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Bungala Ridge Permaculture Gardens REDUCE ... REUSE ... RECYCLE ... REPAIR ... RETURN ... REVEGETATE ... REPLENISH |
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Permaculture Diary: 1st May 2008 Copyright © Beverley Paine The last couple of months has seen me busy with homeschooling activities. We went to Perth for our anniversary and did a homeschooling seminar - inspired by that we decided to organise one for Adelaide. Naturally the event has grown much larger than we initially anticipated and it has kept me very busy. The other day we bought five lots of hardwood at auction: three lots of jarrah floorboards for Roger's mezzanine, and two lots of jarrah decking to replace and extend the deck on our house. Yesterday was spent rearranging everything to be able to fit the timber under the carport until it is used. Auctions are very exciting though they make me anxious, especially when we are spending a LOT of money! On Sunday Robin and I volunteered at the Adelaide Home Show on the Alternative Technology Association stand. We were able to encourage some passer-bys to part with their money to buy some of the great books and DVDs the ATA had on show, as well as back copies of their excellent magazine, Renew. We've been subscribers for years and used to be subscribers when it was known as Soft Technology. If you are interested in sustainable building, Renew is the magazine to buy! Garden Express had a stall at the Home Show with many bulbs at half price. Too tempting! This morning I made up a lovely batch of potting mix using the compost Robin makes for me and a bag of ready made potting mix from Mitre 10 Gardener (because it already has wetting agent and counteracts the way our soil packs down over time). Robin bought me eight packets of Alstroemerias. I've been covetting these plants for years but they are always a little too expensive for my budget. At $2.50 a packet we couldn't leave them on the stall! I planted mixed tubs of Red Fury and Yellow King together, and Mona Lisa and Regina together (light and dark pinks). They are going to look spectacular in spring and really add to the colour in the garden. I was tempted to buy a packet of Gypsy King Hyacinth - lovely apricot shades. We already have most of the other colours and hyacinths add a wonderful fragrance to the garden, plus they are hardy. Ranunculi always attract the eye but I've had trouble growing them in the past. They never last more than one or two seasons at best. I think we weed them out inadvertantly after they are finished. I've planted them in two pots - one with supports so they don't blow over when they are flowering, and the others in a pot of mixed bulbs. The daffodil stalks will help to keep the flowers upright. To finish off my bulb fest I planted a packet of Asiatic Liilums in the one tub. I have a few scattered around the garden but because they weren't watered over this long hot and dry summer they didn't flower. I noticed that I had lost more than half of the ones I had planted a couple of years ago. Because I have lost a lot of naturalised bulbs I have planted all the ones I lifted in pots again. Today we erected the waterfall to the pond and fixed it in place and filled it with rainwater. Won't be long before I've landscaped around it and planted it out and taken some photos to show you all! Until next time - hopefully not a couple of months or more like last time!
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