and hello winter and ‘The Garden Share Collective’. It’s time for another monthly update where a group of like minded garden bloggers, share their vege patches with all those interested – the trials and tribulations of growing your own!
Today is so mild about 18, which given we have had two frosts already this week is amazing! Those mornings were cold. It took forever for me to find matching gloves and even though my feet were in wool lined gummies, they took ages to warm up.
Grabbing my camera the other morning, I raced outdoors to grab a photo or two of Jack Frost. What do you think?
Of course while the mornings may have been chilly, the days were stunning. Crystal blue skies, no wind, perfect weather to get out of the office for half an hour, grab a coffee from the local cafe and take a hike on the beach. Lucky me!!
So what’s happening at Frog Pond Farm ..
Well the garlic is doing famously even if they are growing at rather odd angles. I still haven’t mulched this garden yet, which I need to do to keep the weeds down. And garlic isn’t fussed on sharing its space either. There are poppies, calendula, onion weed, milk weed, nasturtiums, Queen Anne’s lace, and a host of other stuff that is already growing quite happily in this bed.
I still need to haul out those chilli plants and a massive lavender bush from this bed. I loathe thinking about removing the latter as I know how much the bees enjoy these flowers, and food is becoming a bit scarce now.
My salad bed is chocka with plants .. flowers, vege, weeds and something which is digging holes that appear each morning. I suspect that the culprits are related to Mickey ..
The brassicas are growing brilliantly and surprisingly enough, a cabbage that got chomped by those gluttonous sheep is actually growing back nicely too. Who would have thought!
Kale and broccoli are vying for space in this bed.
The peas have finally got flowers … just as well there is only the two of us to feed!
Things I need to do ..
- hurry up and plant my second bed of garlic or we shan’t be harvesting until 2015!
- stop feeling depressed about the wandering jew which is endeavouring to ‘creep’ into our forest
- pick some more comfrey to replenish my fertiliser bins
- throw about some comfrey tea – especially in the direction of our citrus trees! This amazing plant contains nitrogen, potassium and magnesium which those citrus particularly enjoy
- dig up some yacon tubers for morning vege juices
- weeding, mulching and talking to my garden
- get that amazing olive oil into bottles and labelled, oh I’m excited! It tastes fantastic
Harvest
It is so nice to be able to grab fresh herbs for salads, pasta, Asian dishes and good hearty casseroles; mint, parsley, Vietnamese mint and Thai basil, oregano, thyme, lemon grass and tarragon. We are still munching on spring onions and I’m loving the huge Great Lakes lettuce leaves which are perfect in wraps with salmon, feta and hummus. Those chilli plants still have chillies ripening, even if rather slowly. There is beetroot growing nicely in the salad garden, a couple of dwarf beans which just shouldn’t be growing at all and an array of wonderful stuff that we have hidden away in the garage – garlic, Egyptian onions …
That’s it. Happy gardening!
How wonderful to just pick your greens for lunch and dinner. It is hard to comprehend sometimes that while we are freezing, someone else is sweltering in the heat..Great photos Julie!
Hello lovely … I wish we were sweltering! LOL Glad you like the pics Roberta! 🙂
Well despite the onset of winter it looks like you are eating in grand style. It never fails to amaze me that these two opposite climates happen on the same planet! We are loving the warm days coming on now and the garden is still far from peaking… or being completely weedy:) And the thought of a garden, livestock AND a beach is simply dreamy!!
Hey Wendy … can only imagine those nice warm days you are enjoying! 🙂 Yes I agree about the climates .. I always find it amazing to read blogs from yonder and know that they are relishing summer days. Loved your food pics the other day Wendy … fab!
I envy you your winter… Does it snow, where you live? Here we have summer. It was 46 degrees centigrade during the day, and 32 at night. I felt like a fried egg
Hi. No it doesn’t snow in Auckland .. Frost is it! Oh and wind and rain too of course! 🙂 phew that is so hot! I think I would be doing the fried egg bit too ..
Well, we had a huge dust storm today. I was driving, and was surrounded by branches of trees that were swirling in the breeze. A part of a flyover (the resin sheets) was ripped off. And, I took some photos from my cell phone and stuck them on my FB page! But, it cooled the temperature down a couple of notches!
Wow! Must check out your FB page 🙂
Do so!
Wow! If this is your garden coming into winter, I can’t wait to see it in the summer. (well, really, I want to eat it, but I appreciate being able to see it. ) Looking good. I’m sure the bees appreciate your support. Thanks!
Hey Jim .. we are so lucky to have so much happening in our garden. Hope to share my summer garden with you too! 🙂
Your garden is looking lovely as always Julie. Have a great month and stay warm 🙂
Thank you! 🙂
Amazing photos of the frost, for a minute I thought it had snowed. Your garden is looking good and I too need to get some comfrey in my compost – thanks for the reminder.
Hey Lizzie … yes that frost did look like snow. Was amazing! One of those mornings where your breath hangs in the air. Perfect time to get some comfrey happening 🙂
I love your garden! 🙂
Me too! 🙂
I love your beautiful garden too.
Wonderful photos… Thanks for sharing and so much fabulous fresh produce!
We’ve been having some mild to warm weather, but now winter is bringing some cold with it.
You inspire me 😀
Oh thank you Robyn .. I’m blushing,
I absolutely love your photos! Especially the first one 🙂
Thanks Sarah … I do too! Even the turkeys looked put out. 🙂
that is one serious frost! so pretty, and we have the same here – a frosty start followed by a glorious day; really lovely. oh, except when the frost damages tender greens. yours however are flourishing !
glad to see your brassicas are recovering from their sheep invasion 🙂
Hey miss, so nice to hear from you. Yes those few frosts we had were amazing. They hammered our taro and canna lilies which are growing by the creek. You always end up with the most stunning day afterwards. Those brassicas are incredible they are growing as though nothing happened. 🙂
It’s good to hear the cabbage is making a comeback. The frost will sweeten them up nicely. It must be nice to garden during this season. Wonderful photographs. Take care.
Always so good to hear from you! I can’t believe that the cabbage is coming back. Ah, maybe it is the frost. Pleased you like the pics .. not as good as Slinky though. 🙂 You take care too ..
Julie the garden is looking absolutely spectacular! Well Done!! x
Hey, so good to have you back! Glad you think the garden is looking good .. 🙂
Fall is, hands down, my favorite time of year! Some drop-dead gorgeous photos. I’m particularly fond of the one with the horse and the turkeys. I tried my hand the last two summers at container gardening on the deck with mixed results. I love stepping out the side door to pluck a few shoots of oregano to chop up for my turkey provolone sandwiches. Last year I started making ciabatta bread and its very satisfying (as I’m sure you know all too well!) to eat something you’ve made and/or grown your very own self! Next up: I want to try focaccia bread or sourdough. Is there anything more beautiful than a lovely loaf of bread hot from the oven slathered with butter? 🙂
Got me with that butter! Yum … 🙂
A post from some years ago, but I guess seasonally you are going in the same direction now. You have captured some beautiful images for this post back then.