garden stills

I have been meaning to post a garden update. Not that I've written much about the garden at all this season, seeing as it is running behind and only just beginning to produce the goods! I think I mentioned that we had a late start to summer so I'm using that as my excuse! But…. it is looking lush now and giving us many delicious meals so I think it's earnt a mention!

1 - Buttercrunch lettuce. I love this variety almost as much as I like the Austrian heirloom Forellenschuss. The taste is nicer in these little mignonette lettuces but it's harder to wash all the insects and dirt out of the crinkly leaves and, well…. I do like fast!!

2 - Our chickens are just ordinary Isa Browns. They do a fabulous job of laying big brown eggs and are the cheapest chickens I've found here in Tasmania. Any fancy types are just so pricey and are not sexed, which means that at least half of the chicks end up being male. Not good for egg production!

3 - Aubergines in flower. These are now small purple fruits and it won't be long until I'm making some delicious dinners with this favourite vegetable. Last year (when I was more organised and grew onions too) I made a lot of 'briam' which is a Greek dish of outstanding taste! I have a pic somewhere and will post the recipe tomorrow. 

4 - Dill (or maybe it was fennel?) flowers. The bronze fennel has self seeded everywhere, while the dill that I planted and wanted desperately to grow, has only managed to two plants! I'm hoping that if I let it self seed…….!! 

5 - Poppies. These self seeded too but the white ones (and some pink) somehow sprang up from the red ones that I planted last year. They must be reverting back to their forebears! And this just makes me think about my lax gardening habits - so many self sown plants and I can never bring myself to pull them out, which means my garden has many parts that become rather…..wild! 

6 & 7 - Potatoes in flower and producing many a fine meal. Sadly, although I managed to harvest almost 200 kilos of potatoes last year, this year there will only be the ones that have sprung up around the garden from those left in the ground. Once again, I was behind and now it's too late. But…. we are doubly enjoying the ones we have!! 

8 - And zucchini! Lots and lots of zucchini!! I love them, the family like them, they are prolific, versatile and fast growing! Costata Romanesco is this variety and it's my favourite for both the flavour and of course it's ridged good looks! I made my very first chocolate brownie with zucchini recently. I have never seen the need to use a vegetable in a cake but thought I'd try it. Verdict? It was ok but I'll be sticking to salads, steamed and buttered or savoury slice!!

I really love producing a large part of our summer food. The children roll their eyes when I excitedly list off all the things on their plate that have come from the garden, "You tell us this every year, Mum", they say with a groan. And I do. But I know that secretly they think I'm clever are resigned!!!!

How does your garden grow?


Unser Garten ist jetzt besonders voll mit Gemüse.Sommer ist immer so eine schöne zeit und wir essen vieles vom garten. Salate, Auberginen, Kartoffel, zucchini und bald auch Tomaten, basilikum und gurken. Ich koch gerne mein Eigenbau und es macht mich ganz glücklich wenn ich kann sagen, "das hab ich im garten gewachsen!"