Summer gardening

We live in a pretty mild climate here, which means the vege garden goes all year round really, but of course there is nothing like a summer garden :) I love the vege garden in summer.



Sorry I haven't been posting much of late, I can see that it might just be like this until summer comes to an end really, because I just love summer in general, not just in the vege garden, and I'm just not finding many chances to sit down here at the computer. Don't you just feel so alive in summer? Longer days, lots of time spent outside, time in the sun and the fresh air and the salt water. Anyway, I digress. I have extended my garden to twice the size this year, and I'm feeling quite good as I look out the window at all the growth and colour out there, because this time last year that extra space was a very unpractical not used at all space filled with sharp horrible to walk on stones. And now it's all growing nicely with lots of good things to eat. I've been snapping photos over a few months of what's been happing out there, so here is a little story of how our garden grows:

This is what it looked like in April last year.


And then in July, my dad came and helped me lay paths and fill it up with lovely new soil.



In September we started planning and planting seeds.



Meanwhile the kids sandpit was still a pond/swimming pool.
We planted garlic in August, growing there to the left of the picture.


October we started planting out our little seedlings




And finally filled up the sandpit with sand :)


November and December were all about watering and weeding and tidying up the old garden.
- With my little helper always by my side. Liam enjoys it too, but Isla is just a born gardener, very diligent and careful, I can leave her a task of planting out seedlings and she'll do the whole lot herself without me even really watching. Aunty Adde bought her some matching garden shoes 'just like mum's ones' and Granma bought her her own set of gardening tools :)




And now in January it's flourishing. From dry sharp stoney, nastyness :) to lovely delicious goodness :)


But you know what I actually love most about this new garden, is the kids sandpit in amongst it. We all end up spending more time out there as we can hang out together, going about our busy tasks together. It's nice and peaceful, especially in the morning while that part of the garden is still shady and cool.