Sunday 29 November 2015

December Garden Share Collective, fresh and fruity

There is an abundance of variety in our garden as we roll into December.
From peaches to snow peas and cabbage
there are always vegetables to gather and enjoy.
 
 

The ample November rain certainly helped all things green to grow and prosper.


                     Beautiful cabbages, both red and green have been flourishing.


Endive, or escarole has self seeded from last year. 
Lucky for us and the chickens who also adore this peppery green.


A myriad of lettuce I simply pick the leaves each day and let the plant keep growing.


Chard or silverbeet grows all year long and is a very healthy vegetable.


Asparagus spears peep through the ground. 
They are nearly finished now but have been growing for our dinner for the last 3 months.



My little Thai chilli bush growing in a pot now has red chillies.
These are welcome after using frozen and dried ones for the last month.


Hanging snow peas


 
Small broccoli florets that keep popping up for weeks after the main head has been picked.


The small bush in front is a dwarf coffee tree whilst behind in the centre of the picture is my pomegranate and it is already flowering with some fruit golf ball in size.


These are self seeded nasturtiums, but please admire the gorgeous blue crane in the foreground.  I noticed yesterday he/she bought a mate and I am very happy they are now a pair.


 
Look at these little olives, this one is a grafted kalamatta.
Our bees have been working very hard fertilising every single olive bud.


 
We have picked probably 200 peaches from this one tree.
The tree is netted with fruit fly netting and there are two fruit fly traps inside the netting.  Luckily there have been no fruit fly in the peaches although there a few fruit flies in the traps.  The netting stops the birds and flying foxes eating the peaches as well.  These are sweet, juicy and yellow on the inside.


Tomatoes.  Yum.  We are picking them early to also help deter fruit fly.


As long as there is a blushing of red, the tomatoes will fully ripen inside on a sunny window sill.
 
Here are my December garden highlights posted as part of the Garden Share Collective.  You can see other members gardens here.


 
 I almost forgot to show of my first organic garlic bulb.
I planted two rectangular containers during the winter solstice (22 June) and will harvest them all in two weeks time.  There will be a BIGGER patch planted next time.

Buon appetito, enjoy Merryn xx

7 comments:

  1. Oh my goodness all of those peaches! I am very envious. What a wonderful crop. What are you going to do with them all? Do you dry them or just bottle them?
    Everything is looking very abundant and lovely Merryn. Have a wonderful month.

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    1. Thanks Kyrstie we have eaten all of the peaches whilst they are fresh giving quite a few to family and friends. I have made peach jam in the past but this time we enjoyed them in their simple fresh form.

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  2. Your garden is looking fantastic, great harvests as well, enjoy the coming month

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  3. I can't believe how much further ahead you are than us down here! all those peaches - our stone fruit is still hard, small and green. and nowhere near any tomatoes ... my mouth is watering at your delicious harvest.

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  4. I'm with Kyrstie - those peaches are amazing. Nothing beats eating a fresh, ripe peach on a hot day with the juice running down your chin.

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  5. Oh, to have tomatoes and peaches and snow peas. I'll be lucky to have these in late Dec/Jan, but I can't wait. You've got me even more eagerly awaiting the crop seeing your harvests!

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  6. How lively to grow your own fresh veges - they look great.

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