The tomatoes have been a real joy. I've never grown them this big, but they grew well in the wetter weather and ripened just in time. I've been really trying to fend off those pesky blackbirds though - they are getting good at feasting on tomatoes! Never mind, they are ripening well instead too - big, juicy, huge, sweet tomatoes that I've been eating fried with omelette ALOT. IN fact, the omelettes round here have been superb, stuffed full of basil, zucchini, chillis, capsicum, eggplant, beetroot leaves and whatever else I can find. Throw in some olives and you have a pretty nice dinner, especially when you can't be bothered cooking.
The yakon flowers are so sweet! Excuse the blurriness here - I do have a better shot to replace it with but my camera ran out of charge! I'll edit it later.
The yakon is flowering - I'm not sure when to pull it up, but I suppose when the leaves die off. It's in for the second year now and it's huge - I'm yet to harvest though. Same with the horseradish - i wanted to give them a chance to establish themselves.
We've had a ridiculous amount of fruit, so much that I'm happily leaving some for the birds. It's been the same around the neighbourhood - I passed a house the other day with TWO WHEELBARROWS full of apples and a 'Free' sign. Someone was going to make a lot of pies I reckon. The plums have been delish straight off the tree, but they're done now. Pears are still coming, and giant quinces - membrillo or baked in chai spices with coconut yoghurt, I reckon.
I've had to keep the gotu kola protected from the chooks. It grows well in the wicking bed. Today I made another fence to free the 'kola, so I can get to it to eat!
The chickens have been eating the yarrow - they love it - so I've fenced off that area as I'd like some too, thanks very much! So many herbs coming out of the garden - my favourite this year? Mugwort and tulsi. I sleep so well on a mugwort and tulsi tea.
We've had a huge amount of spaghetti squash - I don't know what to do with them as I've never eaten them! They seem too much effort for me, so I might just put them out the front with a 'free' sign on them. I havne't heard that they are that tasty, but perhaps you can tell me otherwise. The zucchini are still coming and the eggplant in the greenhouse is gorgeous. Also totally loving the jalapenos - this is my most successful year yet, because the polytunnel allows for that extra heat and the longer growing season. I'm wondering whether I can overwinter them! Worth a shot anyway. Oh, and have yet to check on the turmeric. I've learnt so much about what to do in the polytunnel - next year is going to be even better!
I can't believe I'm growing ashwagandwa! It grows well in dry climates so it should do fine in that part of the garden
The hops is going bananas - yeah I know, the hops is actually going hops, and sometimes I regret planting it. We don't ever do much with them but hey, we grow hops. I send some to my mate in Tassie who absolutely loves it as tea. I find it too bitter. I'd encourage Jamie to do a brew but I haven't drunk since last year and don't intend to for a while yet. Still don't feel awesome, but I imagine I'd feel worse if I was drinking as much as I was last year to relieve COVID stress!
Autumn is truly on the way - the brassicas are starting to sprout, the leaeves are falling from the poplar, oak and birch, and there's a real chill in the air. It's really about the big tidy up now, and preparing the winter beds. It's a lot of work but very rewarding, especially when dinner is largely from the garden! Tonights was grated beetroot (they did AMAZING in the wicking beds - juicy as!), tiny orange capsicum, jalapenos, purple basil, tomatoes, cucumber and red onions topped with fried mushrooms and halloumi - with a homemade fire cider dressing and hummous. Oh goodness, so good. It's amazing how GOOD fresh food can taste!
Oh my goodness, how good are the olives with the extra rain!
Lettuce going to seed.
Beautiful comfrey
Lemon verbena
How are your gardens going? I bet Spring is showing her boobs at the moment, tantalising you with glimpses! I'll be living vicariously through you lot in the Northern Hemisphere - it's always a long winter when you're drooling over the produce coming out of other people's gardens.
I'd love you to share your #gardenjournal this coming week if you could. Use the tag #gardenjournal and mention me so I can come visit and see what you are up to. @simplymike's been taking a hiatus from the #gardenjournal challenge, but I'd love to keep it going if y'all keen - maybe I'll ask her if she minds me running the challenge and offering some HIVE as prizes, babysitting it for her until she can come back. What do you think?
With Love,
