bare bones in winter

[tielan]

It's pretty much the height of winter here in Sydney, Australia - yes, the solstice has come and gone, but this is the hardest, coldest part of the year for us.

I climbed up a ladder to take a pic of my backyard - south-east corner of the block where the north-east aspect is best, but we have a McMansion that shades us from the north-east through the height of winter so...



I'm happier with the greens growing in the winter yard this year. It makes everything a lot less bare!

In the bottom left hand corner (next to the clay pot) are grass (haha), broad beans, a herbal flower whose name I've forgotten, and the pinky-purple glimpses are the last of a few amaranth plants I tossed down. Hopefully there'll be more of those next year and they'll become a regular.

Brick-edge garden is broadbeans, peas, kale, radish, bok choy, silverbeet, and mustard. There were purple caulis in there, but I think the slugs have eaten the shootlings. :( This bed should be in full-growth by now, but I only planted them in May so they're still seedlings.

Clockwise of the brick-edge garden are three spiky-leafed plants: globe artichokes. Just in front of the blue bucket is a couple of brussel sprouts (you can only see one, the other is a purplish colour).

There's a marigold to the left of the raised bed (brown metal), and the big lighter green plant with the huge leaves (behind the skeleton of the cherry tree) is a 'fruit salad sage' which smells gorgeous when I brush past it!

The raised bed is growing garlic and onions in the centre, radishes on the left, carrots up the back, leeks down the side, and beetroot in the front. It needs to be planted earlier - maybe February - to be ready now. Again, only planted in May.

There's garlic in the far bathtub, azolla and water lily in the near bathtub (the pond) and agapanthus between them. I don't know if the agapanthus will flower, but I figured that stuff will grow anywhere, in shade or sun or poor soil, and I didn't have anything to go between the bathtubs and the trees. The silvery-green-grey leafy things at the left end of the pond bath are...some perennial that I've forgotten the name of, the clump of green at the upper right end of the pond bath is a clump of parsley.

The round-leafed plants on the near side of the bathtub pond are nasturtiums, and there's an alpine strawberry growing in a pot there, too.

The green shooty things are oats for green mulch, and there's peas scattered among them, too, for legumes.

Next year, I really have to start my winter planting (cabbages, caulis, broccoli, silverbeet, asian greens, lettuces) in February so that there's green leafy things for eating in the middle of winter.

What are your summer gardens looking like in the northern hemisphere?

Comments

[bridgetmkennitt]

*cheers you and your plants on*

[tielan]

They are growing! In winter! Which is marginally better than was happening last winter...

TBH, I feel like I'm at least two months behind on growing everything...

[mdehners]

Mine are doing pretty well here on the Florida Panhandle. The Summer Heat and Humidity's pretty much taken out the Winter and Spring plants but Summer's Soldiers are doing well. My White Scavoleas are spreading and blooming well, as are the Angelonias. Surprisingly, two of the three Daylilies I planted Late have started as well. I'd have to say the two that are my favs this SUmmer so far are the Salvias and the Japanese Morning Glories. Both attract Hummingbirds well.
Cheers,
Pat

[tielan]

It sounds like a beautiful floral garden. Salvias do brilliantly here in Sydney's climate - and are great for bees. Our local birdlife go for the natives - acacias, grevilleas, banksias, etc. But Morning Glory is a weed in this space: it goes beserk and you can't get rid of it.

I need to increase the number of flowers in my garden - both for beauty and for pollinators. I've focused on edibles for the last few years, but I'm thinking a broader focus on flowers for pollinators would be wise, too.

[mdehners]

My old place I'd focused on Permaculture but here in Retirement-ville I've two courtyards the sizes of a large bedroom and an average Living room to work with. Until 2 months ago my front one was Dominated(literally;>) by a large Crape Myrtle but it's been remove and replaced with a Japanese Maple. I'm really struck with the 'Jade' Echinacea I planted and plan to save seeds to spread this beauty. I've a number of Sinnigia sellovii and it's hybrids from my days in the Gesneriad Society. This African Violet relative can handle hard Freezes as long as the soil doesn't and looks a bit like a small-flowered Foxglove about a 1/2 meter tall. I've a number of them from Yellow to various shades of Pink and Red. Nectar feeders love them!
Cheers,
Pat

garden check in from New Orleans

[harpers_child]

My gladiolus in front of the house are all doing well. We're getting a tropical storm this weekend and I suspect all of the flower stems will break during that.

Everything else is in the back in pots. The wildflowers are doing well. I had one pot survive the winter and that's constantly blooming. The newer things got ravaged by squirrels so I'm seeing what survived. I've admitted that the petunias are dead. I think it got too hot too fast for them. Everything else is doing okay but not great. The 100+ F temperatures haven't been doing anything any favors. My rosebush is deliriously happy and putting out new growth and flowers constantly. So far the caterpillars haven't found it this year.

Re: garden check in from New Orleans

[tielan]

I hear your squirrels are like our possums. Very cute, but quite inimical to the garden.

Re: garden check in from New Orleans

[harpers_child]

I have cut a deal with the local corvids (crows, blue jays, the occasional raven) that if they keep the squirrels out of my flowerpots, I'll keep putting out birdseed. Displayed the 50 pound bag of said birdseed while making the deal. For the last week I've heard squawking every time a squirrel has been in the yard.