta planter pots with no drainage hole

terracotta planter and saucer the pot has no hole in  it becomes an Ollas

I decided that the brassicas needed to be put in and as they are heavy feeders, they went in to a bed with aged manure, blood and bone and two Ollas.  The bed is approximately 1 square metre  so two of my home made Ollas are submerged into the soil and filled with water. Then I put the saucer on top. 

a real Olla

completed Ollas I need to put straw about these and the seedlings

                                                                                                                            My homemade Ollas are terracotta planters and the saucer become the lid.  I put the pot into the bed and just the lip is sticking above fill the pot with water and pop the saucer on for lid.  I mulch over them so to keep them cool. Though it is very easy to check water level by taking top off and adding water, not forgetting to put the top on and cover with mulch.

The Three Sister bed is surviving even with all the crazy temperature variations and the wind.  The beans seem most impacted and the corn is holding its own.

Bean ad corn holding on in the three sister bed

 Some seedlings are coping better than others.  I am trying the Three Sisters method this year.  My understanding that Native Americans used to plant corn beans and pumpkins (squash) together.  The beans use the corn to grow up on, whilst the squash leaves keep the roots of the plants cool.

Three sisters bed

Three sister bed with two ollas positioned.

My dogs Treacle and Busby are my family.  Throughout my breakdown and my ongoing mental health illness they are my constant companions.  I would not be here I can honestly admit if it had not been for my animals.  In my worst days (not so distant)  there presence, warmth,  love, companionship and their needing me is why I did not kill myself.  For their presence I am eternally grateful.  I am appreciative to wake up every day now.   The delight on their faces when I say good morning to them.      It breaks my heart when I hear or read about people saying how can people on Newstart or living on the street afford to keep a dog or cat ?   For many the love companionship of their furred buddy is what keeps them going just like me.  Just like me I would go without and have in the past so my dogs are fed and cared for.   I find it so very hard to trust people.  I can be out and friendly in small groups say at a cafe on an irregular time frame.  Being around people for too long or too often, the noise, music, smells perfumes ect.  Exhaust me.  There are benefits to this I dont' go out much and therefore spend less than in my previous life. 

Treacle enjoying the sunshine and watching me

Treacle is  sitting under Busby for some shade.

Busby checking out the three sister bed

 

 The wind had knocked over my broad beans and many were broken off.  I cleared the bed and bought the beans in side.  I will think about what I will do with them tomorrow.  I also harvested some garlic even thought I knew it was too early.  It meant the bed was now fairly clear for the next crops to go into.   Silver beet and a leek  were harvested.  What a feast  I had an omelette with carrot, onion caramalised, capsicum, silver beet, garlic, broad beans, using two eggs and a quarter cup of milk.  Started on the stove top then grated cheese finely on top(grating it finely you dont't use as much) put into a low oven to bake gently while I had a shower,  Perfectly cooked when I came out. Delicious.  I paid $6.50 for a dozen organic free range eggs from the farm, my milk is Tasmanian, $4.50 for 2 litres not homogenised, the capsicum red was $1.30 and the onion red was 80 cents.  I used a few slices of capsicum, about 1/4 of the onion, the cheese I buy when on special usually about $9 for 1kg (this one is Bega tasty).  with my vegies which have costs involved in setting everything up( I know) these were very cheap, as all were from seeds I had saved last year.

harvested today  broad beans, spring garlic leeks and silver beet.

So from being very reluctant to garden I now feel more peaceful, I enjoyed it, and always find having my hands in the soil or just weeding, does improve my mood.  I do take vitamin D supplement during winter as I suffer with low to very low vitamin D levels.  (common in Southern maybe all of Tasmania.)  I do try to get into the sunshine and yes I do feel good for achieving what I planed and more, along with cooking a fresh healthy meal.  Along with having a shower, something that embarrasses me to write but it is my truth, has been over a week since I had one.  I have put a load of washing on which was very needed too.   I am not a domestic goddess.  I do like to cook, and bake.  Yet like many things I like and enjoy I get so overwhelmed at times. Which is so strange compared to my working life when I was in charge of facilities,  These are the things having a mental illness impact for me along with my inability to fill out documents, read complex things,  to organise, to commit to anything or retain some things in my head.  
I am so grateful for my garden and to be physically able to work in it.  To be able to grow vegetables for myself,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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