This morning I checked on my new veggie plants – Oops!
Well, the warm. often humid conditions we’re experiencing here have resulted in my quickly realising that eighteen Bok Choy plants in various colours and varieties, was way too much to plant for just one person. So I laughed to myself and pulled most of them out of the ground, put them into a large bag and took them round to my local Asian Take-away bar next door. Thankfully they use a lot of these vegetables and were happy to take them off my hands.
After which I walked down to our local garage that has a small garden section attached and bought a Lebanese Cucumber, (Telegraph are too big for me to eat it all before they go off), Capsicum, and Spring Onion plants to fill those spaces left by removing the Bok Choy plants. (Approx $12)
NOW.
{This year, as last, our extended family chose a Secret Santa option for Christmas, which helps those on a small budget as they are able to purchase up to a certain amount, but for just one person and are able to make their gift anonymous. I was all over the place this year, so didn’t get my SSanta until yesterday, when My daughter and son in law arrived with my gift which had been left at their place Christmas morning.
Oh My. Two raised beds on long legs which will be used as drainage 🙂 Scoria drainage, Potting soil, Compost and a half dozen plants to go with them.
This Summer is going to be just awesome, as is the harvest in the Autumn.}
With the large low moving over the country at the moment, I haven’t had to water them after the first day and even the new plants are now well established. Very pleasing. It’s hard sometimes not to buy too much, as I did with my Bok Choy plants. I’m out of practice, but, on the other hand, it means someone will have some veggies that they didn’t have to grow or pay for. Pretty much a win,win for everyone.
Actually, I guess quite a few of my readers are actually already into Winter and with the Christmas Season fully here, where, I hear you ask, can I possibly plant – in a garden – quite probably already draped in  snow.           
Living now as I do in the so called Winterless North, I must confess that I sometimes miss the cold, frost and snow that arrived in our deep South Island winters.
My neighbours in Otago, where cold winters are normal, draped many of their plants, flowers as well as vegetables, in frost cloth as soon as the conditions were forecast. I didn’t grow many vegetables when we lived in the south, I was so new to the area then, so I just looked up a few things. WIsh I had known more back then. 🙂
One tip I found that might suit those whose budget does not allow the purchase of frost cloth. Use old blankets, sheets, even a burlap sack or old tea towels/ But be sure to have stakes rond them to take the weight, maybe even wire netting raised up ver your plants.
The tip I liked, and will use if needed, is hay bales round the plants, with an old window or glass pane, on the top.There are so many things that can protect your tender veggies. I mention only these, but there is so much info out there.
If you don’t have access to a computer, please emai me on gosportgal@gmail.com, and I will check out your questions for you. I have so much saved on my browser and am adding more every day. So don’t be shy, ASK 🙂
For me, December, and now January 2024 (Happy New Year everyone), my container – currently – garden is going crazy. I will have to use more of my Bok Choy, maybe even in salad?. But then of course there will be more space for more seedlings. One of my tomatoes, big enough to pick, is just sitting there absorbing the lovely sunshine, now the rain has gone away for a while. So now, I have a positive of abundance, just waiting for its time to be harvested. The Lebanese Cucumber I planted has taken off, as is the Capsicum, I noticed baby buds on there yesterday, and the Spring Onions are almost twice the size from when they were planted. YUM. The Coriander and Chives are also thriving. I have decided to let half of the Coriander to go to seed, then I’ll be able to pick seeds from the garden instead of the supermarket. Also I hung a couple of branches from my Thyme plant and they have dried beautifully so I’ll crumble them and add them to one of my spice jars. (I just hung them on the handle of one of my high cupboard doors).
Well that’s me for this week, I am certainly looking forward to my coming season. Nothing for my Hydroponics as yet, as I will have to buy the equipment before I can do any more on that project. However, I have a Voucher from my son and daughter in law to spend. YAY! which I’m planning to do next week. As he works at a large garden Warehouse, I should be able to get some of what I need there. He found a Hydroponic company online, so I will go there first, see what I will be needing, then off to my son’s company to use my voucher.
SO, any questions? tips you can offer to others, including me? What has worked for you, or hasn’t? Please get in touch on email gosportgal@gmail.com