Kem Ormond’s Vegetable Garden: How to attract more birds with a feeder and bath
Labour weekend has come and gone, but there was plenty of action happening in my garden.
I enjoy encouraging birds into my garden.
While I appreciate there are both advantages and disadvantages to having them around, the pleasure of watching them flit among the plants and seeing them go about their daily routines far outweighs the occasional nibble they take from my produce.
After all, a little sharing seems a small price to pay for the enjoyment they bring to the garden.
This year I have been enjoying sitting on my veranda watching a tūī enjoying the flowers from an orange-flowering Aloe plicatilis planted close to where I sit.
This led me to make a bird feeder, as I wanted to encourage birds closer to my veranda so I could see more of them.
Basic, and rather what you would call organic, the bird feeder was a great hit, but more so with the blackbirds and thrushes, and I wasn’t that keen on encouraging them.
I wanted to see more of the cute finches.
So, I made version two with a terracotta saucer on top for the larger birds to use as a bird bath and metal pegs underneath, to which I attach apples and bits of banana or kiwifruit.
Hopefully, the smaller birds can get underneath and dine without the thrushes and blackbirds taking control.
Being portable, I hope to gradually move it closer to where I can relax and enjoy the busy little finches.
It is still a work in progress, I might add!
It was great being able to hand out surplus tomato plants to friends over the weekend, as this is a big part of gardening for me.
Families are busy, and growing vegetable plants from seed is not for everyone, but when you can, and you have surplus, share with family and friends.
My tomato plants have only been planted in my tomato house for a week, and the growth is amazing.
By the time they have outgrown their punnets, tomatoes are hungry, so don’t leave them in the punnets too long before planting.
I went to the local river market over the long weekend and bought some fresh asparagus.
What a treat, and if you haven’t tried an asparagus and pea risotto, you need to find a recipe and try it; it is delicious.
I don’t often get garden envy, but I visited a friend in the country over the weekend and they had the most wonderful asparagus plot in their vegetable garden.
Oh, the joys of not being restricted by space.
This week I will be planting my capsicums, chillies, eggplants, cucumbers and courgettes.
I did not have great success with my corn last year so I’m giving it a miss this year, but you can start planting yours soon, along with pumpkins and melons, climbing beans, and remember to plant your carrots, beetroot, silverbeet and continuous radishes if you haven’t already.
Make sure you have plenty of leafy salad vegetables planted, and if you don’t want them to bolt, maybe plant in a cooler spot.
Spinach, coriander and rocket will appreciate this.
Remember, your tomatoes will need staking before long, as will your broad beans, plus potatoes will need mounding.
While retaining water moisture is important, I think using mulch or compost may be a better option than pea straw because of the wind that is expected with El Niño, but I will let you decide.
Remember to add notes to your gardening journal, and this year it will be interesting to compare the difference in crops.
Happy gardening.
Kem Ormond is a features writer for The Country. She’s also a keen gardener.