Friday, November 29, 2013

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.


http://www.strayedtable.com/

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.

11 comments:

Kelly said...

Okay. So is the color off on my laptop or is that lime BLUE?!

You have some beautiful flowers in your yard and I spy a beautiful little helper as well! :)

I'll be interested to see what advice you receive on your pumpkin blossom rot. I know I can buy stuff for when I have that problem with tomatoes, but I've always just figured with my squash there was nothing I could do. When the ground is saturated (and sometimes even when it isn't), so many of my flowers just mold instead of transforming. Or worse, the tiny little squashes mold before they can fill out.

jeanie said...

The colour of the lime has more to do with technical difficulties than the actual resultant fruit, Kelly! If you (or the "camera") were to adjust the background to lurid yellow, you would see that it is bog standard dark green - which is peculiar, as we always have been told Lime Green was something different :)

liz @ strayed table said...

I can't believe you waited for your capsicum to turn red, I just don't have the patience - he looks good. The inch of rain most of made a huge difference, hope we get some more in the coming weeks.

Andrea Mynard said...

Beautiful summery produce and flowers, I love those peppers/capsicums. Sounds as if you've had crazy weather but lovely looking at plants basking in sunshine from a chilly English kitchen!

Louie said...

Your food swap goodies look wonderful, I have been meaning to check if there are any in our local area as we have a glut of chillies and zucchinis at the moment and it would be great to meet more gardeners.
I hope December is wind-free for you so that you can add to your lime and enjoy many refreshing drinks over the festive season :)

africanaussie said...

Lucky you to have a food swap - that looks awesome - we live in a more remote area so thare is nothing like that here. I love all the colour in your garden.

Sarah said...

I'm loving reading about all the gardens heading towards summer in the garden share collective - great to see your photos of a garden in full production too. The food swap sounds like a good idea, is it a regular event?

e / dig in hobart said...

i loved the tour of your garden, and your wonderful humour in the face of the wind! everythign looks so sunny, spied from down here in another wintery hobart day.

e / dig in hobart said...

oh, i'm not sure if my comment worked so if this appears twice i apologise. but basically i was so admirign of your green garden and sparking sunshine- we are having another wintery wet day here in hobart, so seeing your sunny weather is bliss!

jeanie said...

Hey there Liz - it sort of suddenly happened - only the adults eat the capsicums here, so we can afford to be choosy.

Andrea - the Summer is great for colour, and we are hoping to have some unblustery times to really enjoy it.

Louie - your lips to god's ears! I hope that you can find (or create) a food swap. Otherwise, zucchini pickles?

africanaussie - ah well, there are always preserves?

Sarah - it has been going for 3 months now, and the ladies who are organising it have it every month, so the next one is just after Christmas.

e/dig in - I left both comments - I have all sorts of issues with spam, sorry about the disappearing act!! I visited Hobart once - in December - and I do remember it was rather bitter compared to the heatwave I had just escaped!!

Dan said...

nice ;)