Progress on 'The Master Plan'

We are now nearly at the end of October and looking at what I wanted to achieve in the garden I'm not sure how I feel. My tomatoes that I started early using softdrink bottles to cover them from the frost, are looking amazing. I think they grow about 10cm a day, I feel like I have to tie them up every day. The potatoes have all reached the tops of their bags and so I'm ready to start planting the next lot of potatoes. Marko thinks I'm slightly insane with the potting mix bags lying around everywhere with potatoes growing out of them, but I'm sure he'll be supremely impressed when he eats my delicious crop. The snow peas yielded an incredibly bountiful crop and are now composting in my new composting bin. They have made way for 3 little cucumber vines.

After a big chat with Becc about the virtues of my shade house through summer, I've decided to focus on growing a ton of lettuce. I have the space and lettuce will grow better without being in the rediculous heat. They will go to seed quickly so the plan is to succession plant and not let them get too big before starting to harvest. Becc has a better bed for Carrots and has had amazing success so she'll keep growing carrots for us. My carrots haven't been so successful. Mine are in polystyrene boxes and they are also a different variety.

The beans I put in are starting to produce but I planted them too close to the beetroot so they may take a while to grow...but its all good!! I'm learning as I go.

Progress with the front garden has been dismal. I wanted railway sleepers and I didn't want to pay the earth for them. New sleepers are nearly $20 each and I needed so many. About 2 weeks ago Becc noticed the lady over the street and down a few houses had a pile of about 11 railway sleepers sitting on the footpath. Now Becc is a lot braver than me. I would have just sat and looked at them trying to wish them to my house. Becc on the other hand, went over and asked what she was planning on doing with them. She said a friend was supposed to have come and got them out of her backyard but she was sick of waiting for him and that if he didn't pick them up by last weekend we could have them...FOR FREE!!

Lucky for me the friend never collected them, so last Sunday morning Marko, Becc and I loaded all the sleepers into the back of Becc and Luke's ute and brought them over. I'm very excited but also know that there aren't nearly enough of them. I'm thinking I'll do the two gardens on either side of the path with them and then if I have to use the old timber or new sleepers for along the front of the house I will. I've been out there since about 6:30 pottering around the garden and decided to prepare one side for the sleepers. I finished at 8 and came inside hoping Marko would be awake (I can't lift the damn things on my own) but he is still asleep. So I have to be patient.

I will add photos soon!!

Happy Gardening!!

Emily xoxo