Still in the garden.

The watering system made me think more about a garden that needs less attention from me so it can thrive if I am away for work. 

I thought of the orchards inside: They are not doing as well as the outside ones so lets put them all out there. Clear some space under the bananas, make a frame to hold the pots I reasoned and I did that. It looks good and a few weeks later they all seem fine. The space inside is filled up with cactus and succulents who can live for weeks without attention so this should work well.

I snagged a pallet from work on the Friday. It had long narrow planks and was heat treated so safe for plants. On Saturday I got out the saw and drill and just started without a plan. That's fun sometimes.

I made two and cleared out a space in the bananas and just kind of jammed them in there and added some props until it was level and stable.

It only took an hour and I don't expect it to last, thinking if it is a success then I will put some real effort in and make it more durable.

 

 

frames to hold the orchards in place... 

 

and then populated.

 Garden watering system.

I will be away for a few days and the seedlings can't be let to get dry at this time of the year. Not much time and I as always work on a budget:  Reviewed the timer tap controllers and sprinklers. Picked a controller from Jaycar and tried a rotating lawn sprinkler.

I thought if the timer software is not good but the hardware is Okay I might gut it and replace it's brains with a Arduino type controller then get all sorts of remote control. The hardware seems fine so far though and the software too. Lets leave it at that for now.

The lawn sprinkler just did not work and stuck after half an oscillation. I returned it an got a simple cone spray that is meant to stick in the lawn. I mounted it upside-down over the main garden and used the timer to set it running for 15 minutes at 6 am and 6 pm. It seems just fine for late spring and did a great job while I was away for 5 days.

Control unit and sprinkler.
 

I might tap into the hose that runs along side of the house with some screw in spray nozzles to water some potted plants to the along there. I put these pots in the empty spots of the garden under the timed sprinkler while I was away and that worked out well but I need that space to let things grow so the pots need to go back.

Then

Now

2008-09 Auto Water

A watering system for the box garden

2008-04 Garden boxes

When you have no garden and have a very sunny balcony and you are me then this is the thing to do because I miss gardening and eating things I've grown myself.
The place I live in now is on the second floor and the front balcony faces north and gets good sun all day. I'd been keeping an eye out for a growing stuff solution to take advantage of this and satisfy this need; maybe just some herbs for a start. I finally found a strawberry planter at an Op-shop and so decided the time had come for a gardening based P.O.T.M. Here's what would be good:

• Grow herbs for daily use.
• Grow Salad for daily use.
• As self maintaining as possible. (self watering?)
• Grow some experimental veggies you can't buy anymore.
• Platform for experimental PC maintained garden?
• Should be enjoyable to use, make and see.
• Make as much of it as I reasonably can reusing materials when reasonable.
• But use cheap and common materials if I need to get it done.
  

As I said, found a plastic strawberry container in an op-shop for $3.00. Got a bag of potting mix from the warehouse ($6.99) and re-claimed some herbs I'd potted out at my brothers. I transplanted them semi-careful into the strawberry container fulled with potting mix, watered well and are doing fine now. Could do with a drip tray yet.
(Though seen in this photo they look a bit crook. They've been growing in there about two weeks here.)
There's Mint, Sage, Parsley and Thyme right now. I have Lemon Balm, Lemon Grass, Vietnamese Mint and French Tarragon to Squeeze in.
Not going to fit. Need. . . more. . . dirt. . .
Warehouse had a special on some seed houses. A sort of small plastic glasshouse (nice oxymoron) for $20 so I got one to keep things going in case the cold of winter bit before I got plants into soil. It also allowed me to start collecting plants before I had anywhere for them and I thought I could grow monster amounts of Basil in it through the winter. Yeah. Basil. Awright. Checked with the neighbor (who would have to walk past it to get to her washing line) and she was cool so I got one.
Wacked the spare plants in it and it got so hot the Vietnamese Mint nearly karked it (we've been having a long hot Autumn). Moved them to the bottom of the seed house and they've been fine.

I still needed a solution to the lack of dirt. "Window boxes but big. " I thought. But that would need wood. Himmmm woooood.... Now, not many people know this but in town a good source of free wood is pallet bases.
There's been one lying by the mini-bin at work so I snarfed that. It'd been there for 3 months in the way in the car park and I was pretty sure they weren't going to chuck or claim it. Dragged it home and spent an hour or two knocking it apart and removing all nails then stacked it to see what I had to work with.
I'd hope to get two window/planting boxes out of it but after stacking the boards this way and that to get a good idea of the volume I decided to just do one. A kind of prototype and it worked quite well.
It's a bit more then 1 metre long and 30cm by 30cm. This is an unmeasured sketch, I just held stuff up and cut it to fit. The next one I'll refine and measure properly.
OK That I did and here is the one page PDF plan for you enjoyment.

I did some work on the "greenhouse" ; moving the basil into a bigger container that I hope will last the winter. Moved the tarragon into the strawberry container and tidied up some. The Lemon grass, Lemon balm and Vietnamese mint are still looking a bit fragile so they're in here too for now. I hope the basil ( and perhaps peppers and tomatoes) will go in the bottom and seedlings in the top.

Bad back and a stupid little cold have stopped me doing much more more on this. I'll put together proper plans and note on building a garden-box, add a few after photos' and that will be it for this part of this project.
I guess I will add the two boxes I'd wanted in the next few months and I'll post comments and photos if anything of interest occurs.

Final Notes:
TODO

Plant List:
Already Have:
Mint, Thyme, Sage, Lemon Balm, Chives, Parsley, Lemon Grass, Basil, Tarragon, Spinach.
Need:
Sorrel, Chicory.
Want List:
Salsify (Oyster Plant - sow in autumn.), Florence Fennel, Kaffer Lime, Rosmary,
coriander (perhaps Cilantro instead?), Endive, Chervil, Marjoram, Oregano,
Dill, Lettuce, Caraway, Cedronella, Collards, Purslane, Horse radish,
Jerusalem Artichoke, Lovage, Sweet Marjoram, Parcel.