This Sustainable House

Posts Tagged ‘microclimate’

One of the things that I really love about living at TSH is the fact that we have four distinct seasons. There is a definite Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter with all the wonderful variety and experiences they bring. It also means that we have a much shorter growing season than some of our more ‘tropical’ friends which of course necessitates a few changes in the way things are done.

And as evidence for these changing seasons this morning I awoke to the first frost of 2011. Admittedly it was a fairly light frost, but it does highlight the inevitable march towards the quiet of winter. It’s now time to begin making preparations for the cooler months such as ensuring that the under cover beds are ready to go, where they can take advantage of the warmer microclimate, as well as potting up any species which are likely to need some assistance over this period. The main species that comes to mind at the moment is my lemongrass clump.

This weekend we will begin preparations by redesigning the greenhouse, and setting up a few new watering systems under the verandah.

Gardening is, naturally, a seasonal activity in which the gardener must fit in with the natural rythyms of life. This isn’t too difficult, for an observant individual, when you have lived in an area for a while but can be a little more difficult when you are new to an area. And this the situation at TSH.

Previously TSH was located on the NSW Central Coast quite near the ocean. As a result the climate was always quite warm, even through the winter months. This warmth was a blessing allowing the growth of many plants that one couldn’t typically grow in winter… For example, tomatoes.

However the Canberra region has a completely different climate with short summers and long bitter winters. Temperatures dropping into the ‘minuses’ are common and most plants seem to enter a state of dormancy during this time. All except the incredibly hardy ones anyhoo…

So when moving into a new area like this, a different gardening strategy is required. And a little ‘inside information’ will go a long way to formulating that strategy. In this case I have turned to the Canberra Organic Gardeners Society (COGS) for information. (See the links page)

On their website they have a handy planting guide broken into the four seasons, as well as other guides around hardy winter herbs, growing notes, etc.

However in your area there is bound to be some like minded organisations/people. Do a google search, or ask around, and kickstart your gardening experience.