octopusgrrl's Page

Well, there have been a few stressful changes going on in our lives recently: I've started fulltime work (plus continuing to work parttime on Saturdays), my son's started fulltime care, then my husband was made redundant and is currently looking for a new job :/ Plus the usual winter colds, tiredness and other interruptions, so the garden got put on the backburner a bit. But now we're getting some lovely sunny days here in Dunedin and I'm starting to get a bit more energy back - must be Spring… Continue

Managed to get another trench done yesterday before a certain little person got bored and wanted to go inside! Was hoping to do more today but the weather's packing in and I'm developing a cold, joy :/ We'll get there, eventually. In the meantime Robbie wanted to see a photo of what the garden looks like - here's one from the real estate agent just before we bought the place, so about 3months ago? So you can double the size of the weeds ;) Now I think of it, I should have taken some proper… Continue

I've still got more trenches to dig, but I decided to plant two rows of garlic in the bit I've already done, then I can leave them to grow through spring and summer and use the rest of the plot for things like potatoes and onions. I used the neat little "Mole" dibber my BFF Sonya gave me for my birthday and planted the cloves about 10cm down, which is what they recommended in NZ Gardener for South Is conditions. I hope I get a better harvest this year, last year's was atrocious - I don't think… Continue

So we moved here nearly two months ago and only now I'm getting stuck into my veggie patch! It's been a combination of bad weather, lack of time and sickness that's delayed me getting outside, but I was also a bit daunted by the amount of work involved. The backyard is divided into four large (1.5 x 3m) plots and completely enshrouded in weeds - the avid gardener who lived here previously I suspect had been sick for some time before moving to a rest home, so everything was pretty neglected. I… Continue