Homesteading: Autumn Veggie Garden Plan

According to the calendar, Scrub Cottage and other Southern Hemispherians are now in Autumn.  While we're complaining that the weather is still too hot and more like the middle of Summer, it sounds like some of you Northern Hemispherians are wondering if Spring will ever make an appearance!

Today I wanted to share my Autumn Veggie Garden Plan with you all.  I've usually got lots of good intentions on keeping a gardening diary but after the first entry, it all goes pear-shaped!  This season I've gone with a slightly higher tech option, an Excel spreadsheet.  Lots of the blogs at the moment are sharing some great programs that can create an electronic picture with all the associated information on the one sheet, but I think for me it might be a bit like the diary and be great on the first day and terrible after that!

I like Excel for it's simplicity and ease of use.  I made the cells all 20x20 and marked out the garden bed to scale using the cell borders. One cell is equal to 10cm x 10cm.  I've coloured in the cells according to the particular vegetable I want to plant and used the scale to indicate the plant and row spacing.  This was to show how much I could actually fit into my space, since I've been underusing my plot so far.

Wouldn't this be lovely!

 

I was planning on included a copy of the spreadsheet so you could have a visual for the explanation above but it is 'on of those days' where technology doesn't seem to be in a cooperative mood and I am unable.  I would be more than happy to email you a copy so either leave your email address in the comments below or email me lilyrosedesigns10@gmail.com and I would love to send you a copy.  Don't worry, I won't do anything sinister with your email address (ie sell it or spam you).

 

I printed out the spreadsheet and stuck it on the inside of my laundry cupboard door.  My seeds are stored in a box in the top of this cupboard so it seemed an easier place for consulting than my Homemaking Binder (which I love dearly!).  The plan is to be able to record the day I planted my seeds or transplanted my seedlings in order to know when the harvest might be.  Some of the seeds also need to have a few batches sown a few weeks apart so rather than guessing, I'll have a record of when the first lot were planted, where they were planted and how many need to be done in the next planting.  Having both a printed copy and an electronic copy means I also have a record to use for crop rotation and to know how much space I've got come the Spring planting.

 

Looks like I'm not the only one to plant out their front yard!

 

The Internet is full of information and plenty relates to Veggie gardening.  I found it difficult to locate Australian-specific information though.  The Diggers Club has been around for years and is brilliant.  Yates and Mr Fothergills sell seeds and have basic information, but there are times when I like the feel of a printed book (I'm a bit old-fashioned in that respect!).  Bay Books Gardening Library The Food Garden is simple and full of everything I need and not much of things I don't need.  I found it at our local library's book sale and never regretted buying it.  Another great resource for Australian gardeners is Bay Books Herb and Vegetable Gardening.  It has a HUGE amount of information and amazing pictures.  It includes general information on getting a garden started, propagating and an A-Z index of both Herbs and Vegetables including information on how to store and use them.  The book links are to Amazon to provide you with information should you wish to access your own copy.  I am not affiliated with them and receive nothing if you purchase from them.

 

I hope I've inspired you to either update your garden plan or to create a new one for the new season.  Just imagine, all your hard work now might pay dividends and end up providing you with a harvest like this!



 

 

Rachel at Scrub Cottage

Welcome to The Scrub Cottage

Welcome to my little blog about my little home in the scrub.  I want to share some of the beautiful things I see and experience daily, discoveries I make, wonderful ideas I hear about and use, and the blessings from God that are all around me.

A little about myself to begin.  I am a stay at home mother of two-almost-three children.  My daughter has just turned 5 and has begun the school journey.  My son has just turned 3 and is here with me at home.  And baby is due in the middle of August.

My darling husband and I have been married for 5 and a half years.  He works full time in the city and is also studying one evening a week.

We own a pop top camper and love to get away for a weekend every few months.  Our favourite spot at the moment would have to be Moonta Bay Caravan Park.  My grandparents would take my Dad and his brother and sisters to Moonta as a family.  My Dad took me a few times when I was younger and I now have the opportunity to enjoy it with my own children.  My Dad will often join us for the weekend and one trip turned out to include all four generations!

Sunset at Moonta Bay

Hubby and I love to potter around in our garden.  I've laid claim to the front garden and he looks after the back garden.  Our back garden consists of a lawned area and a newly planted fruit orchard.  We've planted a Granny Smith and a Sundowner apple, a lemon, a peach, an apricot, a valencia and a naval orange.  We also have a large brick shed with is hubby's man cave.  He has his shed things (random screws and nails in jars, strange power tools and the bits and pieces that might be needed one day...), his gym equipment, home brew equipment and quite a bit of storage items that have overflowed from our house and are yet to be dealt with.

Water Tanks, fruit trees and chicken coup

The front garden is my domain and is a vegie garden (yes...in the front garden!).  I love planting from seeds because of the small financial outlay.  But the best part is when you survey what is growing and you remember it started as a tiny seed.  I find myself constantly in awe of nature and of God who created it.  Being in Australia, we are coming to the end of the summer months which means it's almost time to start planting autumn and winter vegetables.  Currently I've got tomatoes going crazy, capsicums that seem to be too big for the plant, green and purple beans, cucumbers, zucchini, chillis and some pumpkins vines that are yet to fruit.

An rusted old water tank left out the back has become free garden beds.

Vegie Patch...complete with hubby's tractor.

I love to find inspiration from simpler times for my life now.  We downsized our home just over 2 years ago and it was the best decision we ever made.  While we are still decorating and settling in, we have time to spend developing a garden, playing with our children and heading away on holidays.  Due to the size difference, we also been able to make this home as sustainable as possible.  Water tanks (which are being filled with the precious resource as I write this), solar panels and a wood heater.  We have been blessed with resources at the right time to enable us to do this, however I have also been blessed with a husband who preferred to spend his leave entitlement payout on solar panels than on buying new clothes or furniture.

I am a creative person and I love to sew, knit, crochet and scrapbook (though little time allows for this last one!).  The feeling I get when I complete a project for a gift or myself is one of thanksgiving for the skills I've been blessed with to allow me to bless others.

I hope you've enjoyed this glimpse into my life in The Scrub Cottage.  I hope you will return again to share in my discoveries and blessings of life.