Hello! I’ve been directed here (thanks Veg Gardener) from the GA forum. I dropped into the GA forum about three years ago; planted a whole heap of veg in containers. Water restrictions in SE Qld and uni assignments and exams interfered and it all came to naught. Think we got about three strawberries and a couple of tomatoes.

I’ve now got water supply and uni is finally finished (just the cap & gown to go); so I’m giving it another burl. Been studying env management/sustainability, so keen to do my bit :-)

I have one veg bed about 3mx3m that I’m going with a no dig, at least for a year or two. Our soil is pathetic. Big areas have been gravel pathed and under the gravel are stones, and under the stones are pebbles. Where there is actually soil its clay and turns to pseudo-rock whenever it gets wet. I thought if I no-dig over the top for a while it should re-condition it. We’re on top of a hill, and any topsoil and goodness has long been washed away.

The 2nd bed is about 1.5 × 2m. I’m still edging it in a vain attempt to keep the gravel, stones and pebbles out. I don’t want to use it straight away (start out small), so was thinking of green manuring it; partly so it doesn’t look so bare; but also to improve the soil for when I do want to use it. I saw Pete’s segment on GA a couple of weeks ago; but guess I’ll have to do a little bit more research as to what to plant.

I currently have my first batch of veg seeds in jiffy pots in the hot house (warm house really). Just yesterday things started poking their heads up. I’m very excited ‘cause at least two of my beetroot have germinated. I’ve tried them before without any success.

Other than the veg patch, at the top of the yard I’m planning on gradually removing all the gravel. I have a big (250l) square bin without a base. I’ll clear a patch of gravel; fill the bin with no-dig; grow veg in it; then move the bin. Gradually the gravel will be replaced with half decent soil. I’m wanting to plant a heap of flowering and seeding natives to attract the smaller birds. Also got a frog pond planned (its been planned ever since we moved in about 6 years ago).

At this stage, since I’m not exactly known for my green thumb, I’m trying to stay small. One small area / project at a time. Veg first, then the rest of the garden. By next winter I hope to be in a position to convince hubby to plant some fruit trees down the back; but I have to prove my mettle beforehand ;-)

Well, I guess that’s a long enough spiel to introduce myself :-)

welcome to our happy hideaway home SueBk.

sounds like you have a challenge ahead of you there but I like your approach. I think you have a good strategy sorted out there. Good luck with your projects, and do keep us updated with before and after pictures so we can all learn from what you are doing.

Welcome SueBk

Hi SueBk, welcome to our forum and hope you enjoy it. We’re almost like a family here, but new members are most welcome. I really like you’re idea of building a raised bed with the removable edge and repositioning it later. It sounds like a really viable idea! Before and after photos are very popular here too :)

Our soil is pathetic. Big areas have been gravel pathed and under the gravel are stones, and under the stones are pebbles. Where there is actually soil its clay and turns to pseudo-rock whenever it gets wet.
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makes my place sound good – i think i know why your chooks stay inside. LOL
Its a good piece of writing though and i’m sure you will overcome.
best of luck and welcome.

Not quite sure I understand the instructions for attaching photos; but if they don’t work you’ll still have the links. These are photos from 10 June before tooo much was done.

This is the main veggie patch (you might recognise it from 3 years ago – or not LOL). As you can see it’s not very big. This photo is facing roughly south. In later photos you’ll notice the neighbours on the north side. Saw the neat trick with mirrors on a recent GA; still thinking about it.

This is the front garden. The tubs and bushes in the foreground (right above the white rock wall) are now gone (more photos later if these ones work). This is the area I want to green manure.

The same patch, but from the other side. The rock border has been replaced with big lumps of wood and squared off a bit. Well, it’s a work in progress :-)

The tubs from above are now sitting under the cat cage on the right, with herbs in them. The stump with the spider plant fell over when I bumped it so its gone. The spikey palm thing is now a stump (with a spider plant on it :-) It’ll rot out quickly, but in the meantime I’ll use it. This section gravel is where my moveable bin is. This is facing roughly north.

Well here goes. I’ll submit and see what mess I’ve created.

Try, try again.

Sue – where are your images stored at the moment ?- have you already uploaded them to an external photo -hosting site such as Photobucket or are you trying to put them on forum directly from your own computer?

http://lh3.ggpht.com/suebk68/SGnyrE2BSWI/AAAAAAAAADI/cC8TQ2LFvwc/P1000429.JPG

http://lh4.ggpht.com/suebk68/SGnysJ0%E2%80%94UI/AAAAAAAAADQ/uzgrregNQt4/P1000433.JPG

I uploaded them to google images, ‘cause picaso (my photo program) links to it directly; but I think I’ll go back to photo bucket – its easier. Just have to remember my ID and password. That could be tricky!

http://lh6.ggpht.com/suebk68/SGnys3qZplI/AAAAAAAAADY/vEel5%E2%80%938Z4SM/P1000437.JPG

SueBk said:

I uploaded them to google images, ‘cause picaso (my photo program) links to it directly; but I think I’ll go back to photo bucket – its easier. Just have to remember my ID and password. That could be tricky!

The links work now as copied and pasted without the garbage surrounding the addy

http://lh4.ggpht.com/suebk68/SGn44Z2J9RI/AAAAAAAAAEM/sCI_jd8Iy88/s144/P1000463.JPG

This is from 22/6; shows cat cage on right with new herb tubs; and moveable bins on the left. The plastic “mini-shed” on the close right is my garden shed and hot house for propagation. In the distance you can see the new veggie bed, now cleared.

Hmmm, google photos has a “embed in webpage link”. I wonder if that will work here. It looks messy; maybe not.

http://lh6.ggpht.com/suebk68/SGn45liauFI/AAAAAAAAAEU/_PQ-D1ibdXQ/P1000465.JPG

This is the new bed, all cleared, with one section of edging in place.

No photos of the existing veg bed, ‘cause nothing changed between 10 and 22 June (and 1 July LOL).

photo links not working for me :(

Same here. SueBk have you tried using photobucket?

Okay. Found my photobucket account. Wow – I’d forgotten about all those quilts I’d uploaded. But, back to veggies. Let’s try just one. This, if it works, is my present veggie patch (as at 10 June)

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f348/suekorrel/P1000428.jpg

It isn’t meant to be :-( I just tried again, and the server fell over (my end, the web’s end, who knows) and my message disappeared. My photobucket account is http://s50.photobucket.com/albums/f348/suekorrel/

I’m not sure what doing wrong with the photos. I gather from the instructions below the address to them should be enclosed with exclamation marks. In photobucket which link should I copy? I tried the image code and that didn’t work.

I’ll try one more time and see what happens. I hate posting repeating messages that don’t actually work.

Okay! Maybe I’ve worked it out. Photo above is the new patch that I want to plant with green manure.

This (hopefully) is the same patch, but taken about 12 days beforehand; before any clearing was done.

Same patch, still 10/6, but from the other side (standing in the driveway). I’ve just realised I’ve got some other recent photos, taken at the same angle as these. Makes it a bit easier to compare.

its looking good SueBk

its looking good SueBk

This photo from 22/6 shows the laundry tub from the previous shot, now moved and planted with herbs. The cage to the right is for the cat; it has a cat flap in the wall so she be outside without going outside. The green bins to the left are my moveable plots. And the little plastic do-dad in the foreground right is my gardening “shed” and winter propogration hothouse.

There’s more photos in photobucket, but they’re of the same three areas – old veggie patch, new veggie patch and the gravel path that I’m determined to turn into garden of some description.

My next goal is finish my no dig layers so I can plant out my seedlings when they’re ready. Very excited that I have three beetroots ups – all of them multiples. Seeing as last time I tried beetroot nothing happened at all, to have those corkers grow more than one is wonderful.

At this stage, still only silverbeet, cabbages and beetroot poking up. But, some of my seeds are quite old. Trying to be frugal to keep The Man happy. If most or lots of this lot don’t germinate, I’ll mix all my old seeds together and use that to green manure the top patch; and start with all new seeds for actual veggies.

Still I’m hoping :-) I even have some packets from you guys. Not sure who from now, it has been some years. Lettuce and peas. Think they were from two different people. Vague recollection the peas might have been from Lucky, but that could be a very wrong recollection.

SueBk said:

There’s more photos in photobucket, but they’re of the same three areas – old veggie patch, new veggie patch and the gravel path that I’m determined to turn into garden of some description.

My next goal is finish my no dig layers so I can plant out my seedlings when they’re ready. Very excited that I have three beetroots ups – all of them multiples. Seeing as last time I tried beetroot nothing happened at all, to have those corkers grow more than one is wonderful.

At this stage, still only silverbeet, cabbages and beetroot poking up. But, some of my seeds are quite old. Trying to be frugal to keep The Man happy. If most or lots of this lot don’t germinate, I’ll mix all my old seeds together and use that to green manure the top patch; and start with all new seeds for actual veggies.

Still I’m hoping :-) I even have some packets from you guys. Not sure who from now, it has been some years. Lettuce and peas. Think they were from two different people. Vague recollection the peas might have been from Lucky, but that could be a very wrong recollection.

i have heaps of tomato seeds. and capsuim which is a mix they are old some germinated but wont grow fruit for some reason.

SueBk said:

I even have some packets from you guys. Not sure who from now, it has been some years. Lettuce and peas. Think they were from two different people. Vague recollection the peas might have been from Lucky, but that could be a very wrong recollection.

Were you Korrel once upon a time on the GA forum? If that’s so, I remember you, lol!!!

Coulda bin me who sent seeds, I go through stages of clearing out the ageing/extra seeds too.

That was me :) Someone remembered me. I feel very speesh. The packages of seeds don’t have names on them, so can’t tell for sure who sent them. I know I never got around to planting them. Uni just got too much to handle and it all fell in a big heap (the veggie garden, not uni). Now that I’ve finally finished the magic last exam I can focus on other things. Since my qualification ended up being in Env Management I figure a veggie garden would set a good example :)

Since my qualification ended up being in Env Management I figure a veggie garden would set a good example :)
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no finer example available.
no transport costs, freshness supreme, no packaging, fully recyclable produce with zero waste if composted – vegie gardening is the essence of sustainability.

On 23/6 I planted out 35 jiffy pots, some with more one than one seed; with the plan of keeping the strongest plant.

To date I have:
2 cucumbers (out of 3 ×3 )
1 tomato (out 2)
cauliflower (1 out of 3)
cabbages (4 out of 4)
1 sunflowers (out 2×3)
1 broccoli (out of 2×2)
5 silverbeet (out of 6)
3 beetroot seeds (ie more than 3 plants) (out of 5)
no beans, peas, spring onion, thyme, rockmelon, coriander (never yet had coriander grow for me), lettuce, capsicum, celery

Since my seeds are old and may not be viable my plan is: Take the suggested maximum germination time for each plant (eg if it says 6-10 days, allow 20 days); if there’s no sign of germination I’ll go buy new ones. I’m then going to scatter all my old seeds in my new garden bed and if they grow, they grow. Murphy’s law says I will have a million plants of something I can’t stand (like beans) LOL, and none of the things I love. But I figure – a) if they don’t germinate I haven’t lost anything; if they germinate but are too crowded or don’t fruit or otherwise are a ‘failure’ – I’ll hoe them all in as green manure.

(Sorry about the missing photos above. I reorganised my photobucket into albums.)

SueBk said:

On 23/6 I planted out 35 jiffy pots, some with more one than one seed; with the plan of keeping the strongest plant.

To date I have:
2 cucumbers (out of 3 ×3 )
1 tomato (out 2)
cauliflower (1 out of 3)
cabbages (4 out of 4)
1 sunflowers (out 2×3)
1 broccoli (out of 2×2)
5 silverbeet (out of 6)
3 beetroot seeds (ie more than 3 plants) (out of 5)
no beans, peas, spring onion, thyme, rockmelon, coriander (never yet had coriander grow for me), lettuce, capsicum, celery

Since my seeds are old and may not be viable my plan is: Take the suggested maximum germination time for each plant (eg if it says 6-10 days, allow 20 days); if there’s no sign of germination I’ll go buy new ones. I’m then going to scatter all my old seeds in my new garden bed and if they grow, they grow. Murphy’s law says I will have a million plants of something I can’t stand (like beans) LOL, and none of the things I love. But I figure – a) if they don’t germinate I haven’t lost anything; if they germinate but are too crowded or don’t fruit or otherwise are a ‘failure’ – I’ll hoe them all in as green manure.

(Sorry about the missing photos above. I reorganised my photobucket into albums.)

Sounds good SueBk.