As I was giving our plants a good soak the other night, I realised I hadn't posted much about the progress of our vegetable garden I started back in October. I'm happy to report, we've had some good plantings.
Our four cherry tomato bushes have been producing endless tomatoes. Grace goes out with her little blue bucket each afternoon and we pick the ripe ones to bring inside. Lately, we've been collecting a small bowl's worth each day. I've had to teach her not to eat the green ones though. The first capsicums have been appearing so hopefully we'll be able to pick those soon and much to Grace's delight, we've been getting a few strawberries lately (not that any actually make it to the kitchen!) Our lettuces, rocket and baby spinach have been wonderful over these warmer months. It's been great being able to pick fresh salad leaves just before dinner. Unfortunately the extreme heat we've had has caused them to go to seed already. I tried to plant some new seedlings earlier in the week but despite constant watering, the hot weather has shrivelled them all so I'm going to look into somehow protecting them from the harsh sun. Our baby carrots were a disappointing crop and our spring onions aren't ready to pick just yet.
I have learnt a few things to remember for my next lot of plants - I need bigger stakes for my cherry tomato bushes as they all ended up toppling over with their weight. I'm also going to try sugar cane mulch or something lighter next time instead of pea straw which I've decided I'm not a huge fan of. Finally, I've decided the few things I had put into smaller pots need to be in larger ones to stop them drying out.
Thankfully, my little herb garden has still been going well. Grace was sent a gorgeous little bee wind catcher by Karyn of Hope Island Home and Living last week which she loves and which is perfect for this part of our garden. You can see it in the photo below.
What is flourishing in your garden at the moment or if you have a vegetable garden, which crop has been most successful lately?
You have so many tomatoes - The herb garden looks so great! Please keep us updated with your progress as i have been meaning to start one but we need some good weather here before i venture out in the garden!!
ReplyDeleteRachie xo
I love the update on the garden! I would love to grow my own vegetables too.. especially an herb garden :) Mint juleps in the summer are my favorites!
ReplyDeleteThe tomatoes look tasty! What a lovely vegetable garden! Enjoy the beautiful day, Kellie xx
ReplyDeleteIsn't it wonderful to have a vegetable garden? Look at your little one - they learn so much, so quickly. xx
ReplyDeleteYour garden has grown so well! I'm not surpassed to see Grace enjoying it - as I mentioned a while ago, my niece loves the vegie patch. My tomatoes are a lot slower than yours but we have had no decent weather. Hopefully they'll come on soon. I am about to plant some more carrots, beetroot, rocket and maybe broccoli :)
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year to you and your family. Hope you had a lovely time. I'm just catching up on your blog after having a few weeks away for Christmas.
ReplyDeleteGreat to see that your garden is doing so well although I think the thing that has grown the most is wee Grace! She seems so grown up helping you with the gardening and she's by far the prettiest flower in there! x x
Your tomatoes look fabulous. I haven't put any in yet waiting for the sweet peas to finish...I do hope I can get some in soon..when it stops raining here! Grace looks so cute and how lovely that she likes to 'garden' :)
ReplyDeleteWow, how fun! I don't have a garden and I'm terrible at keeping plants! They die on me! It's so nice that you have herbs and vegetables you can harvest in your back yard. Organic is the best. I like the bee wind catcher Grace got from Karyn. I love the last photo. Grace looks so sweet...
ReplyDeleteIt all looks so fab, Amanda, it sounds as if you've had a pretty successful season. I just arrived home on Sunday night to find my tomatoes are all ripe and ready for eating - they're sitting in the fruit bowl now. Yum! It's a shame about the lettuces, I always struggle with them at this time of the year, I tend to put the vege garden aside from Nov-Mar, it's just too hard :( Let me know if you find a solution, I'd love to keep mine going longer.
ReplyDeleteWe'd love a vege patch or better still, a potager. Its on the to do list, would love it to be a 2011 project! Yours looks fabulous! Emma.
ReplyDeleteYour garden is going so well Amanda and it is so lovely that Grace helps you harvest. We are currently fixing the area that our garden is so we don't have anything planted this season except for some strawberries. xx
ReplyDeleteYour vegie garden looks divine Amanda! There is nothing more delicious then home grown tomatoes. I'm really looking forward to setting up a winter garden this year. There's something so special about growing your own food.
ReplyDeleteOur tomatos are still green and apparently won't turn red till the rain stops (so my garden advisor - Dad - tells me!).
ReplyDeleteWe are getting lots of cucumbers and zucchinis though.
your tomatoes look great! And Grace is absolutely adorable!
ReplyDeleteWow it's looking great. We grow some herbs but no veges yet, I have been thinking about it but have not got around to it yet! One day.
ReplyDeleteMajor Pettigrew is a good read, I think you'd enjoy it. And it's not a hard book to get into which these days when it's so easy to be distracted by kids I find very important.
I would love to start a little vegie patch, it's on my to do list with homeschooling my son this year...just not too sure where to start or if it's even the right season.
ReplyDeleteYour garden looks fantastic!!
x
Lovely to hear all your vegies are feeding you so well Amanda. Our miserably cold & wet Dec. put MOTH's tomato seedlings back & he was sure they were done for. Yesterday however he bounded up from his plot whooping with delight. Suddenly all the fruit has set & all is well, so I'm keeping all fingers crossed. I love the pics of Grace at your Earth Ring, she is such a sweetheart.
ReplyDeleteMillie x
Hi fellow Perthite! I love your garden I so want a vege patch.
ReplyDeleteit's lovely. how on earth do you do it? my thumbs remain BROWN! xo
ReplyDeleteWe have had the most amazing sweet corn from our first real vegie garden. It is so sweet and juicy that my toddler eats it without the need to cook it at all. We've also enjoyed eggplant, beetroot, zucchini, cucumber and of course, tomatoes!
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