The Garden that nearly blew away...

November can be summed up in one word - windy.  There were approximately two days where "gale force" wasn't the technical term for the Northerlies that went a whistling through...

As this has been the state of affairs for the majority of the year, please feel free to critique my total lime crop. 

 

  

Yep - contemplating going wild on that with some soda at some point...

 

  

Still, we have dealt with the aphids, the leaf curl, the sooty mould and the magnesium deficiency, so we do have some hope for the next go around

 

  

I love it when nature gets all excited and offers promises and entices you to dream

 

  

me and the big guy have got to have a talk about this wind, though.

 

  

The capsicums beneath the lime tree are beginning to get their awesome on also - this beauty became slivers in Green Tomato Pickles (courtesy of a bumper load from my Tuesday boss), roasted goodness and part of a salad.  Am very much anticipating more goodness!

 

  

The front yard has some beautiful flowers

 

  

although the heat and howling (check out the ponytail's action to gauge just how much) has meant that marigolds are being deadheaded almost daily.

 

  

Cornage (to use V's word) and that corner are going great guns.  More flower than action on the pumpkin.  By the way, has anyone any tips for blossom end rot when the soil is already sweet?

 

 

  The chillies are still being their prolific selves - I am now making a new sauce that is based on about twice as many chillies being used in a go, and still cannot handle the glut.  Will be taking a bottle of the new fermented hot sauce tomorrow to the local Food Swap - so long as the predicted morning thunderstorm doesn't eventuate.

  

The beans are beginning to flower - we had an inch of rain last Monday and it did wonders for their spirits. The jury is still out on the cucumbers, though.

 

  

I had to pull up zucchinis and cucumbers in this bed - again blossom end rot, and then the zucchini started with the whole powdery mildew and I just couldn't be bothered.  As silverbeet is going great guns (and we love the stuff) we have now filled the bed with more of the same.  The snowpeas and peas are self-seeded from the crop a few months ago - didn't have the heart to remove them.

 

  

 We have now taken out all of the sunflowers from this bed.  I harvested a good salad bowl full and left the rest of the heads to the local galahs - who squawked their thank yous quite vociferously.

 

 

  There is a battle in the herb bed for dominance.

  

V removed the rather useless Jade plant from the corner to give a bit more life to this lemongrass.  We are being repaid by almost being able to watch it grow.

 

 

  

Of course, our garden isn't just about food (thank goodness) - we currently have a carpet of these flowers

 

 

  and are still being entertained by a choir of these guys.

 

And so this is what I am taking to the food swap, as there is no glut available.

This post will also be in Strayed from the Table's round up for the month (I am actually EARLY  - woo hoo) so shall give the proper link when hers is up.  (Here it is)

How is your garden going this month?

PS - Food Swap was awesome - forgot the chilli sauce, but took some herbs - and reaped big time with pumpkin, eggs, lemongrass, greek basil in pot, five-in-one herb in pot, eggplant, cucumber, celery, tamarinds, thai basil, rosemary, capsicum, kale, mangoes and some yummy energy balls! (I did add to the donation pot as well - the balance was well in my favour)

  

But truly the best thing about the Swap is the people - nothing like gathering some gardeners together for great information and inspiration.