I have been reading on this forum for the last month as I was looking for advice/info to grow my first ever veggie patch. I am from Canada (Québec,the french part) and have moved to Melbourne 6 years ago. So what I knew about "timing" was completly irrelevant.

I don't know much about growing veggies but from all the reading I've done in here so far I think I qualify for this forum for two reasons;
1- I loooooooooooooooove wine
2- 4 weeks into it, already looking for more space!

I have a smallish temporary patch facing north behind our garage. The garage and the fence are getting replaced this year so next year will built permanent beds. I started seeds early september and so far so good, actually I had more success that anticipated. But when I saw all your "babies" pictures last week I realised I started late. Had a look at my little seedlings and ran to the nursery and bought grown plants (lol). So now I have too many!! I bought 10 big 40cm containers to grow more. ( 4 tomatoes, 4 capscicums, 2 eggplants)

After I bought my seeds (the common ones from bunnings) I looked at some of the online seeds places I saw mentioned in this forum WOW! I am already looking forward to next year. I will probably be asking for some of your fancy tomato seeds too :)

At the moment, 6 toms are in the ground, planted cucumbers yesterday (maybe a little too soon), eggplants are in the large pots, first lot of lettuce is out, sown second lot yesterday, silverbeet up, all herbs are in pots doing good for now. Capsicums and hot peppers are in 4in pots and I bring them inside every night. My husband finds this very funny.

I wanted to drop you guys a line to say thank you for your unsuspected advices and will most likely bombard you with questions very soon.
I am not sure if I'm doing the right things or not but I am having a alot of fun and I think that is what it's all about:)
Have a nice day
LynLyn
P.S. English is a second language to me so bare with my writing/spelling

Of course, you are welcome to some 'fancy' seeds. Just watch this forum. We are bound to brag about our favourites at the end of the season and offer seeds.

Have fun with your garden! :)

Cheers Mantis *Only 6 tomatoes in, she will sucomb MUUUHHAHHAHH*

Looking forward to hearing all about your garden adventures in Melbourne.

PP, taking a break from playing with the grandchildren

(just incase you haven't heard - in OZ - the New South Welshmen call Victorians "mexicans" - because they are south of the border)

welcome lynlyn

keep up number one in your list - and maybe think of your own grape vine??

Paradisi, are you on drugs? where did you get the mexican thing from?

Cheers
LynLyn

As for planting out, Melbourne Cup Day is the traditional tomato-planting day as that's when you're likely to have passed the last frost. After the last few weeks and the cold snaps we've been having, our tommies are enjoying the life of riley in small pots sunning it on the patio getting the reflected warmth and light from the northern wall of the house. I'm not taking any chances, LOL, so we're going for Peter Cundall's treat-em-mean-and-keep-em-keen approach to force them into flower prior to planting out in the ground. We'll see how that goes, but so far they are very healthy (pics in the baby pics thread).

We also have some eggplant started - a bit early but they'll stay in pots to keep warm for a while yet and we are about to start our cucumbers, capsicum and chilli. Corn is also about to be started in the other end of the bed with our potatoes.

Thinking of trying the climbing beans on the corn trick. Apparently they're great companions.

Umm what else are we planting this year... butternut pumpkin, and scads of basil which I've just started so they're ready to transplant around the tomatoes. Lots of herbs, and garlic which is going great guns thanks to advice from someone here to give it a regular liquid feed.
I've learned heaps form others here, so post away, and this year I have some lovely baby toms courtesy of another member who sent me seeds when I couldn't source them :-)