What We’re Planning For Spring

After a long, cold winter, spring is finally around the corner; and we couldn’t be more excited. It’s one of the busiest and most rewarding times of year on the farm, when ideas begin to take shape and the whole landscape starts to wake up again. There’s a real sense of optimism in the air and every day the birds seem a little louder and the paddocks a little greener. Here’s what we’ve got planned as the weather starts to warm up.

First on the list is our orchard. We’ve been planning this for a while and spring is the perfect time to start planting. We’ve selected a mix of apples, pears, stone fruit, almonds, janerik, pomegranate and so many more that should do well in our climate. It’s something we’ve dreamt of ever since we bought the farm – rows of fruit trees slowly establishing, and eventually providing our own fresh produce year after year. Before the trees go in the ground, we’ll be installing fencing around the entire area to protect the young saplings. We love the wildlife here, but the deer, goats and roos have a habit of treating fresh plantings like an all-you-can-eat buffet, so fencing is a must if we want the orchard to get off to a good start. It will take a fair bit of work but it’s one of those foundational jobs that only needs to be done once and sets the whole thing up for success.

We’re also looking to expand our beekeeping operation. After the devastation of the poison event we have to start anew at this site, and an increase in spring nectar flows means it’s a great time to bring a few more colonies. We’ll be placing hives far away from the road in a secluded bush spot in the hope that they will not wander to other farms to forage. It’s hard and a bit scary but we need to keep trying. Luckily we won’t be wanting for honey as this isn’t our only site, but this is the one we want to grow the most so we need to be careful and plan it well. The new orchard plantings and native shelterbelts should offer good food sources over time, so what we’re doing now is really about laying the foundations for healthier and more sustainable bee populations over the next few years. Long-term, we hope this site will become a real sanctuary for our bees.

Another big focus this season is planting more native trees and shrubs. These will act as windbreaks, provide long-term habitat for wildlife and, most importantly, supply year-round nectar and pollen for our bees. We’ve chosen a range of Australian natives that flower at different times of the year to make sure there’s always something in bloom – things like grevilleas, bottlebrush, correas and hakeas. This spring we’ll be laying out new shelterbelt plantings along the paddock boundaries and around the house block. These will also help reduce wind exposure in the veggie garden and orchard, and eventually give the place that established, “settled” feel that only comes from time and trees. It will take a few years for them to really fill out, but every tree has to start somewhere and the sooner we plant, the sooner they grow.

Of course, the vegetable garden is also kicking off again. We’ll be starting most of the cool-season and early warm-season crops from seed indoors, giving them a head start before the last frost passes. Tomatoes, capsicums and basil will go into trays in the coming weeks, and we’ll direct sow hardy vegetables like peas, carrots and leafy greens once the soil starts to warm. With the extra daylight and mild temperatures, it’s the perfect time to get everything going. We’re also planning to trial a few new varieties this year to see how they perform in our conditions. It’s always a bit of an experiment, but that’s half the fun. If all goes well, we’ll be harvesting salads, herbs and early spring veg in no time.

All up, it’s going to be a busy but exciting season. Fencing, planting, beekeeping and seed raising are all on the agenda — and we’re looking forward to watching the farm come back to life again. Spring always feels like a fresh start and this year is no different. With a bit of hard work and a lot of optimism, we’re hoping to make this our best season yet.

Wish us luck!