Whopper Crop!!

A lot of people ask me why I garden............................

In late April I planted 4 cherry tomato seedlings in the vege patch - they had come up self sown in the compost.  I added a little aged chook poo (compliments of the girls), a large stake to help keep them straight, watered them every second day, but basically I just stood back and watched them grow. 

After 4 months the bushes are looking a little tired and straggly but they have certainly provided an abundance of fruit.

 Because of their thicker skins, they are not bothered by fruit fly here in Queensland.  Occasionally, I get a bit of leaf rust if the weather is humid, but all in all the good old cherry tomato is relatively simple to grow.

Bright red, sweet and juicy, "cherries"  make a great snack as you wander through the garden.    My family have certainly been eating their fair share of these little treasures on sandwiches, in salads and sliced up on a cheese and biscuit platter.

Over the last 4 weeks I have harvested nearly 3 kilograms of fruit from the bushes every week.  It is literally laiden with them every couple of days.

With that many ripening each week I have been busy preserving them for later in the year.  Here is what I have achieved -




 
Just on 3 kilos of tomatoes quartered and frozen ready for soups, stews and casseroles.

4 litres of sugar-free tomato sauce for the freezer
(the link to that recipe is here )

 




3 large litre jars that I dried in the gas oven.   I just love semi-dried tomato with fresh feta on a pizza.

(The oven drying method
 can be found here)

So..........this is why I garden.  

And guess what?? 

I still have a bowl full on the bench, waiting, as a welcome home gift for "Hutchy" when she returns from caravanning in the wild blue yonder later this week.

Big Day in the Patch...

Overcast today, still very humid though - but at least the sun is not beating down upon me as it has been for many days now.  Finally, it is an opportune day for me to pull out what is left of the Summer plantings in the vege patch.  The garden will then remain fallow for the next couple of months  -  its way to hot, humid, wet and bug heaven to have a vege garden in Summer in Queensland........Roll on Autumn

After a very hard day and four buckets of perspiration later we have................a decidedly empty garden plot and a dozen very happy chickens.   

Together with.........the last of the produce

Some capsicum, a large long green cucumber, a nice truss of tomatoes and a big bunch of juicy basil leaves.   

Big day here - going to turn my basil leaves into pesto now for a big bowl of pasta and then relax for the evening.

Growing in December

The first day of Summer calls for a wander in the garden don't you think.........  

Wandering amongst the plants always makes me remember reading a lovely nostalgic saying from Audrey Hepburn -

"To plant a garden

is to believe in tomorrow"

I have lived here now for just over 6 years and no truer words could be spoken when I look around at the abundant gardens we have established.

Each year during Winter I cut back the "Vibernums" at my back door to let in more light.   Here they are shooting again so they can provide shade to my kitchen window from the western sun as Summer arrives.  Another couple of weeks and they will be as tall as the guttering.

 

Some of the new pineapples forming.    I planted 12 pineapple tops a couple of years ago and now have a crop that continues producing for me without any cost ....... Pick a pineapple - plant the top back in the soil for the next year.  

 

Down in the orchard, the Tamarillo (tree tomatoes) are just ripening.  Tamarillos add such a sweet, fruity zing to a fresh salad and can make the most divine drink for a hot day.

Tamarillo Coolers

• 4 tamarillos
• 2 teaspoons stevia powder
• sparkling mineral water or soda water

Halve tamarillos and scoop out as much flesh as possible. Puree in a blender or food processor or pass through a sieve. Mix with sugar to taste. Fill three or 4 glasses with ice, pour over some puree and top up with chilled soda or mineral water.

 

And this year is dawning to be the best ever year for our grapes.  Only 1 grape vine but it stretches for nearly 15 metres along the support fence at the rear of the orchard.  It is literally covered with fruit.  I am on the hunt now for the best way to preserve most of it.  I have never made grape juice/wine but I am sure my friends over at the Down to Earth forum will steer me in the right direction.

Peach Harvest

Today I ventured to the orchard to check the progress of all the trees after our bizzare Spring weather.   We have had a little more than 2 inches of rain over the last two evenings but this has at least moved the temperature to a more bearable 28 degrees.  Earlier this month the temperature was soaring into the high 30's and up to 42 degrees for several days.  

My peach tree (a tropical peach) is fruiting at present and is covered with netting.  This is to stop fruit fly and also keeps the birds away from the ripening fruit.

 

Not having checked the tree for several weeks, after removing the covering, I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of fruit clinging to the branches.  Several had fallen to the ground and were gladly being eaten by some ants but all in all the fruit looked very healthy and well on its way to ripening. 

 

I harvested a full basket load.   

There is nothing better on a hot day than a juicy, cold peach straight out of the fridge - biting into the flesh and having the juice run down your chin...........bliss.

I am sure this first basketfull will be eaten quite quickly by the family, but with nearly another 100 fruits ready soon I will have to pull out the recipe books I think.  Stewed in a pie?? Made into jam ??

August in the Garden

August is the month of starting to be able to "reap what you sow".   Always in the garden I am able to pick some herbs, a lettuce, tomatoes or some spring onions - these are always in my garden year round.  August, on the other hand, is when all the cold loving vegies start to mature.

Cauliflower and broccoli are being harvested and all the cabbages are hearting well.  I usually just pick cabbage as the need arises - it lasts longer in the garden than in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator.  I am so happy with the brassicas this year I have just planted another dozen of each to see how they go.  Knowing my luck, Spring will jump in really quick this year and the whole lot will be a waste of time. 

Tonight we are having grilled chicken breast and steamed vegetables with a satay sauce for dinner.  The broccoli, yellow cauliflower and rainbow chard I have just picked will go beautifully with some carrots and potato.

 

The Kale plants, at present, are just enormous - I keep cutting them back and feeding it to the chooks.  Kale is a very acquired taste and as yet I have not been able to get my family to eat it just as a steamed vegetable or added to a salad.  Juicing it doesn't turn me on either, so after a quick search on Pinterest I found a recipe for "KALE CHIPS".    On further inspection I then found you can flavour them to your hearts content.  Salt and vinegar, Soy and Sesame and French Onion just to name a few ..........They sound quick, yummy, and easy to do so I'm off to have a go.

July in the Garden

July is such a pleasingly, productive time in my garden.  With very cool, crisp mornings warming up to sunny 19 to 21 degree days means perfect weather for vege growing.  Everything looks lush and green and the "False Nutmeg" bush has burst into flower making the front garden a spectacular sight.

The cabbages have all started to heart and the broccoli and cauliflower have all produced a head that grows larger each day.  The potatoes and beans are thriving as is the kale and snow peas.  For some reason this year I am not having a problem with white cabbage moth.  Occasionally, I notice them flitting around the garden but as yet only 1 cabbage has been attacked.  Still spraying with "Dipel" once a week - just in case.

I am still harvesting quite a bit of silverbeet, chinese cabbage, kale, lettuce and shallots.  In the first week of the month I planted a second run of snow pea, silverbeet and beetroot, hopefully this will extend the season a little longer.  A couple of nasturtiums were added too for a jump start on some Spring colour. 

The basi plants have flowered and are just about spent so I will cut the remainder and make some pesto for the freezer.  It's such a great time of the year as well for full size tomatoes.  Not a fruit fly in sight - so the Roma tomatoes are looking good and hopefully will start to show some colour soon.

 

 The test planting of carrots this season also seems to be progressing well.  The mixture of river sand with potting mix, in raised tubs, seems to be the answer to the soil issues we have had in the past.  I am hoping for an abundant crop .......maybe.

All the herbs are doing tremendously well and I will, over the next couple of weeks, start to preserve them.  As well as using the dehydrator I aim to try freezing some in olive oil iceblocks and making herb butters.  Denice passed on her recipes for oil and vinegar infusions so I will hunt out some fancy bottles and have a go at them too.

June in the Garden

Ahhhh......the beginning of Winter  -  such a favourite time for me here in the garden  -  easily my most productive season throughout the whole year.  Milder temperatures, less hot sun, not as much torrential rain and a greatly depleted population of insect pests makes it a happy time for me - "THE GARDENER".

I have growing at the moment :

• BRASSICAS - Sugar Loaf Cabbage, Pak Choy, Broccoli, Cauliflower, and Kale
• LEAFY GREENS - 3 types of Lettuce, Silverbeet, Spinach, and Rainbow Chard
• LEGUMES - Bush Bean, Climbing Bean, and Snow Pea
• SOME ROOT VEGETABLES - Carrot, Beetroot, Sweet Potato, Ginger, and Yacon
• TOMATOES - Full size (at this time of year) makes a change from the little cherry tomatoes
• POTATOES - Really healthy in their homemade planter towers
• PERENNIALS - Asparagus, Pineapples, Comfrey, Aloe Vera   

And of course as always

• HERBS - Oregano, Parsley, Thyme, Rosemary, Mint, Lemon Balm, Basil, Coriander, Chives and Spring Onions

Making sure my seedlings "get off to a good start", I have found that surrounding them with an old pot works a treat.  Simply cut the base out of a small pot and, after planting the seedling, place the pot over the top pushing it into the soil about 2 centimetres.

 

This method makes it extremely easy to water and feed the seedling in its early stages of growth and protects the young plant from slugs, snails and cut worm.

 

After the leaves start to protrude from the top of the pot, simply lift it off, wash thoroughly, and it's ready to be used again.   The seedling would now have established a thicker stem and a more intricate root system which will enable it to fend for itself better in the wilds of the vege patch. 

I find all my plants benefit from a regular feed with seaweed or a home made compost tea.  Regular being at least once a week.  The brassicas will also need a spray with "DIPEL" to deter the cabbage moth which is out and about in force this time of year, and I do keep the soil well mulched the keep in the moisture. 

Growing Yacon

This year, I am trying my hand at growing another crop of Yacon (Polymnia Sonchifolia).  I purchased 4 small plants from Daley's Fruit Tree's and planted them out into one of my raised garden beds at the end of December last year.  The yacon plants grow to about 1 and a half metres in height with quite large leaves.

Clusters of lovely daisy-like yellow flowers came on the plants in early May and soon the tops of the plant will start to wither and die back over Winter.

Once the plant has died back to just some stalks it can be harvested by lifting up the "root ball" with a large fork. This must be done carefully to avoid damage to the tubers.  After washing away the soil from the root ball the rhizomes need to be separated from the tubers. Tubers last better if  they are left in the sun for two days to toughen up the skin before storing.

THE FOLLOWING VIDEO SHOWS THE LIFE OF YACON FROM PLANTING TO HARVEST

After harvesting the rhizomes store best in a cool dark place in a pot covered with sand or sawdust.  This will stop them drying out until they are ready to plant out again next Spring when the soil warms up again.

Here's hoping that my harvest will be a bountiful one........