January – for everyone in the northern hemisphere it is a time of dormancy, a time of planning and preparing for the year ahead. But here in the Southern Hemisphere it seems all backwards. We are in the middle of Summer. Everything is already growing, singing, evolving, creating, and not much we can do will stop it. The wheels are in motion, and all we can do is sit back and watch.

The past couple of days have been very hot, and there have been bushfires in the area. Today I therefore need to do some clearing – of all the dead leaves around the house, including the roof. Should be an exhausting (and no doubt ongoing) task, but I will feel better if I at least fix it a little. Spot fires can be a major concern when a bushfire is close, and our house would definitely be susceptible.

The heat has also had an effect on our young veggie patch in our backyard. The stevia looks ready to give up, and the pineapple sage, which usually comes back has not recovered as expected.

However we have some lettuces which are thriving, and today I will be planting out some of the seedlings I have been growing in our little greenhouse from seed. Mostly asian cabbages, but also beans, sunflowers and cucumbers. Plus more on the way. I also made up some more pots last week to plant the next round of seeds, starting preparation early for autumn crops.

I wanted to track my progess of the garden. I was longing for a garden for so long, and now it has finally come along I havn’t done much at all. I want to keep myself motivated, and share some of my successes and victories here.