Six months in Canberra

Just got word that I'll be working in Canberra for at least the next six months. (That is, if the coronavirus doesn't halt everything, including hiring.)

This presents a dilemma regarding maintenance of the garden.

With the watering system in, anything growing in the garden beds could survive well enough. But the question of what to plant through the winter is different. I'd like to grow things for spring eating, and at some point I'll have to come back and do a massive prune of the trees. April-May for the apricot and cherry, July for the stone fruits, and August for the others - but, yeah, getting the sister to eat what's growing? That's a whole other level of difficult.

So.

I'll probably sit the chickens on each bed for 6 weeks one by one to clear the bed, then plant them out with either winterveg or green manure. I suspect Green manures are going to be a big thing this winter.

Plum-Stone
Currently: tomatoes and other things, including cotton (cotton will be moved to perennial bed. Apparently they grow best on a two year cycle.)
Chooks: April
Next: chooks, then broccoli and peas, or else maybe onions or leeks.
Notes: was broad beans last year, might do green manures next. I planted a bunch of broccoli seedlings this morning, more as a "let's see how they do". I had an excess of the ones I'm gently shepherding towards maturity, so these are the rejects, and they might grow enough to provide a leafy green munch.

Apple-Crepe
Currently: corn, bush beans, eggplants, some leafy greens
Chooks: June
Next: green manures through remainder of winter, lettuces when spring comes.

Crepe-Apricot
Currently: 1 corn (with three cobs!), cucumbers, beans (for drying)
Chooks: March, right before Garden Trail for demonstration purposes. Lots of leaf litter and chook poop to make a hot compost.
Next: onions? carrots? peas? (Onions and peas don't go together) Onions and carrots would need some decently fine and loose soil. Maybe I should throw some builder's sand in there while the chooks are down to help fine it up?

Apricot-Avo
Currently: onions, leafy greens, zucchini/pumpkin, beans (for drying)
Chooks: May
Next: broccoli and peas and broad beans?

Avo-Shed
Currently: tomatillo, pumpkin, beans
Chooks: August
Next: broccoli? Lettuces? leafy greens?
Notes: this is the bed that gets the most sun through winter

Bathtub
Presently has carrots; I might try parsnips again. I could do potatoes in one of the other beds if I provide enough growing medium for it: they're slow and not very productive, but they'll keep the ground occupied.
Next: onions, leeks, parsnips, garlic

Wicking Bed
Currently: Leafy greens, tomatoes, eggplants, radishes, silverbeet
Next: onions, carrots, leeks, garlic

Vegepod
Currently: beans, loofah, curcubit, tomatoes
Next: onions, carrots, leeks

Okay, I've been mulling over this for a week. I need to post it now.