[DFINITLYDISTRUBD]

too hot for more radishes yet.

Sept's just around the bend...We're already starting to see cooler temps which will likely continue their rapid decent over the next couple months yielding what looks to be an early winter judging by present trends Definitly snow by halloween...preceeded by lots of cold and wet.

I don't know how the weather works where you are but you might want to put them in pretty soon if'n yer gonna. We've already seen a several low forties temp. nights here. (I'm rather worried that my melons and cauliflower might not be ready to munch before the frost.)

[Michaelangelica]

My pride and joy at the moment is an Australian nay\tive Orchid.
They are small bit like English snowdrops- usually nicely, gently fragrant
The flowers are very long lasting
Ihave had apot in the kitchen for weeks.

I am not over fond of cymbidium orchids.
Somehow they are too cold, perfect and glassy for me and there is NO fragrance.

I have used up my allocation of Hypo. photographs - but will try to get a picture to you

[Chacmool]

Originally Posted by Turtle

For just sticking-seeds-in-the-ground-&-then-watering ease, I recommend radishes, cucumbers, beans, squash, & sunflowers.

Originally Posted by DFINITLYDISTRUBD

Don't forget cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and wata-mellons I always have luck with them....also asparagus, rhubarb, rasberries, blackberries, cantaloup, corm, and wheat.

Thanks for the advice! I hope to start preparing my vegetable patch soon. For us here in the south, spring is just around the corner!

In the meantime, the rest of my garden is coming along nicely and the bees are working busily. I just hate the task of applying lawn dressing. The succulents have thankfully recovered from the damage inflicted by the gardening service people. I've planted some more lavender (French and Spanish), rosemary, and a few jasmine creepers. The garden is going to have a wonderful aroma!

[Turtle]

This year, my Winter wheat crop yielded 2 dry cups of wheat berries. Ever in pursuit of numeration, I decided to figure out how many bushels per acre I produced. [Humorous Anecdote]Once in an algebra class, the insructor gave us finger-nail growth in inches per month, and asked us to calculate it in miles per hour. A hand shot up and a student declared, "fingernails don't grow in miles per hour". [/Humorous Anecdote]

Anyway, my crop land consisted all of a 2 foot x 3 foot patch for a total of 6 square feet. An acre is 43,560 square feet ( a square approximately 208 feet on a side). My acreage then is 6/43,560 or reduced, 1/7260 acres.

A dry bushel contains 128 cups, so my harvest in bushels is 2/128, or reduced 1/64 bushels.

My harvest in bushels per acre is then 1/64 bushels per 1/7260 acres, inverting the denominator & multiplying I have:
(1*7260)/(64*1)= 7260/4= 113.4375 bushels of wheat per acre.

Checking wheat production in my genreal region, I did darn nice for myself. I may put in double acreage this Fall and get me a whole quart o' dem wheatle berries.

Originally Posted by Carol Flaherty

Organic winter wheat isn't supposed to yield 100 bushels per acre, but it did at Bozeman in 2007.

Scientists are still trying to figure out how a plot of organic winter wheat at the Post Research Farm west of Bozeman hit the 101 bushels per acre mark. Nearby organic test plots were almost as good, yielding "in the high 90s," said Perry Miller, Montana State University cropping systems researcher.

Organic winter wheat topped 100 bushels per acre in Bozeman last harvest

[freeztar]

Maybe you should tell them about your secret weapon.

[Michaelangelica]

We have gone straight from the coldest winter in 30 years to Summer 27-30C
So much for spring
I have the flu too!!

This was a good Gardening Australia show you can download
Gardening Australia
I especially liked the Entomologist's Garden and the 78 year old with hundreds of fruit trees.
They were both inspiring
Gardening Australia
The programmes have not been posted to the website yet. Check on Monday.

An Entomologist’s Garden
Jerry Coleby-Williams meets a gardener who has created a wildlife haven for birds, frogs, lizards and insects on her small, suburban Brisbane block.
John’s Vegie Plot
John Patrick is establishing a vegie plot in a suburban community garden, to demonstrate how to successfully grow vegies when you’ve only got a few spare hours a week.

A Food Forest
Josh Byrne visits a passionate organic gardener in Perth, who for 40 years has grown a virtual food forest of fruit and vegies to ensure a year-round harvest.

(Brush Turkeys are a PITA; they tear up everything and you can't eat them!)

[Ganoderma]

im curious. in Aus, do you guys call say december summer? in the northern hemisphere thats winter, i know the weather is reveresed, but do you actually CALL december winter and july winter? or jsut as a comparison? always wondered about that.

[Turtle]

The outside garden is nearly done, and I have started tilling up and adding some compost. I put in 13 cloves of garlic yesterday, and today I'm putting in my Winter wheat.

All in all, I estimate I grew 20 to 30 pounds of my own food this year.

I brought in my herb pot with basil and I think either thyme or rosemary. it is already happy in the sill. I love having a green finger.

[palmtreepathos]

I am Gardening under Siege! I guess it is the drought and maybe cuz my retriever is old, but the big brazen rabbit and I are at war! I planted 21 cabbages and he got 5 so far. I had to build a pen around the cabbages and collards too (6 out of 9 gone) grrrr....
Public Gallery Picture - AOL Pictures

I planted 50 spinach 3 days ago and 30 were gone the next morning. But 20 is actually plenty if they make it. I have tried to block them off rather that anymore fencing in the garden but time will tell. We had rain today(1 1/2 inch) so maybe there will be grass for the rabbit soon.

I am still picking green beans! last year they were bug-eaten and gone by now. With a dedicated drip hose and spraying fish water on them they are doing better than they did during the summer. They look sad with fewer leaves but the energy seems to be going into veggies. I noticed the little tails got longer within a few days of spraying the first time and the beans are sweeter too!

Public Gallery Picture - AOL Pictures

guess which end of the beet bed was sprayed with fish fertilizer?
Public Gallery Picture - AOL Pictures

I am growing tithtonia for seedstock. Each flower head is worth a couple dollars to me, at least. Last year I paid $3 for one packet of 10 seeds. I am going to use them as a green manure for mixing with crushed charcoal next season.
Public Gallery Picture - AOL Pictures

Also, I did a hard trim on my avocado tree and I am wondering if the trunk can be persuaded to a more upright form? Maybe one of you bonsai fella's can advise on this?

Public Gallery Picture - AOL Pictures

Public Gallery Picture - AOL Pictures

My barrels are full of water and I am looking foward to the winter garden. Thank you Turtle for reminding me to get the garlic in the ground! Your herbs are looking good!

[Chacmool]

Originally Posted by Ganoderma

im curious. in Aus, do you guys call say december summer? in the northern hemisphere thats winter, i know the weather is reveresed, but do you actually CALL december winter and july winter? or jsut as a comparison? always wondered about that.

Northern Hemisphere Superiority Complex... In the southern hemishere - including countries such as South Africa, Australia and Argentina - we not only CALL December summer - it IS summer! Similarly, July IS winter. That's right - we have a wonderfully hot and sunny Christmas.