Garden Show, Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show

What’s on in Melbourne? – Garden Show

sarahjwrites

The Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show starts this week, running from 27th to 31st March 2019.

It’s on the Melbourne Exhibition Centre & Carlton Gardens

Why not drop in. Tickets are available through the website: Garden Show 

 

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canning

“Preservation Pantry” by Sarah Marshall – A great guide for preserving

sarahjwrites

“Preservation Pantry: Modern Canning from root to Top & Stem to Core” by Sarah Marshall

This has got to be one of the best guides to preserving fruit and vegetables that I have seen in a while. In addition to easy-to-understand descriptions for preserving and canning, there are helpful suggestions for storage, recommendations for equipment and tools required, and even recipes using your preserves. Great range of preserving ideas. I am looking forward to preparing the white wine & tomato sauce for marina as soon as my next lot of tomatoes are ripe. I suspect that this will become an often-leafed-through book in my kitchen.

Seasonal guide

Things to do in Autumn

sarahjwrites
Yes I know, It’s hard to believe it, but Autumn is here already. We have at least another good month of Summer weather before we need to start on out Autumn gardening, but if you need some advice on what needs to be done check out the lists below:
What to plant in Autumn:
Salad Vegetables: Asian Greens, Lettuce, Endive, Salad Greens, Silver Beet, Spinach
Legumes: Beans, Peas
Root Vegetables: Beetroot, Carrots, Parsnips, Potatoes, Radish, Globe artichokes
Onions: Onions, Leeks, Garlic, Spring Onions, Fennel 
Brassicas: Broccoli, Broccolini, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Mustard, Chinese Cabbage
Fruit: Strawberries
 
What to Harvest:
  • Pumpkins, Squash, Corn, Potatoes
  • Capsicum, Chillies (early season)
  • Lettuce, Salad Greens, Herbs
  • Berries (early season)
  • Apples
Jobs to do:
  • Weeding
  • Remove dead annuals, trim hedges and vines
  • Dead head flowers
  • Cut away dead berry canes, prune fruit trees 
  • Clean BBQ (for Winter storage)
  • Clear Summer crops and till/fork through soil
  • Add manure, compost and fertilisers and dig through
  • Test soil and add necessary additives (dolomite for example)
  • Plant bulbs and sweat peas (April)
  • Lay down a layer of sugarcane mulch (or mulch of choice)
Potential Problems:
Sometimes cold snaps make it difficult to get seeds to germinate and seedlings to harden off (survive the cold).  You may want to consider using a frame over the beds to keep the seedlings warm.
Apples, Summer, Summer Gardening

How can you tell if apples are ready to harvest?

sarahjwrites

Are your apple trees heavy with fruit? Are you not sure if they are ready to pick yet? Here is a sure fire test:

  1. They pull off the tree with relative ease.
  2. Cut a sample piece open. If the seeds are brown, then you are good to go. If the seeds are still white then wait a little longer.
  3. Taste it. It should be firm and sweet, but not powdering or tart (unless its a green variety)