My Garden

I went a bit 'snap happy' yesterday with my camera and this compilation is the result! We have had a very wet start to summer this year, and as a result everything is green and lush all be it a bit delayed compared to last year. Our Feijoa trees are loaded with flowers - if you haven't tried the fruit its unlike anything else! Artichokes produce the most stunning flowers (I am not keen on eating the centres, or hearts) but grow the plants because of the structural elements they add to a garden. That, and the bees just love them....

The Mountain Peppers are covered in berries which we collect, dry and store for use in casseroles, stews, or anything that requires a kick of hot peppery flavour. I have a number of fig trees which thrive on neglect and produce a bountiful crop each year regardless of the lack of attention they receive. Fresh from the tree is always best.....

Our corn crop failed to germinate the first time I planted out seed as we had some late frosts; the second planting faired much better and we are anticipating lots of juicy corn cobs in late summer....

Winter Chill!

Even though the mild weather has deserted us, now is great time to get into the garden. We cleared out the old summer vegetable beds, added some old manure and raked it smooth - ready for planting! The tomato bushes had more or less melted during the last frost, so they were easy to lift out, as were the chillies and capsicums. Old corn plants are a little more difficult as their roots were quite deep! The old stalks are drying out now, awaiting the mulcher, only to be added back onto the vegie garden at some stage.

We have planted Spring Onions, French Shallots, Red Chantenay Carrots, more Asparagus crowns (yum!) Tatsoi, French Sorell, Rhubarb, Garlic bulbs, Artichokes (Purple and Green varieties) and a bush Pea .

This weekend, I plan to extend the vegetable plantings by including a patch of red onion, mustard greens, spinach (english) and some more bush peas (trying to stagger the planting so we don't end up with a feast or a famine!) I should also put in some broad beans but I haven't got past my intense childhood dislike of this particular vegetable so.....I will leave that one out!