Thursday 13 September 2012

Wake-Up Sleepy Winter Garden


While the folk of Tighes-Hill-Ville have been hibernating through an unusually cold winter, the Terrace Garden has been quietly, slowly, almost imperceptibly - growing!

Winter vegetables such as kale, silver-beet, rocket and rhubarb have provided a steady harvest.  Many of us (including your dear chronicler) were amazed to learn that Brussel sprouts actually ‘sprout’ from a central stem!)  Carrots and beetroot took hold initially, but didn’t like the soil (too rich?). The compost has been busy composting (this important contribution rarely gets a mention, so “good on you compost!”). Also, what a star performer is the artichoke with its beautiful silver-green raiment and geometric design. Notice I said ‘performer’, not ‘producer’!  Now that we know it likes to show off by taking up as much room as possible, it will be relegated to a sunny spot all of its own where it can receive delegations from admirers, privately.

No one will be surprised to learn that Miss Mulberry Tree fell sound asleep about April or May. After a busy summer season producing several harvests of juicy berries, she was the target of a nasty encounter with a chain-saw. Against all odds, and having barely recovered from that trauma, autumn set peacefully upon her like a quietly setting sun. Resting peacefully and having shed all her leaves, she was seen to shiver only occasionally against the grey winter sky and the odd blast of chilly Antarctic air. If you have visited the garden in recent weeks you will see that Miss Mulberry is in fine form and almost completely recovered from her ‘annus horribilus’.  Sporting a trimmer figure (don’t mention the scars!) and new summer fashion of Sherwood Green cheekily trimmed with lime, the ensemble is tastefully finished with royal ruby earrings and speaks ‘confidence’ for a successful season ahead.

People appeared only occasionally in the winter garden apparently to undertake such diverse activities as harvest vegies, smoke herbs, meet lovers.  Although I did not witness these activities myself, there was sufficient evidence to be found while watering the vegies early morning or late afternoon.  During these quite, reflective moments I was often accompanied by a rather friendly and laconic magpie chick which seemed to enjoy walking a few steps behind me, nodding and chirping approvingly here and there, and occasionally sifting nearby debris with his beak.  His name is Col. Yes, apparently named thus by his southern-born parents after a football team called "Collingwood". Some parents should be shot! Now you know his name, please do say “hello” when next you see Col. Don’t be too upset if at first he appears to ignore you and does not reply.

Another unusual item to be found growing in the Terrace Garden over winter is a pile of what most of us would call “bricks”. They are in fact a pile of “old bricks”. And they have definitely been observed to be growing (in number, not size!). Word is going around that the bricks are gathering in great number for a "Pizza-Oven Making Conference" to be held on site later this year. Please keep an eye out for advance notice of this promising event.  In the interim, the bricks have agreed to host a gathering for local snails. Reliable word has it that this gathering will be followed soon after by a banquet for blue tongue lizards. The nice thing about community gardens is that everyone helps everyone else! 

Well that’s what has been happening in the Garden over winter...a lot...but not much, depending on your point of view.  So now we have caught up on all the gossip, let us spring into Spring before Spring is sprung.

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