Clearing out the summer crops

It's that time of the year where it's clear out time in the vegie garden to get it ready for the winter crops.   From my 4 raised beds I pulled out all the dying tomatoes, zucchini's, corn, celery (that did nothing!), basil and cucumbers and I've let the chooks in to scratch around

Secret stash of eggs in the celery

The compost is now full

These garden beds are now cleared

The chooks earning their keep - I hope they don't kill the bean

Some very optimistic tomatoes popping up

The final harvest from the summer crops

The first vegies in the front yard

In early January I made the decision that I wanted to clear my front yard and start growing vegies in it.  Due to my bad hands (I've since had surgery on one) a friend offered to clear it all.  I then layered it all with cardboard, straw, 3 cubic metres of vegie mix soil and then more straw and this is the result:

My front yard

Today I put the first vegies into it:

Snow peas on the close tower and peas on the far one, planted as seeds

Calabrese Natalino Broccoli and brussel sprouts along the drive way side

Calabrese Natalino Broccoli

Brussel Sprouts

Seeds - the magic of germination

Last Thursday I finally got around to planting some seeds for my winter vegies.  My past history with seeds hasn't been very good but I am now determined to do this well to a)save money and b)plan for succession planting so that I don't have a whole seedling punnet of vegies ready at once and then nothing! My current plan is to try to plant a few seeds every 2-4 weeks or so.  Each time I'm trying to only plant about 4 or so of each except for the beetroot and spring onions.

To help I've got these in the living room under a window and I am spraying them with a water bottle to keep them moist. 

When the first seed popped it's head out of the soil I was pretty excited - it's working! They're alive!

The first seed to come through was a broccoli after only 3 days. 

Here is the progress 5 days on

Spring onions

Brussel Sprouts and Kale

Spinach - no action yet 

Beetroot - the colour is awesome!

Broccoli and cauliflowers

I also have pea and snow peas sprouting on moist paper towel after having soaked them for 24hrs 

Yum!

Welcome...

Welcome to my new little place on the internet - my adventure into trying to live a simple life.  A simple life doesn't mean an easy life but it should lead to a more rewarding, fulfilled, relaxed and slower life.

I'm currently reading the following two books and really enjoy them both and they are both providing useful information in leading a simple life and self sustainability

A bit about me - I live on the northern edge of the suburbs of Melbourne on a suburban block that's 448sqm which is mostly house.  I've had a vegie patch in the backyard for the last 3 years or so which is north and west facing and I am now going to start planting vegies in my front yard so that I can plant a lot more!  The challenge with the front yard though will be winter frosts as it faces south.

I currently have egg laying and meat chickens and quails also in the backyard.  I try to grow and raise all my own chicken via the meat chickens bought as day old chicks and I also incubate my quail eggs and harvest the birds for their meat.  I also have two cats, but due to the chooks they are indoors only and don't produce anything edible, but do provide good company.

I haven't been able to do a lot in the garden for the last 5 weeks due to having Carpal Tunnel Surgery on my left hand.  Thankfully I am right handed though, but I am still very limited in what I can do as recovery can take 4+months and up to a year in some cases.

I hope that you enjoy following my journey towards a simple life.