Labour Weekend

Labour Weekend is seen by many gardeners as the golden weekend to begin planting out seedlings. The risk of getting a frost should be almost non existent now and being a long weekend there's an extra day for gardening. I currently have seedlings at all different stages so today I sat down and reflected on where exactly I am with everything. I have seedlings that are hardened off and are waiting patiently outside to be planted, some are ready to be transplanted from seedling trays into larger pots or are already in the process of being hardened off, others still need to be left in the trays until their first set of true leaves appear and then there are seeds that need to be directly planted into the ground.

The following varieties of tomatoes are all ready to be planted out tomorrow - Yellow Pear, Black from Tula, San Marzano, Brandywine Blend, Mortgage Lifter, Roma, Moneymaker, Green Zebra and Sunrise Bumblebee.There are also a mix of beans, a butternut, courgette, cucumber, capsicum, lettuces, sugar baby watermelons and golden midget watermelons that are ready. We also have bee friendly flowers that make great companion plants too, such as: marigolds, calendula, borage, poppies, sweet peas, purple tansy and nasturtium.

Ready to be transplanted from seedling trays and into their own little pots are: three seedlings from a squash mix (it reminds me of getting a lucky dip as a child), purple beans and emu beans, luffa, Tuscan Delight melons, golden midget watermelon, yellow meated watermelon, zephyr courgette, pepino, violet cauliflower, bright lights silverbeet, cut and come lettuce, nasturtium, sunflowers, marigolds and sweet peas.

In the process of hardening off I have bright lights silverbeet, black and strawberry popping corn, Atlantic Giant pumpkin, beetroot, eggplants, small sugar pumpkin, Italian broccoli, violet cauliflower and zephyr courgettes. Then left in the seedling trays will be melons - collective farm women and golden midget watermelon, small fry cherry tomatoes, another pepino, eggplants, capsicum and a variety of herbs (basil, chives, Italian parsley, rosemary and thyme). I may need to sow some more rosemary and thyme though as not a single one of those seeds has germinated. I'm hoping to use the herbs as companion plants in the vegetable gardens, as well as planting some in hanging baskets. They'll need to be watered twice a day in the hanging baskets, but I always grew up with my mum and grandparents growing plants in hanging baskets so would love to have a go myself this year too. I may also plant a couple of cherry tomatoes in the baskets as well.

Last, but not least there are the seeds that I will sow directly into the ground - honey and pearl corn, beans, rainbow carrots and purple dragon carrots, watermelon radishes and Easter egg radishes, peas and bee friendly flowers.

Today wasn't as productive in the garden as I would have liked, but that's okay because instead I was gifted more time to reflect on where I'm at, where to next and how I might like to modify my garden plan prior to planting out my seedlings. I did manage a quick trip to a couple of garden shops though. I ended up by purchasing some marigold seedlings, bird netting for the berry garden, a hose nozzle attachment, a pack of bamboo stakes and a ruby pepino. As well as all the vegetables that need planting out I now have the pepino, tropical guava and an apple tree I still desperately need to plant. Hopefully the weather holds out tomorrow so I can tick a few things off my 'to do' list.

What have you got planned in your garden for Labour Weekend?