Sunday 4 January 2015

January 2015 Garden Share Collective

This month the garden is totally bursting with growth and produce.
While trees such as our peach trees have been incredibly successful,
we have also had our share of failures and mediocre crops.
There are only 5 mangoes on one tree, none on the other mango tree.
Only one avocado tree has set fruit, but this crop will be huge.

Delicious, sweet, luscious peaches.


The first snake beans have just been picked.
This bamboo tripod of snake beans will continue to flower and produce beans for about 3 months.


We are growing purple, yellow, white and Japanese eggplants.
Each variety had a distinct flavour and texture.
I prefer the sweet Japanese ones while a chef friend loves the yellow ones.



This is our third planting of lettuce plants since Spring started,
we need to sow the new ones every 6 weeks before they go to seed.


The first grapes are turning red but we have only half the amount of grapes set
than what we had last year.  The dry spring we experienced could have contributed to this factor.
It is disappointing but we will enjoy what we reap
(no wine will be made this year).


We are growing Sugar baby and a striped variety of watermelon.
The sugar babies are nearly full size but are yet to ripen.
We will eat these in February while the striped ones will take longer to grow.


Shallots, green and red compete with grass to grow tall and strong.


My soy bean plants have grown incredibly well and the lovely young pods are delicious when boiled.


There are Green beans, Italian beans, Lima beans, yellow beans and borlotti beans growing happily together.


Capsicums, an integral garden vegetable are always welcome.


Here is a mingled mess of spinach, marigolds, chillies and leeks.
Not every garden has to be tidy and neat.


Some recently picked tomatoes, this has been a great tomato growing summer!


Chilli bushes, every garden must have at least one.


Jalapenos, I have dried them, pickled them and chopped them to add to fresh salads and dishes.


These red shallots were left too long and they grew into delicious, small red onions.
Their flavour is amazing.


The olives on the trees are growing bigger :D


Pretty chive flowers, a delight to view and to eat in your salad.


There have been so many strawberries, blackberries and loganberries this season.
While it has been dry for the grapes, these berries have blossomed.



These are the highlights of my January garden, if you enjoyed viewing this please have a look at the other Garden Share Collective members gardens hosted by Liz at Strayed from the Table.

Enjoy, Merryn xx

30 comments:

  1. My garden is ALWAYS messy. I thought that was the way they were supposed to be. In particular, I now just throw in lettuce and parsley seeds everywhere, and just let them grown amongst everything else. Looks lovely, yours does. :)

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    1. Thanks Linda for your kind words. I too now let everything go to seed if that bed is not needed so it is a lovely surprise to see plants growing randomly. I even have a small carpet of rocket at the moment sprung up from an old seeded plant as rocket does go to seed so quickly.

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  2. Oh, such a productive garden - Merryn - lovely to have all that fresh produce in your backyard.

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    1. It is a delight Rachel, I love especially the first picking and cooking of every vegetable in any given season.

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  3. Wow, look at all of those beautiful peaches! You garden is looking wonderfully productive Merryn. The soy bean plant has me intrigued, I am off to look it up :-) enjoy your beautiful produce. K x

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    1. Thanks so much Kyrstie I lovely your kind comments. You should try the soy bean plant it was easy to grow and the pods were gorgeous :D xx

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  4. I don't mind the garden being a bit messy if it is productive as well. I do get a bit wary of snakes walking around when my garden becomes too overgrown though.
    Best wishes for 2015. Happy gardening!

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    1. Thanks Tracy Happy new year to you too. Luckily there are no snakes here as I would be very wary of them too.

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  5. A little jealous of your watermelon right now. This growing season has been really unusual. All the surrounding mangoes here are packed with fruit yet my avocado this year is looking rather grim. I did not know you could get yellow eggplants, many of mine went yellow due to a lack of something in the soil. Happy New Year and what a way to start with your abundant harvests.

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    1. So perhaps all fruit trees have their good and their slow years. I know what you mean about having yellow eggplant instead of the plump purple varieties, I have had those grow too :D

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  6. Yellow eggplants are so new to me. I've seen white ones and of course the delicious Japanese ones but I'm so curious about the yellow ones!

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    1. You are the second person to comment on the yellow eggplants, I will have to slice and cook some for an upcoming post and try to describe their texture :D

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  7. Oh wow, that is a productive garden I am in envy! Nothing beats eating your own home grown produce.

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    1. Thanks Martine, it is wonderful growing your own produce. It is such a healthy pastime that is also good for you :D

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  8. Messy is good! I always enjoy looking at your pictures as you grow so many interesting varieties of vegetables.

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    1. Thanks Rachel, it is a double bonus as I definitely love looking at your garden and patch. You grow some amaazing produce too :D

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  9. I got some new eggplant seeds and one of them seems to be a yellow ball type, I have the white ball - think they are Thai. it looks like you are eating well from the garden. I grew soybeans once, and really enjoyed them, putting them back on my list as we speak...

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    1. You can never have enough eggplant, if it gets too hot you can always barbecue them. Yes, thanks the garden is growing well. I will definitely grow the soybeans again :D

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  10. Your garden produce looks amazing. How fabulous to have all those wonderful fresh fruit and vegetables. GG

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    1. Thank you GG it certainly is a delight growing your own fruit and vegetables. M :D

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  11. Oh there is so much happening in your garden! Wow a veg production line. Love the yellow eggplant - I had no idea it came in this colour! I have olive envy as our trees appear to be devoid of fruit this year. No idea why! Third planting of lettuce. Good on you :)

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    1. The yellow eggplant is delightful it has a very mild flavour and takes on what you are cooking with it .... It seems the fruit trees are hit or miss, there are never two good consecutive years for any tree. I am pleased the lettuce do so well, perfect for summer salads :D

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  12. I know envy isn't a good trait to have but honestly, I look at your garden posts and wish I had something as wonderful. :)

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    1. Thanks Maureen, gardening is so much fun and is so enjoyable plus being productive as a bonus :D

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  13. Oh, peaches, avocadoes and mangoes - I would be in heaven! You have a fabulously varied garden there!

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    1. Bek we all have our gardening strengths according to where we live, thanks for your enthusiastic comment :D

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  14. What an amazingly productive garden. I'd kill for one of those peaches.

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    1. I would love to give you some peaches, they are so sweet, aromatic and delightful :D

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  15. Wonderful garden. Do you preserve your own olives? We have an olive tree in the front and I tried curing the olives one year. It didn't turn out well and we were very disappointed.

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    1. Last year I had 20 olives to preserve so I brined them and they were wonderful. This year I hope to have a whole bucketful and will definitely preserve them. I will share my method when they are picked :D

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