Planning for Winter

I've managed some much-needed gardening the past few weeks, in between being sick and nursing the sick boy.  With everything so terribly dry, it is hard to get anything to 'take' well in the vege garden.  The pay-off on the other end of the spectrum though is that we've had a decent tomato crop for the first time in at least three years.  I pulled up half of my plants this past week.  The other half I'm leaving for a couple more weeks as they are still laden.

Here's Munchkin's handywork while I was busy:

Firstly he tipped over the table.

Then he moved the chairs.  I suspect he then planned on lugging the table over there too...but I'd finished by then.  Or rather, I'd done my usual 'half of what I really want to do but as much as I dare as Munchkin is starting to get too rowdy.'

Ah well, I got something done.  There were tomatoes here before I started.

Yesterday we went and bought seedlings from Palmers.  Bought seedlings.  What am I coming to?!?  Well, firstly I'm a student, so the growing of seedling department is short a few hours.  Secondly, the seedlings I did grow and plant got dug up by birds or scorched to death by heat.  So in order to get anything into the ground and producing for our winter greens, we had to get seedlings.  A car boot full.  Okay, not quite, but still quite a few.  I planted most in my parents garden, and thanks to a very helpful tip from the Palmer's lady, strung up my birdnetting over the top.  So far we'd already tried the cloche (got too hot), shadecloth (birds got in underneath), and nothing (nothing left at all!).  But I'd completely forgotten I have an almost entire roll of bird netting that we never ended up using for the raspberries.  Wahoo.  Hopefully that will keep the birds off.  And hopefully the rain will come.  Discovered an amazing thing too.  My dad thought he'd dug up some more oxalis bulbs, only to look down and realise it was a worm, all curled up into a tiny little ball.  Trying to stay alive in the dry earth.  We saw a number of them after that, all rolled up in survival mode.  I hope they make it.

I've also planted a few seedlings in my own garden, but as it was drizzling by then, I haven't got any photos yet.

Amy