Garden Share Collective December 2014

Precious blackberries, this variety is thornless.  We have two patches, one is in an old rusty wheelbarrow and the other is in a dedicated bed.

Blackberries remind me of happy childhood days when we would pick the ones growing wild nearby, they had many thorns and my mother would make blackberry pie and delicious blackberry jam.

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As I wandered around the garden yesterday taking photographs for this month's Garden Share Collective hosted by Lizzie I was impressed by how many different vegetables and fruits were growing.  It is also fascinating looking at what is growing in the other  Garden Share Collective member's gardens.  

From artichokes to zucchinis, December summer gardening is diverse.

Finally I am growing Australian organic garlic successfully.

The above plants are soy beans.  

The young pods are known as edamame and they will be ready to start picking this weekend.

We have crisp green stingless beans (my favourite), Italian beans and purple beans.

They are so easy to grow over the warmer months.  Just give them a little support to grow on.

Fruit fly traps.  A must in our summer garden.  Every day there are at least two fruit flys in each trap.

Cucumbers rambling across the ground.  The essential salad ingredient.

These tomatoes are from a strain grown by my father-in-law.

They are large, sweet, juicy yet firm.  

Zucchinis are great from the battered flowers to the whole vegetable cooked in so many ways. 

Maintenance and pest free, they simply produce continually for a couple of months. 

My asparagus patch which I was so proud of last year, was neglected through winter.

There are only a few sparse asparagus stems so hubby planted zucchini and tomatoes over the top.

I have bought more crowns and plants to plant out when these crops have finished.

 Strawberries are abundant these will flower until winter producing luscious, juicy strawberries.
These are enjoyed by adults and children alike.

I picked the first eggplant last weekend, from start to finish they only seem to take two weeks

before each fruit can be picked, cooked and enjoyed.

Jalapenos, luscious and bursting with flavour and heat.

Last year the chickens ate all of my plants, but not this year.
I am going to smoke some to see if I can produce an authentic chipotle flavour.

This Elderflower Tree is a delightful addition to the garden.

It is pretty, flowers continually over summer, is great for the bees

and delicious in teas as well as cordials.

Never ending spinach as it grows all year around and is great for chickens and people.

Our feathered girls love a few leaves, they eat all of the stalks as well.

This banana bunch is turning a paler shade of green and slightly flushed with hints of pale lemon.

This has attracted the attention of a pair of King Parrots who like to sit on top of the bunch and eat, hence the netting.

The King Parrots also like to nibble on the corn ears.

It is best to grow enough for yourself and the birds.

A Pomegranate tree is a beautiful sight.

The fruit starts as small red flowers which develop into moist, juicy fruit.

We still have peaches ripening.

My little cinnamon tree survived the winter, it is evergreen.

It is slowly but surely, growing.

Cinnamon quills possibly in 18 months time.

Now that you have seen the highlights of my December garden please browse the other 

Garden Share Collective members gardens.

Buon appetito, enjoy Merryn xx