It's nearly winter solstice here and I'm stilling figuring out this new climate zone. It certainly hasn't got as cold as my old place and we are yet to have a frost.

The bees are loving the scant flowers I've managed, particuarly the scarlet broad beans which I plant for the flower and the soil.

I'm learning there is less sun on the backgarden than I'd like, though there's more than enough in summer. Remains to be seen how the garlic grows in these conditions - anyone know how much sun time they need? IN this bed also: radish, golden beetroot, fennel, peas, leeks, spring onions.

The raised beds, however, get plenty of daylight hours. Lots of coriander, silverbeet, perpetual spinach, multi coloured carrots (I do love the fun of the cosmic purple ones) as well as broccoli, fennel, leeks, swedes.

I've taken off the netting now as the cabbage whites have slowed down. I'm out there every day picking off and squishing the blighters which seems to work. I just don't like the mess of nets and like to see it all from the back bedroom. Borage doing well, dill - Hive account@beelzael, I admit I'm converted - but the lemon and orange here are struggling and I'm still trying to figure out why.

It's all rather pleasant, this small space. I am already thinking of how to squeeze in a couple of small beds. Jamie gives me the side eye when I get out the measuring tape so I have to be wiley about it.

Here's the sky from the back deck. I truly am in heaven.

With Love,

	Hi, my name is Hive account@riverflows and I help facilitate the Hive Gardeners group here on the Hive blockchain. You can find us here. I live in a warm temperate climate near the coast in Australia. I really love growing our own food and medicinal herbs, native plants, and creating good soil for resilient plants.

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