Anyone who knows me will tell you, “Kim hates gardening” and yet strangely enough I love my roses and I like the garden to look nice, I just hate going out there doing it.. hence the shrubs and the trees. We removed some close to dead old Gum trees when we first moved here and I’ve always believed that if you remove a tree plant another, so we removed two almost dead gum trees from the front and planted 9 more, a mixture of Silver Birch (One for each Child) and Weeping Cherry for my Father-in-law when he passed away and a weeping mulberry well, just because it weeps.
But since starting “The Daniel Plan” I realized that it made sense to grow some veggies at home. So I went out and brought a punnet of nine Roma tomatoes and some parsley, I also today got the Marigolds, Basil and Rosemary because they are commonly used as “companion planting” to help keep the bugs away from the tomatoes without using sprays because remember I am a “lazy gardener”
According to this website… http://www.sgaonline.org.au/companion-planting/
First column these are good neighbors to plant with tomatoes second Column is what each plant does… and the third column is bad neighbors.
| Tomato | Asparagus, Basil, Celery, Borage, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Cabbage, Carrot, Cauliflower, Chives, Dill, Gooseberry, Grape, Hyssop, Lovage, Marigold (French), Marjoram, Mint, Nasturtium, Onion, Parsley, Parsnip, Turnip | Marigolds said to repel white fly and root knot nematode. Bad Neighbours roots release substances reducing growth | Apricots, Beetroot, Fennel, Kohl Rabi, Potato, Rosemary, Sweet Corn |
So looks like I’ll be going shopping and buying a few more plants! Mint and cauliflower, Carrots and Broccoli, But I wonder if the neighbors would complain, because I am doing my Veggie garden in the front of my house away from my dogs. I have planted the Tomatoes, Basil and Parsley and Marigolds and now rosemary around my favorite rose-bush.. I would how that will re-act.
I have set myself a little challenge and I can hear YOU Terri Deiley out there groaning “Oh My GOSH NOT another one!!” I am inspired by Terri’s gardening and her love for it and so I have set myself this little challenge.. Half an hour each day to work on the garden, but doing small doses like that I can see what I’ve done but I’m not making myself sick of the garden.
Today we brought more horse poo.. I know I’m sorry too much information! but you need to know that because tomorrow I am starting the next section of the garden bed, I am ripping up the black weed matting which doesn’t work anyways and I am going to spread the horse poo and water it in for a few days, weeding and turn over the garden bed regularly until next weekend, and then I’ll go shopping for more companion plants. I was so tempted to buy a pumpkin today, but I just wonder.. “Do I love pumpkin that much?” I’d be better to get and grow the “Super greens” that everyone is talking about.. imagine how cool it would be to walk out the front of your house and pick your lunch salad!! Its my dream!
So if you are reading this please leave me a comment and let me know “what are you growing? or what can you suggest I give a try? talk to me and I’ll chat back!
Kim L Hine 