October Observations in the Garden

If you wandered very slowly through your garden, on its worn paths and to its edges, what would you notice? What would be the same and what would be different? What would be struggling and what would be thriving  in current conditions? What would be finishing, what would be ready to harvest and what would be just emerging? 

A lovely day lily in bloom. 

Since attending an Introduction to Permaculture course last year, I have continued to read and to learn more and to think...a lot! One book I have on loan from my local library at the moment is Rosemary Morrow's "Earth User's Guide to Permaculture (2nd ed.).  I have really enjoyed sections of this book which has been a bit easier to understand than the few other books I've managed to find. 

There is an emphasis on observation in this book with it identified as a key skill to develop in order to define problems, see possibilities, recognise patterns and consider relationships. So, what did I observe in the garden during the October that's just gone by? 

Plants

• sweet peas are finished flowering and pods are forming
• day lilies are coming in to bloom 
• rose geranium growing too close to entrance of native bee hive
• tiny zinnia seedlings have emerged in areas where I sprinkled them - less than one week to germinate 
• self-seeded lettuce under mandarin
• new growth on avocado tree
• last two homegrown beetroots ready to harvest
• cherry tomato plant in 3rd barrel smaller than the other two
• plane tree branches covered in spring growth, branches spreading out near Grevillea Lollypop closest to the house
• ripe blueberries in clusters mysteriously disappeared overnight
• first Lebanese cucumbers are ready to pick

 A much smaller cherry tomato bush in the barrel on the right. Hmmm...

Zinnia seedlings germinated very quickly. 

Plane tree branches are crowding this grevillea. 

Garden Jobs:  collect sweet pea seeds when brown & dry, cut back rose geranium from hive entrance, thin out zinnias as needed, check soil in the 3rd wicking barrel and top up water if dry, cut back branches of plane trees on our side of fence, net the blueberries!

I need to net the blueberries!

Animals

• native bees in rocket flowers, honey bees in salvia, both in alyssium
• crow brought stick down to backyard birdbath, put it in the water there while it had a drink, picked it up again and flew off!
• cockatoo with rocket seed pod up on verandah railing, using beak to rip open pod and eat seeds inside
• Bluey (our resident blue-tongue) just peeking out from under boards at edge of front verandah garden, first sighting!
• King Parrots and Pale-headed Rosellas feeding on flowers of larger red-flowering grevillea outside our bedroom. Unusual to see both these types of birds.
• aphids on the roses

Garden Jobs:  lightly prune grevillea when finished flowering, allow rocket to self-seed in the garden so more grows for bees & cockatoos, squish aphids!

A photo of "Bluey", our resident Blue-tongue Lizard.

(This photo was taken a couple of years ago but he's still around...or one of his relatives is!)

We had quite a few storms and lots of lovely rain this past month but I can't tell you how much exactly because we don't have a rain gauge set up in the garden. Must remedy that! The rain and storms we've had made such a difference to the garden, seems as though everything grows a foot overnight after a good drenching. 

Good growth on these Canna Lilies.

Relationships: 

• More and different birds came into the garden because it was really dry, before we had good rain. 
• Lettuce self seeds under the mandarin tree because it provides some shade and protection from afternoon sun.
• Aphids are attracted to new growth & rosebuds because they have lots of juicy sap that these little insects feed on.
• Rain and storms triggered more vigorous growth in many of the plants in the garden. Here's a good explanation of why storms are good for plants.

First cucumbers and other delights from the garden!

Observing like this, as I wander around my garden, really focuses my attention, has me pondering things a bit more and looking for connections. It helps me to identify what needs doing, like squishing those aphids before they do any real damage to the roses or netting those blueberries so we actually get to eat some!

I wonder what my November observations will tell me?

Meg