Life wasn’t meant to be this wet, but our hardy group of gardeners have struggled on - water, water everywhere and not a drop more wanted!

Apart from spending ample time chatting , drinking tea / coffee and eating delicious biscuits, cakes and slices, whilst discussing global and local issues, what does the crew actually do during these monsoonal months?

Well ….. too much for my liking!

Certainly we have not had the usual issues with weeds and having to water, but maintenance of all beds is essential and trying to keep the soil healthy and productive after the rain leeches the soil of nutrients is vital; so we have spent a lot of time composting, using worm wee especially on the leafy greens including broccoli, cabbages and silverbeet, adding cow manure , sowing mustard plants and then digging these back into the soil to replace nitrogen and other minerals.

We have added string lines to the peas and broadbeans so they do not not droop and break. Our chocolate pudding tree has been leaning badly being overloaded with fruit, so two very tall star pickets were hammered into the ground and all hands were needed to straighten the tree whilst it was then carefully tied back to the stakes and now looks much happier.

Out back several trees in our banana plantation have been falling across the rear palling fence, so again maintenance has included removal of several trees and then serious work of four gardeners to straighten and then tie up a very heavy tree and protect the fence.

Coming up will be under pruning the citrus, some judicial pruning of the chillies, and planning out our next crops, yet still harvesting cabbages, broccoli, sugar snap and snow peas, mandarins, pak choi and loads of rocket.

A pay raise is being negotiated, but we are not hopeful despite good productivity!

Rain rain go away, but we enjoy every Saturday!

Mick