Whoknewthevegiegardenwould gettop
billingthisseason? MICHAELMcCOY
rehearsestheplaylistwithhisaccidentalstars
e big picture
M
y vegie garden is experiencing new
levels of performance anxiety. We’ve
just installed massive windows in
the north-facing house wall that
overlooks it, and it’s like someone has switched
on the full stage lights to fi nd the performers
snoozi half-dressed and under-made-up.
ablewhether the performance of
willever be able to live up to its
fprominence. My water situation
andahouse of four adults) is such
rowvegetables over summer, and
’sdrought broke so late for us that
toplant any winter vegies before
old.Knowing this would regularly
designed the garden to cope with
es,having round raised beds
unded by arcs of box hedge, and
rplantings in the gravel paths,
resting’ to look at all year. But
eplan to have it on permanent
show.
nthe threshold of the narrow
n,when there’s suffi cient
oisture to get a few crops in
d– before the onset of the dry.
ow will grow like the clappers,
elast of them for Christmas
es for beetroot. I don’t know
the impression for so many
egies are slow. They’re so not!
op or two of lettuce in, grown
I have to do any watering.I’ll kickstart the process by planting seedlings
and seed at the same time, separating the fi rst
two crops by a few weeks. Then (if I remember,
and if we don’t have too many warm, windy
spells, which can start for us this month) I’ll
sow every few weeks until summer.
I didn’t get any coriander or chervil planted
in autumn, so I’ll chuck some in the ground
now, from seed. The rapidly lengthening days
send messages to these plants to bolt to fl ower
and seed all too soon, but I’d rather have them
for a few weeks than not at all.
There’s loads of time, even in my small
window of opportunity, to sow a row or two
of radish plants. We’re not very enthusiastic
consumers of the roots, and the downside of
their phenomenal speed of growth is the equal
rate at which they mature past their best.
But having missed the moment of optimal
harvest with our radishes a few years back,
I discovered that their long, stork’s-beak seed
pods are crisp, crunchy and tasty – like a tiny
sugar snap pea. We ate heaps of them, and
stumped the local restaurateurs, who hadn’t
a clue what they were.
So if ever the vegie garden was going to
prove itself worthy of its top-rung position,
it’s in the next couple of months. As stage
manager and director of this particular seasonal,
edible and now highly visible show, I’ll give
itmybestshot.Butthemomentofreckoning
iscoming.I’llkeepyouposted. GA
Michael blogs at thegardenist.com.au