Snail escape

Went out with a torch last night and found a whole army of snails marching up the path towards my new seedlings. No wonder the blue tongue lizards are so active and large just now: there's plenty of food for them. I think they eat snails. Anyway, the snails were dispatched to snail heaven, and the seedlings are doing just fine!


I am delighted by the number of different blossoms in and around my garden: not many natives, I realise, but that may change.


I am particularly pleased with the pansies, since I planted them myself. Now that may not seem like much to you, but until 18 months ago I did not do gardening. I've always liked having fresh herbs to hand, but my attempts at growing them have been pretty half-hearted. But now I'm trying to grow things a little more seriously. There is even a bare patch of garden waiting to be planted with lettuces and vegetables - including the zuchini seedlings rescued from the snails. I have to confess that I wouldn't have got even this far on my own - I have had a lot of help. A lot.

So why now? Well, partly because this is a new home, my home, and there is a little bit of a garden here but not so much that I feel overwhelmed by it, and partly because I like the idea of having fresh produce, and partly because it costs so much to buy it from the supermarket or greengrocer. Although I suspect that this final point, except for the herbs, is not a major one because I can only grow what is seasonal, and when I can grow it, so can the commercial growers, and a lot more cheaply than me. So let's say that I like the idea of fresh and homegrown produce and leave it at that.


Over the next couple of days, the veggie patch might get its first plantings!