I've been invited to speak at the Manawatu Garden Festival, in May, on the moon.
That is, the topic is 'Planting by the Moon'. The invitation from comes from the Convenor of Keep Feilding Beautiful, and must surely be as a result of my columns on the topic in the NZGardener. I was very pleased to be invited. The festival is to be held in Fielding and that's a place I know very little about, so I'm looking forward to having a look at it and the surrounding area in between talks. Fortunately, I'll be able to speak from experience, as I've been following the moon calendar closely this season, rather than loosely as in the past. I've been the 'producer of seedlings' since my gardening-able sons left home, and have taken up the role with particular enthusiasm this spring, to good effect, I think. This latest rain has been especially pleasing in that light. Many of the seedlings I got started in the tunnel house, all sown during the most suitable phase of the moon, while growing strongly following their transfer to the great outdoors, needed a lot of care with regard their watering. This rain, falling in just the right quantities as it did (sorry Nelson, my ol' home town, you over-did it this time round), has given every little lettuce, sweet corm, carrot and spinach seedling a tremendous boost.
Today, it's swedes, carrots and beetroot; root crops all and by the moon, ideal for sowing now. The beds they are to go into are cultivated in readiness, thanks to some timely preparation over the days when it was hot and dry, and it'll be a pleasure to sow them this morning.
(Corrected 'Fielding' to 'Feilding', thanks curiouser)
