In the Garden - January

This January has been a bit atypical in the garden. November and December were very hot here in south-east Australia and a lot of the grass died off earlier than usual. January, however, has been peppered with cooler days and rain. Generally it is the time that we get some of our worst thunderstorms which have arrived this week. The days have been 30*C plus and then there are storms at night. We even had hail this week, but thankfully they were only tiny pieces and didn't do any damage. 

Spending time in the garden is always a relaxing and therapeutic activity for me. This year I have decided I'd like to cultivate more flowers in the garden; something that I find even more enjoyable and less strenuous than vegetable growing! Last year when I dropped my bundle I spent very little time in the garden - and I'm beginning to think that one may have been affected by the other. There is something so mindful, grateful and grounding about working with soil, plants, animals and nature that helps keep things in balance. Enough philosophising! Grab a drink and let's step out into our January garden. 

Unfortunately, our vegetable garden hasn't produced as well as we would have liked. Our possum in resident seems to think that our garden is her own personal smorgasbord, despite putting up nets and covers she always manages to find a way in. Still, there are a few things to share.

First up, we didn't plant any potatoes last spring but we did clear out the potato patch in late December and came away with a respectable amount of baby spuds. These were cooked up whole Greek-style, that is with olive oil, salt, garlic, lemon juice and oregano. They were delicious! The two row potato patch has been mixed with compost and now lies ready for autumn planting. I am wondering if I will try again with some autumn vegetables or just go with some flowers/shrubs this year. 

In a garden bed in our front yard that was currently unused I added some lisianthus, petunias and alyssum (you can see in the picture below how sad our grass is at this stage in the summer!) These I got on sale at Bunnings as part of my Christmas present. I love the delicate mauve colour of the lisianthus. 

We've always had a lot of success with alyssum (the ones in the middle of the two rows of flowers) and these ones are also a delicate violet in colour which I think will go nicely with the others once they're in bloom. I will water these flowers though I am hesitant to water our whole lawn. I suppose this is residual trauma from so many years of drought - in a way it just seems wasteful still. 

Our grapes are still growing. We have two grape vines, both of which produce an edible table grape. The one below is one that my husband took as cutting from the main, older vine, and planted next to our deck. Both vines are growing well and although I've seen the currawongs snacking on them there are still plenty left. Part of my January garden chores is to cover these now with little nets like these. I know they are meant to be used to replace plastic bags when grocery shopping, but I like them for netting fruit also. 

Another chore is to dead-head the agapanthus. They were at their peek in December and I love their big, full blooms. Always a statement on the dining table in a vase. Now, however they just look a bit sad and so I'll get into them this afternoon with the pruners. 

The hydrangeas are also past their peek but as these live right outside my laundry door I can't bring myself to dead-head them. Even in their dying stages they still look so beautiful to me with their delicate, papery petals. I'd love to add some more hydrangea bushes around the garden as they are one of my favourite flowers.

The herbs are doing wonderfully well this summer. I've already harvested mint, lavender, lemon balm, oregano, parsley, rosemary and basil. These are in paper bags hanging on the deck to dry out. These herbs are the ones that we use the most throughout the year. This year I will make tea with the mint and the lemon balm (not together) and the lavender will be made into little sachets to add into drawers for sweet smelling freshness and to keep the moths away. 

The basil is so lush that I plan to make a nut free pesto for the freezer. I'll be using this recipe here and can't wait to share with you how it goes. My girls are allergic to nuts which is why I won't be adding them in. 

The final chore for the garden this month is to keep the bird bath filled. My husband made it for me by putting one ceramic pot plant inside another and sealing the holes. It sits on a stump under our Japanese maple tree and I can see it from my library window and the kitchen window. I love watching the currawongs and the tiny sparrows and wren swoop in for a drink. On really hot days I will hose down the chickens and the rabbit in their enclosures and re-fill the bird bath. I think they all appreciate the cool down!

Thank you for stopping by and visiting our garden this January. Stay tuned for monthly updates on the garden and I will see you on Monday for Bitesize Inspiration. Have a lovely day,