Thursday, July 14, 2022

Winter garden update

Well, it's a miserable, cold and blowy day outside today, so I thought I'd do a quick walk around the garden to take some photos. It's much more pleasant looking at garden photos inside the house than actually doing some work in the garden! I've been very lethargic of late and haven't really been very inspired for a while now. Covid taking me out for a couple of weeks has not helped, but I'm on the mend now and really need to get my mojo back. 

Kim and I dug up one section of the turmeric bed and I think the rest may end up staying in the ground! We got so much turmeric. I processed 600g into some fermented turmeric paste, and then I don't know how many kgs have gone into the dehydrator. I'll weigh the final powder product. This turmeric seems less yellow than stuff I've grown in the past - perhaps a different variety? I also wonder if the previous owners have ever dug it up, as there was a massive clump. I will offer the remainder to anyone in the permaculture group to come and get some if they want.


My Bean Teepee. Kim made this for me the other day. I've planted a third each of Good Mother Bean, 7 year bean (thanks to Ruth for these) and Scarlet runner beans from Sophie. 


Kale at the front and some walking onions at the back.


Garlic, lettuce, cabbages, spinach, marigolds, red onions. 

Potatoes. These are growing really well, I just hope that they are as productive under the hay as they are above the hay. Garlic growing alongside the potato patch.


Tatsoy in the foreground and some spinach behind it. Further along, you may see my baby leeks near the tap. 


I had a go at planting some chickpeas. They have not grown very well. Not sure why, but maybe there's been too much rain.


The pumpkin patch keeps going. This came up by itself soon after we came here. We're currently eating some of the produce from it and there's more growing. 

Beans at the back and weeds at the front. The beans have not done very well, once again, maybe too wet!


Daikon. I planted these on the area where the pigs had been. They've grown really well and we've been eating a few. I put them in stews, stirfry's, salads and I've also recently pickled some. I did a vinegar pickle, but will ferment some also.


Shallots on the left, celery behind and perennial spinach on the right. We just pick these as we need them.


Warrigal greens, with lettuce going to seed behind. These lettuce had resown previously, so they'll just keep on coming on. Red cabbage seedling at the front. I bought some cabbage seedlings as none of my seeds struck. They haven't done terribly well. I got a good strike with cauliflower and brocoli seeds, but they have not done so well once planted out. Some rodent has mostly eaten them off.


Tomatoes that I have intentionally planted have not done so well, but this one above is a huge cherry tomato that has been growing through one of the grapefruit trees. The photos below are also self seeded and I'm yet to discover if they are yellow or red ones.



So that's some of my garden in pictures. I didn't take photos of the  citrus trees that have been producing the most amazing citrus. We have one tree of oranges left (two have finished), still have 3 grapefruit producing (why would anyone need 3 grapefruit??). A lemon tree is loaded and we're still picking the odd lime. The fig trees are getting leaves again. One banana has formed another bunch. The pecan trees have defoliated. My strawberries are struggling. Sweet potatoes are spreading throughout the orchard. I have a small avo tree, a chocolate pudding fruit, pawpaws, passionfruit vines and so much potential food!