G'day

[lolie]

Hi everyone

I'm a 50-something early retiree with too much time on my hands. As you can see from my location bar, I'm in Sydney where it's kind of hot right now (expected to hit 37 C around 5pm).

I've gardened on and off over the years, but always in a rather haphazard way.

For the last 20 years, I've confined my gardening to containers on my balcony and abandoned even that for long stretches of time when bad weather has wiped out pretty much everything.

The last couple of years I've thrown in a few summer vegie plants with mixed results, but as our summer (allegedly) draws to a close I have realised that I want more than growing my own salads and would really like to grow at least some of my own vegetables year round. I haven't attempted winter vegetables in over 20 years so it will be a learning curve for sure.

To that end, over the coming weeks I'll be putting in some raised beds and starting seedlings for a modified SFG.

I love the diversity of the knowledge base here.

I'm finding the allotment threads fascinating. We have community gardens here but they're a bit different.

So much more to learn.

[Lumpy]

Hello Lolie and welcome to the Vine. Starting to grow a bit more will certainly keep both your mind and body more occupied.

What are you hoping to get going with?

[Guest]

Hi and welcome to the vine

Don't forget to post piccies - we are a nosey lot here

[lottie dolly]

Hello Lolie,welcome to the vine,nice to have you

[lolie]

Hello Lolie and welcome to the Vine. Starting to grow a bit more will certainly keep both your mind and body more occupied.

What are you hoping to get going with?

Some new herbs. I already have sage, marjoram, mint, rosemary and chives. I've just put in some sorrel and winter savory seeds and some new parsley seeds.

For the actual garden, lots of winter greens. A couple of silverbeet plants are already started and I've just started some perpetual spinach. Want to start some bok/pak choy and some English spinach as well.

I'm hoping to grow some mini cauliflowers and mini cabbages as well as some kale. I'm undecided about broccoli.

I threw in some baby pak carrot seeds the other day and still have Paris market carrots to start.

I'd really like to grow some shallots/spring onions but have always found them to be aphid magnets.

In the ground from summer I still have tomatoes, capsicum, button squash and zucchini.

[Bigmallly]

Hello again Lolie............what, no Parsnips or Leeks?.................

[Verinda]

Hello Lolie, welcome to the forum

[lolie]

Hello again Lolie............what, no Parsnips or Leeks?.................

Leeks definitely. I forgot to order new seeds and the old seed I sowed is sitting there doing nothing so I forgot about them

I use one parsnip a year if I'm lucky. Same with swede, which I like more than parsnip. I won't be growing brussel sprouts for the same reason. I have them a couple of times a year.

I'm mostly looking to grow stuff I use a lot of year in year out. I've even thrown a potato in a bucket. For reasons I don't totally understand, at certain times of year potatoes here are both very expensive and horrible - if the commercial growers can't get decent potatoes year round I don't like my own chances. Will definitely be trying my hand at pumpkin come spring, though.

[Small pumpkin]

Welcome to the vine
What about chilli's?

[cariann88]

Hello and welcome

[Lisasbolt]

Helcome to the vine, gardening is one way to kill time

Chilli´s and peppers will do really well in that heat. Get some sweetcorn going for the bbq, lovely

[Tripmeup]

hello and welcome...

Yep, ya have to grow chillies

[PyreneesPlot]

Hello and welcome from the French Pyrenees

I'd love to see some photos of your patch, to remind me of a happy holiday in Sydney many moons ago.

Chillies are essential

[Jungle Jane]

Hello,I was just thinking leeks can also suffer the same fly as onions & shallots,you could cover them with net curtain type thing to keep them out? Do you have many snakes in your garden,they might hide under it i dont know? There's a good wildlife photos thread you could add pictures to,I'd love to see some of your back yard wildlife it's very different to ours.

[Gillykat]

Hi there Lolie *waves* and welcome to the Vine

What sort of temperatures do you have in winter? Does it stay mild or can you have 'wintry' stuff like snow? It's fascinating seeing what grows well (and not so well) in other parts of the world.....who would have thought tatties (potatoes ) would be scarce