Sun seekers

Today is one of those gorgeous mild winter days when the sun is shining, the wind non existent and the temperature gentle. The inside of our home has a few delightful sunny patches which the animals migrate to as the sun moves up above.

The humans tend to bundle up because a lot of our home is rather cool, to say the least. But around lunch time we head out doors to eat and are followed by the other sun seekers. Some will go to extraordinary measures to get their few rays.

Buster enjoying his lunch in the sun

Teddy looking for the perfect spot

To grow vegetables you need three vital ingredients - good soil, water and sun. In winter we have a bit of a sun issue...take a look at the following pictures...this first one is where we have our two apple trees, an orange tree, curry leaf tree, some strawberry baskets and behind (not visible) is the granadilla vine. It is in full shade for all the deep winter days.

Having taken about 10 steps forward you are now looking into the main veggie garden. The geometric shadow is the house casting its shade for winter. I have planted in these beds, they will grow slowly for the next two months until the angle of the earth starts to change again and then the growing will speed up.

The dappled shade cast by the fences is not too much of an issue...

The one that fell

Calendula in the dappled shade

We loose more or less ⅓ of our growing space in winter, mostly on this side of the garden and one bed of the original 5 we started with in 2008. It just goes with the territory.