This is the first year that we don't actually have any break from the garden in any month of year 2011. Previous years, the month of July is spending time daydreaming about the garden or browsing through catalogues or looking at gardening book picture. However, the allium family makes us very busy in winter season this year with preparing veggie patch, sowing and transplanting seedlings. Our first winter, we only had garlic and spring onion as representatives for allium family. Second winter season, additional members are leeks, chives, red onion and brown onion. Now our third winter season since we involved ourselves in gardening, we are trying our first time to grow shallots, potato onions, Egyptian walking onion, different variety of garlics and brown onions. On top of that the number of garlic cloves and onion seedlings planted this year were more than at least 5 times last winter. So, this winter is all about the allium group. Why allium? The main reasons are I don't have to worry much about pest and it does not need much water compare to others. Rows of garlic and brown onion plants along our drive-way.
Matador shallots and garlic growing in container at different growth stages.
New members in our garden from the back row are Potato onions, Matador shallots, Red Adelaide Garlic, and Creamgold onions.
Red Odourless Onion seedlings inter-planted with other vegetables because it is growing so slow at the moment.
Last year spring-sowed Aussie Brown Onions have start to bloom this week. Hopefully, it will be pollinated well by the bees and we can save some seeds. Another task, collecting seeds from the allium group. Allium are usually biennial which produce seeds on its second year of life.
Now its August, end of winter.
Allium preparation for this year is almost completed.
Its up to them, to perform or not this year.
We only need to sow leeks and spring onion seeds now, with just a little bit of work with transplanting.
Hopefully, we have more success than failures with allium this year.
So What is happening in August in our garden?
Its the start of seed potatoes planting now at our place.
See, no rest from the garden this year.
Next month is spring here.
September-The Start of Summer Seeds Sowing time.
The first year in our garden, No Rest.
You have a lots of varieties of allium family in your garden. Sound good! Happy gardening ;)
ReplyDeletemasyallah..seronok sungguh lihat Diana berkebun.kebun yang produktif...selamat berpuasa.Masa yang sungguh terhad pada bulan Ramadhan.Sibuk siang malam:)
ReplyDeleteThey really are great plants and so pretty too when left to flower. I use them throughout the rose beds. Great last photo.
ReplyDeleteWonderful!
ReplyDeleteI love that last photo.
MKG dear,
ReplyDeleteIs that good or bad? But you know, berbudi dengan tanah, hasilnya lumayan. So you get endless harvest as well. purrrr *giggles*
You must spend so much time in the garden! It looks great Diana! I will have to plant more leeks soon, I have nearly eaten them all!
ReplyDeleteYour garden is looking terrific especially for this time of the year.
ReplyDeleteYour passion in growing edibles amazes me! And I like your last pic. Good shot :-D
ReplyDeleteHi,new to your blog via Hazel's Winter Wednesday,what a great variety of Alliums you have,happy gardening!!Love the Bell!
ReplyDeleteMy garden here in the UK gets a long rest every year. Due to the cold conditions nothing will grow significantly between November and March - except maybe some hardy brassicas and leeks. A few plants will survivie under the cover of cloches, but they never do well.
ReplyDeleteI never cease to be amazed by the constant succession of harvests you get from your garden.
May I know what fertilizer you use and how often to you apply them?
ReplyDeleteThat last photo is really gorgeous!!!
I've never heard of potato onions - what are they like?
ReplyDeleteBeautiful flower photo, KMKG!
ReplyDeleteI'm about to start planting potatoes too :)
The only alliums I did this year - being new to all this - is garlic and spring onions, but all doing pretty well so far.
It is wonderful that you are planting and harvesting right through winter! You have the most amazing produce...
ReplyDeleteAs usual I am in complete awe of your edibles. The children are so lucky that you go through such lengths to ensure their best health.
ReplyDeleteGreat to see all your planting & hard work!
ReplyDeleteI usually get to rest in December and January. Everything is frozen until mid to late March usually, but I start plants inside starting at the end of January. And they are the onions.
ReplyDeleteWow! good collection of allium! happy puasa!
ReplyDeleteyour blog has encouraged me to participate in vegetable gardening. although I have no space for gardening on the ground, just planted in pots. my son also likes to eat vegetables, such as İlhan. and you are very lucky as your husband is also supportive. continue to update your blog for me to get support. we are one Malaysia.
ReplyDeleteOrchid de dangau~The allium are so easy to take care. Well they thrive in neglect at our place.
ReplyDeleteCikmanggis~Selamat Berpuasa Cikmanggis dan seisi keluarga. Cepatnya rasa berlalu dalam bulan Ramadhan ni.
Thisbloominglife~Your rose bed must look spectacular!
Veggiegobbler~Thank you. Blush.
Cat-from-Sydney~Hmmm...its good I guess...hehehe...feel very lucky and bless even though we are in temperate climate here we actually can grow year all year round.
Phoebe~The allium need less attention that the others once they are well established. Sometime I even forgot about the leeks growing at our garden;-).
ReplyDeleteThenewgoodlife~I like to have garlic chives in our garden but keep on forgetting them.
Rose~They are summer plants that I need to pull out as they look really bad.
Stephanie~Saving the kitchen cost so I can splurge on other stuff.
Andrea~Thank you! I heard many funny experience with that bell from other visitors.
Mark~How about a greenhouse in the future Mark?
One~To be honest we rarely fertilise the plants. If we remember, seaweed fertiliser once a month?Fertiliser is expensive. So,we usually prepared the veggie bed with compost and manure before we started planting. Then we don't really think about fertilisers anymore. When we cleared up a veggie bad,we usually planted debris back into that veggie bad.
Sue~I am not sure either. They grow into clumps like shallots. Smaller than brown onion but slightly bigger than shallots. Yellow in colour like brown onion.
Hearts_in_asia~The allium pretty easy aren't they, they do well in our winter here. Happy planting potatoes to you!
Mrs Bok~We have to be careful this month as many of our greens are showing the sign of bolting.
Bom~When the children are toddlers, it so easy to convince them to eat veggies. But when they start kindergarten, it starts to become tricky to convince them.
Kelli~Most of the weekend except rainy days were spent in the garden last month. But I fear this month, I am a bit lazy;-).
Daphne~Onion does take a long time to grow. I hope our onions will withstand heatwaves this coming summer to produce bigger bulb.
Malar~Senang jaga keluarga si bawang.
Shafirul Suffian~Hahaha...yup I am a pampered wife. So far, I found growing vegetables in pots for any vegetables can be done. Nothing is impossible. Even sweet potatoes can grow so well in containers.
Daphne
looks like you're going to be busy with the garden all year round!! i was trying to figure out which is which in some of your photos!!hahaha!
ReplyDeleteLena~Onion young seedlings all look like spring onions at this stage. Garlic looks a bit like grass though at early stage.
ReplyDeletebeautiful garden photos!
ReplyDelete