Exploiting the Suburbs

There is one downside to growing in pots under deciduous trees...

And that would be going out each morning to disinter the baby garlic, and lettuce and spinach seedlings from their blanket of butter yellow apricot leaves. At least in a couple of weeks they will be getting a whole lot more sunshine than they do now..

I know that planting seeds now is a bit pointless going into winter, but I am doing it anyway. This weekend, between many child-related social engagements I will finish planting garlic and broad beans. Yesterday I planted more lettuce, spinach, Chinese cabbage, and some cute little red chard seedlings from a friend. I have a little sun trap at the northern corner of the house, on a patch of concrete between the black asphalt driveway, and the white reflective house walls. It is very warm, and I ripened a number of capsicums here this summer, so hoping the winter veg will do well, despite being planted late.

That is another advantage of being a suburban gardener. There are so many microclimates created by hard landscaping that we can exploit for our own greedy (and lazy) ends. I've mentioned before that citrus is not a viable commercial crop here in Tasmania, because it is too cold. But almost every suburban garden can grow a lemon tree against a wall, or in a sheltered sunny corner. I have a little moan quite frequently about the lack of space here for vegetable gardening, but there are many ways to extend the season, and make the most of frost-free pockets in a small garden in a built-up landscape that would be very hard on two acres of exposed paddock.

So here's to the little pockets and corners of our tiny gardens that work hard to feed us and make us happy gardeners.