a little NaBloPoMo breather

I've fairly exhausted myself with all the blogging of the last few days. That's what happens when a word dam built up over several months is allowed to burst - words spill out almost uncontrollably. I couldn't hold it all in any longer, and out they poured, word after word after word, late into the night. Thank goodness for NaBloPoMo providing such a release eh. I'd still be chocked up otherwise!

So, now for something lighter that should take only a minute or two to type. A garden update.

This whole weekend has fairly sparkled with good weather. (Yes, it's still the weekend here as today was 'Recreation Day', whatever that public holiday is about. We fulfilled the spirit of the day by having friends over for lunch. Nice.)

After so many days of sun and warmth, seven of my corn are up. Yay. And my first ever zucchinis from seed have sprouted! Double yay! The beetroot are poking through, we ate a salad of lettuce and nasturtium from the garden, and so far so good in keeping the slugs away from the carrots. I have a whole bunch more seeds in (more lettuce, spinach, rainbow chard, kale and rocket) and am trying to decide where to plant some turnips. The asparagus ferns are falling over and the basil is up. Yarrow is spreading everywhere and the lemon balm plant is two feet high. I'm still deciding whether to buy tomato seedlings or just go with the abundance of self sown plants that are everywhere. I know roughly what's what by where they have sprouted so could hopefully select a range of varieties. The rhubarb survived a rather vicious transplant too late in the spring, and the neglected raspberry canes that sat in bags for months have also mostly survived their transfer into the earth. We will have at least 10 raspberries off one cane. Good news I say!

So things are looking good in the garden, although of course I'd like them to be even better. Maybe if we'd planted the raspberries sooner there would be 100 raspberries off 10 canes! A whole bunch of seeds didn't sprout. They were still in date but must have died - yes, I have learned seeds can and do die if not planted in a reasonable time. I still feel like an experimental garden novice.

But as my lunch time guest said today - we're always learning, and better to have taken a risk, had a go and pushed the boundaries. For how can any of us achieve a good garden if we don't start with a bad one!

With this I comfort myself. And now I must away to sleep.