Another busy week has flown by. I was thankful to have the weekend at home after last week's sports carnival in the heatwave. I managed to get a lot of mowing done by getting up early and doing a couple of hours before full sun, and then again in the late afternoon. It is still too hot during the day here to get very productive outside so I am hoping for a cooler spell this weekend.
I was amazed to find these huge squash on my other plant in the food forest garden. In a week they had grown from golf ball size to melon size. I think they were supposed to be green button squash but they look more like the patty pan squash I grew last year. Anyway the size does not affect the flavour and the skins are not too tough so...I have some awesome vegies to eat this week.
Not a great photo but you can see how fleshy they are. I made an awesome relish from squash last year, so if I get too many I know what to do.
Location and soil preparation make all the difference in raising an abundant vegetable garden. This squash was planted the same time as the others, in the same north facing sun...but in a different garden bed.
This is the one planted in my no-dig food forest. Amazing how some take off and some don't.
Another example is this golden nugget pumpkin planted under my lime tree, not in a garden bed.
And the same one planted in the no-dig garden which is layered with compost, manure, soil and mulch.
Yay, I can finally see a straight, normal looking zucchini.
And I am learning to pick my cucumbers young before they turn yellow.
This is a forgotten rosemary in the herb patch which I totally failed with last year. Would love to get some major herbs going here.
The lemonade tree is also forgotten but still bearing fruit despite the dry weather. The recent rains will hopefully see this fruit ripen.
I love the little surprises you find that grow themselves.This passionfruit vine sprung up from nowhere in the front garden...
...and I am hoping to trail it up and around the front porch beams.
Not sure if this is a pumpkin or a melon vine but it just sprouted up under the tap outside.
I try not to waste any produce but the recent storms shook up the lemon tree, and the heat spoilt the fallen fruit...I really should have picked them up sooner.
I turned the yellow cucumber which was slightly bitter into relish, together with my abundant cherry tomatoes. I salted the cucumber over and then rinsed before using.
I added a capsicum, turmeric, garlic, sugar and apple cider vinegar and let stew for an hour.
Perfect. I mixed a little in with my chicken casserole for dinner which was really yummy.
And I have enough for the next week or so with my salads...and a jar for the preserves cupboard. Only 100 or so bottles left to fill now :)
