We don’t like to pick favourites, in fear of some patch karma cursing the crops we fail to mention. We do however want to share the plants we think of most fondly, the ones that don’t keep us up worrying at night and that say “hey! you sit back on the couch while we do the dishes.”
Remember the love you had for your patch through spring and summer? When the first sign of a tomato made you blush, and then finally it blushed its rosy cheeks in return. We are here to help you fall in love with autumn gardening. We don’t have cupid’s arrow or a rose ceremony… sorry Osher. We do however have all the tips and tricks to get your patch ready for the cooler months. Consider this your blind date with autumn, and us your mutual friend, giving you all the insight to make the best first impression. Blind date? Ha! It’s like you’ve already met.
With the new season comes the promise of more frequent rains (we see you forgetful waterers) and less intensive garden management, so if your eagerness for the veggie patch took a couple of steps south over the preceding months, rest assure the future is looking brighter and we’ll be making small talk about the cold and wet weather in no time, “nice day for it…”
The Summer Planting Guide
Summer opens up new opportunities in the veggie patch that didn't exist while the erratic spring weather was doing its thing. Here are some of our favourite heat loving varieties that are primed to plant now;
1. Chillies: Heat is key for growing chilies and they require a hot, sun drenched space, preferably up against a heat reflecting wall that helps to collect extra rays of warmth. Those in cooler climates often produce the best chillies in hoop houses or any other insulated environment. However, do not let its infatuation with heat throw the basic demands of the plant. Even the toughest dudes need food and water to survive and the chilli is no exception. Chilli is known to be an aphrodisiac but to arrive there you have to be persistent. For a long time you may just burn your mouth and ruin your meals, but there will be a turning point when you begin to understand just how sexy a chilli can be.
With the change of seasons we restore hope for new beginnings and a greener garden.
Christmas comes early for the edible gardener and it arrives at the break of spring. Just like the build up to Saint Nick’s big day, it is prolonged; drawn out by a calendar of events that keep reminding us that it’s just around the corner.
Each falls with the inevitability of a domino upon the next. It gathers momentum with the break of magnolias and fragrance hit of jasmine, and then approaches path’s end with the arrival of the blossoms. It begins with the almonds, closely followed by cherries and then plums. Then comes the rest, although by that stage everyone is too preoccupied to notice. September 1 - the calendar beginning to the silly season has no doubt sprung - and we’re all too busy emptying our stockings of goodies into the edible garden.
The way you approach spring is typically reflected by your maturity as a gardener, however just like Christmas, it has a habit of regressing us back to a childlike state. With eyes too big for our future stomachs it’s easy to get distracted by the lights that shine brightly now. So as the dominos continue to fall towards its break this year, we present our spring strategy to help you get the most out of the season.
