This weekend was a long one in Ballarat thanks to our local show day being on Friday. It also coincided with the most gloriously sunny weekend we’ve had for a long time. While we didn’t make it to the actual show, we did take advantage of the weather to tackle the jungle of weeds growing in out back garden. There’s still a few spots to me to clean up and the west side of the house is beyond my capability (I’ve decided to get some professionals in to do that), but the bulk of it got done ready to be planted out.
Here are some before and after shots for you.
This is what I dubbed the corner of shame! There’s quite the difference between the before and after. Some of this will be planted out with vegetables, but I need to reduce the size of the patch so it’s easier to keep on top of.
The rest, including this narrow bed pictured below, I want to plant out with some hardy but pretty perennials. Some of the beds are in shade a lot of the day, the rest are pretty much full sun. I’m after suggestions for what to plant – please offer them in the comments.
Another spot I tacked recently was the side path. Considering this is essentially a concrete path it defies logic that the weeds can be so persistent in this section, but clearly they love it.
And looking for some inspiration, Mum and I took a tour of the five gardens open in the Ballarat Gardens in Spring event. There was one just around the corner on a very similar sized block to mine which was full of good ideas. The rest were on the outskirts of town on much bigger blocks. They were all beautiful, and I was completely jealous of the towering, shady trees, wide expanses of lawn and stunningly designed garden beds. I didn’t take lots of photos, but I’ve included a few of features or plants that I thought would suit my garden (many of which I’m unsure of the names, so if you know what they are please let me know).
Hope the sun was shining in your neck of the woods. Did you get out into the garden? Or do something else inspiring? I’d love to hear about it.
Barbara
PS Glenn, if you’re reading this, my potatoes are going gangbusters, thanks for motivating me to get them in the ground a few weeks ago. You’ll be please so know I’ve also got some lettuces going really well, with more to come.
The New Good Life 
Hi Barbara,
Wasn’t the weekend weather fantastic! Great to hear the spuds are going so well. You probably already know this but once they start to flower you can see if you can “bandicoot” some new potatoes by gently digging ariund the base of the plant. These proper new potatoes have an amazing flavour, we just wash then steam them and serve with butter and salt – yum!
We have had an enormous crop of broad beans this year which will hopefully prove to be a good rotation crop adding some nitrogen back in the soil. Absolute failure in the brassica department, all bolted to seed and what little we did harvest was so infected with bugs it had to go to the chooks . I’ve just caught a blackbird under the raspberry netting stealing all the ripe raspberries- grrrr!!
I’m so glad you’re back in the garden and that you are writing again,
Take care and good luck digging and planting,
Regards. Glenn
PS it’s tomato time soon!
The “bandicooting” trick is new to me, thanks for cluing me into it. Now I’m salivating for new potatoes in butter!
I haven’t planted broad beans for a few years, but I’ve always had success with them. Hopefully I’ll have time to put some in next year – hope you enjoy your crop! I’ve got some good broad bean recipes on the blog if you need ideas (the broad bean arancini balls are particularly good as is the braod bean and goats cheese salad.
Hope the birds didn’t get all your raspberries. I saw some very impressive raspberry houses at two of the gardens I visited on the weekends. Not something I’ve ever had a go at growing, but I do love eating them.
Tomatoes are going in this weekend! Only three plants this year I think, along with some basil. I’ll keep you posted.
Hi again Barbara,
I very much like the word “bandicooting”, it was a term my father used and he got it from his.It seems like such an appropriate word for the activity of scratching around for a few new spuds.
The battle of “Glenn versus the blackbird” in the raspberries has begun! Its blackbird one and Glenn nil but I put on new netting today. Fingers crossed.
Ill look forward to the blog about the tomatoes, its the broad been salad from the blog for us tonight.
Kind regards,
Glenn